Victorian seafront hotel to be turned into flats despite objections

The application, submitted by Zenda Ltd through Mission Town Planning Ltd, includes two main parts: turning the Victorian-era West Wing into 31 flats, and building a new six-storey “North Wing” on Mansion and Alhambra Roads with another 26 flats.

The site is in the East Southsea Conservation Area, directly across from South Parade Pier. The development will include 20 car parking spaces (two of them disabled bays) and 88 cycle parking spaces.

Planning agent Alex King, speaking for the applicant, said the site had not been “operated directly as a hotel for some time” and was no longer financially viable. He said the building had “heritage benefits,” was “visually prominent,” and was “an important building in the local area.”

He added the plans would help keep the hotel building, allowing it to be updated and preserved. While there would be changes to how it looks, he hoped it would be “rejuvenated.”

Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, chair of the planning committee, said it would be better to have something “more in keeping with the historic nature” of the area. He reminded the committee that developments in a conservation area should “make it better not worse.”

He criticised the modern design and raised concerns about parking, saying the number of spaces was “significantly” below what was needed. He added that planning officers’ advice that modest parking provision was acceptable did not reflect the views of “a fair number of people in the committee” or “residents in the city.”

He suggested adding an informative note to tell the transport cabinet member that new residents in the area should not be allowed residential parking permits, avoiding “an imposition on other residents.”

Vernon-Jackson also recommended a condition requiring the design of railings to come back to the council for approval, to ensure the historic character of the building.