Bristol 'small room' hotel plans submitted

A site in Bristol earmarked for student accommodation could instead become a hotel with "smaller" bedrooms and no car parking.

Big Sur Properties has submitted plans for a 126-room hotel in Corn Street.

Bristol City Council has indicated it is likely to approve the plans which cover two currently vacant buildings.

The developer already has planning permission to convert the buildings, one of which is Grade II listed, into student accommodation.

Under the new plans the boarded-up former office blocks, which had a restaurant and bar at street level, would have cycle storage in the basement and rooms on the upper floors.

In planning papers submitted to the council, the developer says: "Typical bedrooms will be smaller than traditional hotel bedrooms at around 12-15 sq m."

The biggest rooms would sit on the seventh floor of one building and a hotel restaurant with a separate street entrance would occupy the ground floor next door.

Architect O'LearyGoss said the building will have its Portland stone facade restored and an extra storey added.

Responding to a pre-application submission in June of last year, Bristol City Council wrote: "Subject to detail and justification, the change of use of the building to deliver a car-free boutique hotel at the upper levels with active ground floor town centres uses is likely to be acceptable."

Tom Eschelby, managing director of Stelling Properties, which acts on behalf of the developer, said getting planning permission for the hotel would mean the developer could choose whether to build a hotel or student flats.

"We are weighing up our options as to what to do with it," he said. "We may sell it to another developer."