BCP Council rejects multimillion-pound revamp plans by Captain’s Club Hotel & Spa

MULTIMILLION-pound revamp plans by the Captain’s Club Hotel & Spa have been rejected by BCP Council who say it would “dominate” the riverfront and cause nuisance to nearby residents.

Council tourism bosses had welcomed the proposal to build an extra storey on the hotel and an extension. They said it would turn the hotel into a “world class offering”, and the plans were recommended for approval.

However, a meeting of BCP’s planning committee today (Thursday) disagreed and voted to turn it down over concerns about its “bulk, scale and massing” along with worries that the rear extension would result in residents having their privacy “invaded”.

Many councillors speaking at the meeting said they agreed that the hotel was an “asset” to the town but felt the “scale and massing” of the building which would result from the changes were unacceptable.

Cllr Mike Tarling, who represents Christchurch Town ward, admitted: “I am very conflicted by this one. The hotel is definitely an asset to the town.” But he went on to say he was worried about the size of the hotel and the homes behind, saying he felt they would be overlooked.

Fellow Cllr Mike Cox agreed: “The hotel is a much-valued asset and has, to date, been a very good neighbour.” But he said the proposed extension and extra storey would result in it being “clearly overbearing and of excessive bulk. It will dominate the riverbank”.

There were more than 100 objections to the application with many Creedy Drive residents complaining that, by changing the current portholes at the rear of the building to windows, their privacy would be lost with many saying they would be “completely overlooked”.

Cllr Cox said: “The loss of privacy will be substantial.”

A BCP planning officer who recommended approving the application said that the plans for the extra storey had been amended to make it less obtrusive and the hotel would not “dominate the area” or be “a visually intrusive building”.

They said there would be “no harm caused” to the conservation area in which the hotel is located. They also said that because of the distance between homes behind the hotel and the building they would not be overlooked by the new windows.

Peter Lamb for Savills Planning, acting on behalf of the hotel, said the changes to the hotel would benefit the local economy by giving it “high-quality accommodation and contribute to Christchurch being a fantastic place to visit”.

After the meeting Tim Lloyd, managing director at Captain’s Club Hotel, said: “We were naturally disappointed at the decision made on our proposed planning application. We are currently reviewing options and carefully considering our next steps.

“The enhancement of Captain’s Club Hotel remains essential to secure its long-term viability, while helping meet demand for high-quality accommodation in BCP.

“We remain committed to delivering a high-quality scheme that meets the needs of the community.”