Attempt to ban ‘disruptive’ young people from hotel flats fails

BID TO RESTRICT THEM TO RESIDENTS OVER-55 ONLY

A PLEA from residents to ban younger people with more disruptive “lifestyle choices” from taking on flats in a former Derbyshire hotel building has been firmly rejected by councillors.

The owners of Risley Hall Hotel, the Talesh Hotel Group, applied to turn the site’s Willoughby Court building into 22 flats to sell on the open market.

Its plans say the building, which is home to 19 of the hotel site’s 35 rooms, had originally been used for flats before it was converted for hotel use 21 years ago.

Residents in the Risley area, including those living in the retirement village which shares the site, say the previous flats had carried a restriction only to house those aged 55 and over.

They have asked that the same restriction be applied to the returning flat plans at Willoughby.

However, Erewash Borough Council planners said this would be difficult to justify, with the building having allowed hotel guests of any age to stay in the rooms.

Steve Birkinshaw, the council’s head of housing, said: “The hotel rooms are not restricted on occupancy at the moment so I don’t see why rooms that can be occupied by anyone should now be restricted.”

He also said it was “very evident” that the rooms at Willoughby Court are not fully occupied.

At a planning meeting on Wednesday, councillors approved the plans to turn Willoughby Court from a hotel building into 22 onebed flats.

Residents contended that the site, and Willoughby Court in particular, is in a bad state of disrepair, with members of the retirement village having to take on the voluntary responsibility of tidying up the site to ensure its upkeep.

Derbyshire police’s design officer also writes that there is “poor maintenance” of the hotel grounds compared to the private residences, with external lighting damaged or temporary.

At the meeting, Councillor Steve Jarrett, chairman of Risley with Hopwell Parish Council, said: “It is absolutely clear there is a dire need for investment.”

He said the site was clearly “deteriorating”, but said development “should not be to the detriment of residents of Risley and the Risley Hall retirement village”.

Cllr Jarrett said the flats should be restricted to those aged 55 and over, which he said was not setting a new precedent.

He said the “lifestyle choices” of those aged 55 and above were “less likely to cause disturbance than younger residents”, including the lower likelihood of them owning two or more vehicles.

Patrick Tracey, who lives in the retirement village, speaking on behalf of neighbours, said a petition against the development had been “almost universally” supported. He said there were already car parking issues this would be worsened through the flat plans, with the spaces for the development already in use.

Mr Tracey claimed the Talesh

Hotel Group had been “negligent” in its management of the site – the site itself is managed by Countrywide Hotels, but owned by Talesh.

He said consistent flood issues on the site needed to be resolved and pedestrian access was also a problem that needed solving.

Further residents also raised the issue of flooding and said this caused water to cover Derby Road. They say this is partially caused by a culvert on the hotel site which is often blocked.

A report submitted with the application by Michael Ramus Architects, on behalf of Talesh, says: “As the principle of flats was previously the use and altered to hotel use we assume this will be a principle acceptance, especially as the Government policies for homes gathers momentum.

“The current pandemic has also hastened this application as the hotel and hospitality industry is suffering huge losses that it cannot keep sustaining. Generally, there is a nationwide requirement for housing.

“It is clear that these 22 apartments will not resolve the housing shortage, but they will allow a market in an area which appears to have traditional tenures in semi and detached properties, whereas the conversion of these hotel

The main hotel building will remain in its current use but the Willoughby Hall building will become flats suites to one or two-bed apartments will be attractive to investors for rent and for the retirement and early starters on the housing ladder to purchase.”

Councillor Tim Scott said: “A lot of people have paid a lot of money to live, prosper and have a tranquil life in this area.”

He said he had deep concerns about the pedestrian access and the flooding issues, and claimed parking on the site was “inadequate”.

Councillor Howard Griffiths said: “It would be unfair to limit the use of the property having not been limited and that it is not part of the retirement complex.

“The evidence against it is anecdotal and there are no material reasons to turn it down.”

Councillor Gordon Thomas said it was an “impressive application” and that there was a shortage of small unit housing in the borough.

He said it was a “sympathetic reuse and regeneration of an historic building”.