£35M hotel planned for Newcastle
Plans for a multi-million pound hotel complex complete with a rooftop swimming pool, nightclub, restaurants and retail outlets have been unveiled for Newcastle city centre.
Leading leisure operator, Malhotra Group PLC, is behind the scheme which will lead to a £35m development at one of the city’s most historic streets.
Over the past years the company – which along with its leisure arm has both a care and property division – has been acquiring a number of buildings at Grey Street, with a view to creating a 120 bedroom, four star deluxe hotel with a range of other complementary services.
The ambitious plan will encompass nine existing buildings, seven of which are Grade II listed in the neoclassic style which this part of the city is so famous for.
The site of the development – which is being overseen by leading designers Space Architects – will stretch from Grey Street down to its junction with Mosley Street and across to the lower part of Cloth Market.
The scheme includes the famous Balmbras music hall at the Cloth Market, with the aim of restoring it to its original identity, along with a plan for Drury Lane – the site of the original Theatre Royal – which will be home to a number of retail outlets within a glass covered cobbled street.
The Malhotra Group see the scheme as being the jewel in the crown of their impressive property portfolio and believe it will become a visitor attraction in its own right, not only creating jobs but also boosting the local economy.
The development will also help strengthen the company’s foothold on Grey Street, where it is already having great success with the boutique Grey Street Hotel which recently underwent a £1.2m refurbishment.
Full plans for the scheme will be presented to Newcastle City Council by the end of the year, with a view to starting the refurbishment in spring 2018 subject to planning permission being granted.
The plan is for the leisure complex to be open by the end of 2020, with a design that would be sympathetic and in keeping with Grey Street’s historic façade.
“This is a huge and impressive development that should bring more visitors in to the city centre,” said Meenu Malhotra, Group Chairman of Malhotra Group PLC.
“As owners of the Grey Street Hotel we are well aware of the importance of ensuring that any development in this area celebrates its history and we believe this new hotel will be a huge asset not just to Grey Street but to the city as a whole.
“It’s a very ambitious scheme, and we will work very closely with the city planners and conservations department in respecting all aspects of the historic architecture to ensure these landmark buildings are brought back to their former glory.”
Cllr Ged Bell, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Growth at Newcastle City Council said: “We’re delighted the Malhotra Group are bringing forward investment in this iconic and historic area of the city. Significant investment like this demonstrates the private sector’s commitment and willingness to invest in Newcastle’s future.
“Newcastle is growing, and it’s important that we continue to create the right conditions to attract further investment and development in the city. This announcement supports our own ambitious plans for Newcastle to encourage economic growth and create jobs for future generations.”
David Coundon, director at Space Architects who is leading the design team, is currently discussing the planning submission with Newcastle City Council and will soon be facilitating a conditions survey of the existing buildings, along with point cloud surveys which generate a 3D model of a building using laser technology.
This will generate an interactive model image of the buildings, which will then form the basis for the design and will enable the team to fully analyse, review and consider the historic fabric, and more importantly, deliver the project on time, avoiding added costs.
David Coundon said, “We are very excited at the scale and ambition of this project. It allows us to deliver an important restoration project for the city, generating new luxury facilities that will attract visitors and locals alike.