Buyer sought in plan to transform landmark Southsea hotel
CHANGES Queens Hotel in Southsea.
A DEVELOPER is being sought to turn part of the landmark Queen’s Hotel and the land around it into flats.
Final consent is due over the next few days for an ambitious plan which would see the upper storeys of the seafront hotel, which have been unused since the 1960s, sold off and turned into 30 private apartments.
The buyer would also take on land around the hotel with permission to build two blocks of affordable flats and more private apartments.
The hotel would become a much smaller 22-bedroom facility on the ground and first floor with newly-refurbished bedrooms and facilities.
The scheme was first revealed in 2008 but has only now got to the final stages of the planning process.
Vail Williams commercial property agent has been asked to market the building and the land.
A survey in 2005 concluded the hotel was worth around £2m, compared with an estimated £5m bill to refurbish it.
Chris Cave, partner at Vail Williams, said: ‘The planning consent is for the ground floor and first floor of the hotel to be refurbished and kept as a boutique hotel.
‘We are expecting to get the final letter of planning approval imminently.
‘Next door to the hotel, on the right-hand side, will be 30 affordable flats, and in front of that, on the seaward side, there will be a block of 38 private apartments.’
The hotel is owned by the Manning family, who also own Clarence Parade Pier.
The second phase of planning, to build the block of 38 apartments, attracted objections from neighbours and the Portsmouth Society.
John Holland, one of its committee members, wrote to Portsmouth City Council saying: ‘We feel the proposed building is too tall for the site and will block views of the Queen’s Hotel from Southsea Common.’
The society also said its design was not in keeping with neighbouring Georgian and Edwardian properties.
But the plans were changed in the middle of last year to address some of the concerns.
The Portsmouth Society did not object to plans to refurbish the Queen’s Hotel itself.
The hotel estimates that once a developer buys the hotel and land, the work should take 18 months to finish.
The Queen’s Hotel was first known as Southsea House, and was a large home owned by Sir John and Lady Morris. It was destroyed in a fire in 1901, and rebuilt in 1903. Around 30 full and 50 part-time staff work at the hotel, which is in a conservation area but is not listed.
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Thursday 23 February 2012
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Comments
There are 23 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
Graham Wheatley
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 04:51 PMIs nowhere on this island safe? --- Blue&WhiteArmy1971 (12), "...shall we replace all the wonderful history of our city with Bovis homes and cul de sacs...". --- We're doing that already! Or haven't you noticed?
Flying bull
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 10:23 AMSorry Tman Pompey council has priced me out of the City. I'll stay in Shirley Towers.
Tman
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 06:51 PMPerhaps you should revisit more often. A day return ticket from Shirley Towers isn't that expensive....
Flying bull
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 05:15 PMI was born and bred in Portsmouth and the loved the place. I cried when I left 25 years ago and cried when I came back to visit. RIP Pompey.
Tman
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 01:12 PMA perfect example of the old maxim "be careful what you wish for". The residents of Southsea, including and especially the old Southsea council, wanted to stop to all those nasty townies coming to the Osborne road Palemerston road areas at night for to enjoy themselves so opposed any new pubs clubs and restaurants for years, and now the area's like a graveyard. They have what they wished for plus boarded up shops and pubs. "Affordable housing" though. Who's fooling who?
josey
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 01:05 PMMy husband and i have just last night had a lovely nights stay at this hotel. I am so glad that they are planning on only redeveloping the top 2 floors as this hotel as it has so much character, and the decor is beautiful, and qhat a stunning position, overlooking the Solent to the Isle Of Wight. The room we stayed in on the 2nd floor was a bit tired, but I feel that it's a beautiful structure. There aren't many of these delightful hotels left in the country so they should be looked after.
snapdog
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 11:24 AM@12 it does say that flats will be built too...''A DEVELOPER is being sought to turn part of the landmark Queen’s Hotel and the land around it into flats. ... upper storeys of the seafront hotel, which have been unused since the 1960s, sold off and turned into 30 private apartments. The buyer would also take on land around the hotel with permission to build two blocks of affordable flats and more private apartments. Remember when most of Fratton was rows and rows of terraced houses...... now bulldozed and replaced by a concrete jungle! Portsmouth is the most densly populated city in the UK.... and I see in the Telegraph today a wonderful comment which will help the City no end: The city was famously described by London mayor Boris Johnson a "a place that is arguably too full of drugs, obesity, underachievement and Labour MPs". thanks for that Boris!
Flying bull
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 08:32 AMWell Blue and white army have you looked around Portsmouth? Estella road is a wondefull place to live I know I lived there once. It reminds me of the Berlin Wall and just as you come into the City. Sultan road is just another hole. Bring on the Bull Dozers again
dave3974
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 05:39 PMit will take a lot to refurbish this old decaying , dirty building , surely noone bboks a room if they have seen the place
portsmouthgeezer
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 03:10 AMwould it also not be in the best interests for some one such as the news to go to these areas that have not been used since the 1960 s and take photos for future arcives?
portsmouthgeezer
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 02:50 AMbout time it was all used pompey needs the money its a great building
Blue&WhiteArmy1971
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 11:03 PMDo none of you lot read the story properly? a) the hotel isn't closing, the upper floors which aren't used are being brought into use as flats. b) the affordable flats will face Osborne road (and "affordable" isn't the same as socialcouncil housing). c) I can't imagine they'll renege on existing bookings d) Portsea Island is cramped, get over it, flats are the only answer to solve our housing shortage e) as for the RIDICULOUS suggestion that "all of Portsea Island should be bulldozed", yeah, great idea, shall we replace all the wonderful history of our city with Bovis homes and cul de sacs (I can imagine the answer from the suburb dwellers would yes sadly) Get a grip. Same old whinges from people who don't have a clue and instead of getting involved in local democracy would rather sit behind a PC and post clueless comments on stories they can't even be bothered to read!!!
The Watcher....
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 08:18 PM@10 - totally agree.
simon.farlington
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 07:31 PMAffordable homes on the seafront? Why should there be affordable homes in a prime location, overlooking the sea. If you want homes in these up market, prime locations then buy them. I wouldn't want to live with lower class, working class people. That is what Paulsgrove, Buckland, North End and Fratton is for. Lets keep southsea and Eastney + Drayton and Farlington for the Upper Class and better Class.
Portsea Islander
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 07:07 PMIf never thought it would be possible for our once-great city to get even worse but here ya go folks!
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