Royal Beach Hotel in Southsea says it hopes altered plans for flats will meet with Portsmouth City Council approval

Portsmouth City Council’s planning committee previously refused the plans to convert the east wing of the hotel into 29 residential flats.

Original works during the pandemic to convert the hotel, in St Helen’s Parade, into 40 flats was stopped and deemed infeasible due to post-Grenfell building regulations.

The developer Farid Yeganeh said: ‘Certain things came to light that made us reconsider if our current permission for 40 apartments would be the correct use of the building.

‘Once we started to empty each floor of its contents, we looked at the space we had and decided that the building lent itself to have less but slightly bigger units so we asked our Architects (PWP) to create an alternative set of drawings for us to consider which was the better option.

‘Having received the plans, the new scheme we felt was not only better for thebuilding but also more in keeping with its seafront location.’

The plans were scaled back for the planning committee in June however, eight of the 29 proposed flats fell below living space standards.

Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson pointed out in the meeting that two flats on each floor were too small.

The developers have now submitted revised plans to the council.

Mr Yeganeh added: ‘We have two good size one-bedroom apartments in this space and must agree with Councillor Vernon-Jackson that these now make the whole scheme a better one.

‘This new re-designed scheme is now with the planning department, who have applauded the fact that we have taken the time and listened to the concerns that the committee members had. We hope to have a positive decision on August 31.’

The Royal Beach Hotel announced in February that it was turning over all its rooms to refugees as part of a government contract. It said there would be a six-month contract from the Home Office that would see all 74 rooms occupied.

At the time the hotel said it was working with Portsmouth City Council, Hampshire police, the NHS and others as part of the contract.