Owners of a Liverpool city region hotel that is currently under development unveil plans to increase the number of hotel rooms. Andrew Brown reports
Plans have been proposed to increase the number of hotel rooms at the new Garrick development in Southport town centre.
What will be the UK’s first spa theatre hotel will be built at the Garrick Building in Lord Street in Southport, transforming an iconic art deco landmark which has been empty since last welcoming customers when it was a Mecca Bingo hall in March 2020.
Owners Garrick Southport have previously been granted planning permission by Sefton Council to convert one of the key sites on Lord Street into a hotel providing 109 hotel rooms.
It will also offer 12 residential apartments; a terrace and pool at the fourth floor; commercial units comprising food and drink; a spa; an event kiosk, box office and retail space; plus a bar and restaurant.
This scheme would also involve the refurbishment of the existing event auditorium; the provision of a lift to the rear, and rooftop extensions including three additional floors.
The firm is now seeking planning permission from Sefton Council to increase the number of hotel rooms from 109 to 133. The creation of new apartments would be removed from the scheme.
Earlier this month, Stand Up For Southport revealed how work is due to begin this autumn on building the new 29-bedroom Wetherspoon Hotel in the Pavilion Buildings on Lord Street in Southport, near The Garrick.
The two schemes represent a significant boost for the southern end of Lord Street, after the transformation of ‘The Northern Quarter’ with venues including The Grand, the Lord Street Hotel, Maverick’s, Sinclair’s, Digz’n’ Lids, and the refurbishment of The Bold.
The creation of scores of new hotel rooms in Southport follows Sefton Council’s Hotel and Visitor Accommodation Study, which identified a need for a significantly increased supply of hotel bed spaces, particularly in Southport.
Cove Resort in Southport, due to be built at The Esplanade, would create a further 200 new hotel rooms. The revitalisation of The Garrick will bring one of Southport’s most iconic landmarks back to life.
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The planning application, with architectural design drawn up by Footprint Design and Absolute Services as the structural engineer, said: “The imaginative re-use will prevent deterioration and a void in the conservation area, and may encourage a greater critical mass of related activity.
“Its re-purposing with an entertainment function for which it was designed, alongside complementary new uses, should contribute positively to the area.”