THE much-anticipated revamp of Leigh’s most iconic building has been revealed.

The Echo can reveal proposals for the Grand Hotel include a ground floor restaurant and terrace, a basement wine bar and health club plus 19 self-contained flats on three floors and a penthouse roof extension.

A planning application has now been submitted to Southend Council to breathe new life into the building on Leigh’s Broadway.

Excited owner Mick Norcross told how the plans would sustain the Grand for the next 100 years.

He told the Echo: “It would have been much cheaper to flatten the building and start again, but I love the building and so I chose to save it.

“I appointed professionals to come up with a viable and sustainable scheme which would secure the future of the Grand for the next 100 years.

“There is a lot of work that needs to be done, the roof and the stone and brick restoration is very expensive and that will be funded by the residential side of the plan.

“I think it needs to be retained as it is a local landmark and it is iconic - this is the only way to save the building making sure it will be here for years to come, while staying in keeping with the building. It is very expensive and at great expense to myself but the redevelopment proposed has far less impact on the local community.”

And Mr Norcross told how he was left with having to make the very difficult decision to ditch the hotel element of the plan.

He continued: “After years of problems with Japanese Knott weed, the plans for the hotel were put on hold. This meant that the building fell into a further state of disrepair, with extensive and costly building works to undertake.

“Because of the Knotweed I was left without the possibility to finance a hotel through traditional methods because no one would touch it until it had been eradicated.

“It left me in a position that meant I had to rethink the project. so I appointed professionals to come up with a viable and sustainable scheme which would secure the future of the Grand for the next 100 years.

“It would have been much cheaper to flatten the building and start again but I love the building and so I chose to save it.

“There is a lot of work that needs to be done to the building, the roof and the stone and brick restoration is very expensive and that will be funded by the residential side of the plan.

“A hotel would be unsustainable because of the state of the building, it has been empty for 10 years and deteriorated over time.”

“I think it needs to be retained as it is a local landmark and it is iconic - this is the only way to save the building.

“Making sure it will be here for years to come but in keeping with the building it is very expensive and at great expense to myself.

“The development that is proposed has far less impact the local community.”

The new plan includes on-site parking and new landscaping. Caroline Parker, a Leigh Town Councillor, said: “I always had faith in Mr Norcross, since he bought it, I have told everyone wait and see and I was right.

“I am absolutely over the moon. It is brilliant, at least he is turning the ground floor into a restaurant and bar, something that will benefit Leigh people and not turning the whole property into flats.

“In this day and age and the cost, his plans are understandable, he has to turn part of the buildings to recoup some money- I fully understand and applaud him.

“The Grand is one of the few historic buildings left in Leigh, it’s great news it won’t be left to crumble and disintegrate.” Southend Council will now discuss the plans before deciding whether to grant the application.