Planners back plans for new airport hotel (From Echo)
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Planners back plans for new airport hotel
1:30pm Friday 3rd September 2010 in
PLANS for a £10million hotel at Southend Airport are set to be given the go-ahead.
The five-storey 129-bedroom hotel proposal, which would include the town’s first five-star facilities, was unveiled by the airport in June.
Members of the council’s development control committee will now decide, but council officers have urged them to approve the plan.
Airport bosses expect the hotel to create 40 jobs, according to a report by Andy Lewis, the council’s corporate director of enterprise, tourism and the environment, It will be built on land to the north-west of the Harp House roundabout, facing Eastwoodbury Crescent.
The building will include two separate hotels with different entrances – a three-star hotel with 117 bedrooms and a five-star facility with 12 executive suites on top.
There will also be a restaurant, a bar and conference facilities, plus a parking area in front of the hotel with 66 spaces for guests and visitors, who will arrive via an entrance from Eastwoodbury Crescent on the western side. Staff will park off the site on another car park within the airport’s grounds.
The report states: “Overall, the design will create a new landmark for this part of Southend and mark the entrance to the airport which at present is lacking.
“The design of the building also takes advantage of its position by locating the high end restaurant and conference facility on the top floor, which will have extensive views over the airport and will be a unique selling point.
“It is considered that the proposed development is a comprehensive, high quality design.”
Airport owner Stobart, which drew up the application, hopes the hotel will be open in time for the 2012 London Olympics.
The company also plans to create a piece of public art on the hotel site.
The council gave outline planning permission for a four-storey, four-star, 131-bedroom hotel on the same site in October 2007.
According to the report, two letters from neighbours were received, one of which praised the development as “a wonderful modern building” which will bring jobs to the area.
The other expressed concerns about the effect of traffic using the roundabout.
Comments(10)
Marshwalker
says...
3:08pm Fri 3 Sep 10
Thats the same time I would take to get to East Midlands Airport.
County road planners need a reality check!! Two serious accidents on both major roads out of Southend in 2012 onwards "will" mean gridlock!!
I wait with trepidation to be proved right, as I would not wish this on anyone.
nails
says...
4:53pm Fri 3 Sep 10
SARFENDMAN
says...
5:14pm Fri 3 Sep 10
jolllyboy
says...
5:33pm Fri 3 Sep 10
.
NickS
says...
7:35pm Fri 3 Sep 10
jolllyboy wrote:WTF the aircraft operating to and from the airport follow the track of the runway, they don;t go in what ever direction they want.
Nice thought a nice hotel BUT too near the airport. Unless the council has even more surprises up its sleeve it really will be a grid-locked road. 5 storeys - well that puts paid to planes flying in that direction whatever has been promised. I hear Stobart Rail is feeling the pinch - not overstretching themselves are they?............... .
Clearly your not in favour of the airport improving the service it provides so once it's all up and running dont use it.
el caballero de la noche
says...
9:31pm Fri 3 Sep 10
Will lets see now, a new Station built, a new observation tower built, extend the runway permission granted, increase employment HAPPENING ALREADY.
So well done Stobart and all the moaners b-ll--ks
SARFENDMAN
says...
10:47am Sat 4 Sep 10
el caballero de la noche wrote:Agreed 100%. The airport went downhill when the anti-extend the runway brigade won the day many years ago. This time they wont have their way, thank goodness and the airport can once live again as a fully operational vibrant business. Mistakes are now being put right, better late than never.
Expect Yet again the normal left wing anti private enterprise moaners spurt their rubbish, the very same moaners that said Stobart would fail. Will lets see now, a new Station built, a new observation tower built, extend the runway permission granted, increase employment HAPPENING ALREADY. So well done Stobart and all the moaners b-ll--ks
x2k
says...
12:55pm Sat 4 Sep 10
jolllyboy wrote:How on earth is this too near the airport? There's houses in the same area, so can't see how a hotel is any different.
Nice thought a nice hotel BUT too near the airport. Unless the council has even more surprises up its sleeve it really will be a grid-locked road. 5 storeys - well that puts paid to planes flying in that direction whatever has been promised. I hear Stobart Rail is feeling the pinch - not overstretching themselves are they?...............
.
--
Perhaps you don't travel by air at all, but "on airport" hotels are a major pull for travellers who have an early flight and want to stay over, and then be a stones throw from departures.
--
Also, as NickS has replied above, flights take off in a single direction, and that's the direction in which the runway points.
--
This is good progress in an ever more promising development in this town.
BASILBRUSH
says...
11:20pm Mon 6 Sep 10
And thats the same on the M25, M11 M23 etc etc etc. when driving to Heathrow, Luton, Stansted, Gatwick...
Whats your point? Shall we close Southend to business in case of an accident on the roads?
jollyboy wrote "Nice thought a nice hotel BUT too near the airport. Unless the council has even more surprises up its sleeve it really will be a grid-locked road. 5 storeys - well that puts paid to planes flying in that direction whatever has been promised. I hear Stobart Rail is feeling the pinch - not overstretching themselves are they?...............
"
What are you talking about (again)?
If you think the 5 storey hotel outside the perimeter will have an impact, how do they get away with a control tower?!!....
Stobart rail (A seperate part of the Stobart Group) are going to face tougher times ahead due to the cut backs in future national rail projects.
If you research the Stobart group during your past and present personal hate campaign of them, you will see that this downturn in business is expected and factored into the companies forecast.
This more good news for the area despite the usual Nay-sayers. Lets hope they get the final go-ahead soon.
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j-w says...
1:40pm Fri 3 Sep 10
(security word = flow-wait) how does it do that LOL!