Plans submitted to demolish former St Martin’s Hotel
Redevelopment of the former St Martin’s Hotel site could finally be on the horizon, as an application to demolish the dilapidated structure was submitted.
It has been a year since the draft development framework for the abandoned site was published by planners, which suggested the site could be used for up to 112 units of sheltered housing or 62 to 75 residential dwellings.
Normally the final framework is published within a few months, but this one has taken an unusually long time.
Planning director Jim Rowles said the document was now nearly ready to go.
‘Although the draft development framework was issued for public comment in January 2023, there have also been more technical consultations ongoing during 2023 and the last of these was concluded in September,’ he said.
‘Following that consultation process, some further work was required before it could be referred to the Development & Planning Authority. The final development framework will be published shortly.’
A framework is needed before a planning application for development of 15 or more homes in a local centre – like St Martin’s – can be submitted.
The news comes as a planning application is submitted by long-time site owners St Martins Hotel (1987) Ltd to clear the existing buildings.
In the past there were several unrealised plans to convert the empty hotel into apartments, but then the building was devastated by a fire in 2016.
Since then no plans have been published for the site, until now.
The application proposes that all the hotel and outbuildings are demolished. Trees close to the buildings would also be removed, but tree protection fencing would go up to ensure other trees are not damaged.
There is a tree protection order on the 92 trees on the site, which includes Monterey pines, evergreen oaks, oaks, limes and sycamores.
A report by arboricultural consultant Richard Loyd said there had been little proactive tree management carried out for 20 years on the site, and some of the trees were up to 80 years old.
Of more than 90 trees, a third were given a U classification, meaning they cannot be retained as living trees for longer than 10 years.
The plans propose removing 17 trees, most of which are class C, which are low quality trees. This will allow the demolition of the building.
The latest application can be viewed here.
