The Brooklands Hotel in Esplanade Gardens has 63 en-suite rooms which can sleep up to 115 guests when at capacity but it has been struggling to make money and attempts to sell it as a hotel have not been successful.
Verum Victum Healthcare have now applied to take over part of the hotel, the stretch of the building that runs from numbers 7 to 9 Esplanade gardens, and turn it into 18 apartments to provide independent living accommodation for people with learning disabilities on a rental basis.
The hotel also takes up number 10 Esplanade Gardens and from the first floor up of 11. This part of the building has not been included in the plans which have been submitted to Scarborough Council but the application does state that the remaining portion of the hotel could be the subject of another change of use in the future.
The plans were set to go before the council’s planning committee today (Thursday, October 10) and have been recommended for approval, providing there are no objections from North Yorkshire County Council’s Heath and Adult Services’ department.
The report into the application, by planning director David Walker, notes that the change of use from a hotel is acceptable as no buyer has been found which would enable it to continue to operate for tourism.
Mr Walker writes: “In 2008-2009, the Brooklands Hotel underwent extensive refurbishment to upgrade the facilities.
“However, in 2011 the owners decided to actively market the hotel with Christie and Co and it has since been for sale with no prospective purchasers.”
The application also states that the Victorian hotel was at 80 per cent capacity in March 2013 but still recorded a loss for the month and had made losses for the years of 2011 and 2012. One neighbour has, saying it should remain a hotel.
Fonte: The Scarborough News
