Locals want to keep the “gem” of their town after it came under threat from a five-storey hotel plan.
A proposal for a 68-bed hotel at the site of the former Queen’s Royal Hotel in New Brighton was blocked by Wirral Council over concerns with its design and size.
The Queen’s closed in 2019, but this plan meant knocking down the former hotel building and replacing it with a structure which has a more modern design.
Residents of the seaside resort believe the existing building is precious and want to see it brought back into use.
Posting on the Wallasey Gossip Facebook group, one person said: “The site should be redeveloped along with the empty plot adjacent. The existing building is a gem and should be saved.
“If not all of it then at least some. It needs a good creative eye to merge the old with the new and bring a new lease of life to it.”
Agreeing with them, another member of the group added: “I'm so pleased [the plan was rejected], the Queen's is a beautiful building.
“It needs to be refurbished not demolished like the Grand Hotel was, [it is] a beautiful building, too many get flattened.”
Others thought that a hotel was not what New Brighton needed and had other ideas for the space.
One person said: “We do not need more hotels when there's nothing left to visit! Build a pool, or a skating rink, or something else for people to do.”
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Some sounded more sympathetic to the blocked hotel proposal and said New Brighton needs more hotels if it is to improve its offering to tourists.
Although the Queen’s was loved by many it closed in 2019 after suffering from the competition of the nearby Marine Point development.
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That complex, which came to New Brighton in 2011, has helped to regenerate the area bringing brands such as Travelodge, Pizza Express, Starbucks and Hungry Horse to the resort.
With around 500,000 visitors per year, the Marine Point development has helped to secure the future of the promenade but it reduced demand for the Queen’s.
Got a Wirral story? Email me at george.morgan@reachplc.com
