A South Lakes hotel owner wants to convert the venue into apartments because the business is unviable.
Plans have been lodged to turn the Fishermans Arms Hotel in Baycliff, near Ulverston, into nine apartments.
The hotel has six en suite six rooms, owners’ accommodation, a restaurant and bar.
A design and access statement submitted by Lee Wren Architect in support of the application to South Lakeland District Council said the hotel had experienced a substantial reduction in business since before the COVID-19 pandemic, believed, in part, to be due to the construction of several large budget hotels in the area.
It said the building was in an unkept state as the unviability of the business had reduced available funds for building maintenance.
The statement said the proposal would, through the introduction of a more affordable and smaller housing type, provide further housing options for local people and first-time buyers.
Currently, the hotel offers parking for around 20 vehicles in unmarked bays. The new plan features 19 spaces, 17 for occupants and two for visitors. The plan also includes a secure cycle store with five spaces.
The scheme would see a one-storey extension – infilling an alley – built to the rear of the building, and a one-storey extension built over the existing toilet block.
It would see an outdoor seating area retained for the use of residents and the ‘refurbishment of the existing building facades, including the roof’ to ‘bring elements in line with current building standards’. The final appearance of the building would be a reserved matter.
“Level entrances will be retained into ground-floor flats along the north facade,” said the design and access statement. “Existing steps will be retained into the front-facing entrance as to create compliant level access would detrimentally alter the character of the existing building.”
The statement said it would not be financially viable to incorporate a lift within the proposed development.
