Plans were resubmitted this year to demolish the popular resort hotel and build assisted living apartments for the over 55s. Despite numerous objections Lancaster City Council has once again given approval to a controversial development.
The Elms Hotel is popular with residents and visitors alike; as a place for staying and as a venue to provide numerous functions for which there is no substitute nearby.
This historic building started out life as a Gentleman's Home and has slowly been enlarged to the building you see today.
The original plans to demolish the Elms also brought numerous objections. This was initially refused, but yesterday (Monday 29th June), resubmitted plans were approved by a sweeping majority on Lancaster City Council's Planning and Highways Regulatory Committee.
So what do we have here? In a time when Morecambe is crying out for decent accommodation the local council is doing all it can to remove all our big hotels. First it was the Grosvenor (now sadly demolished), then the Broadway (this still standing but permission has already been granted to demolish and build new apartments). Now it is the Elms turn. What next? The Strathmore? Surely not the Midland! With this council one cannot be certain of anything.
We also have to ask what the new Morecambe Town Council makes of this decision. Were they even asked?
Watch this space...
1 comment:
Hi! I have a sneaking suspicion that Mitchells have deliberately not promoted the hotel properly - they have some very proud and enthusiastic members of staff there who deserve better from them - and a little investment in better food wouldn't have hurt either. The place has the potential to be a little gold mine and for Mitchells to say that it's losing money hand over fist at a time when more and more people are staying in Britain for their holidays is frankly laughable. Equally, for the City Council to just roll over on their backs - kick their legs in the air and say "Tickle my Tummy" to Mitchells is questionable too - Sure, they rejected the decision the first time around - so did Mitchells do something to twist their arm? The Elms has too deeper history with Morecambe - including the stage and variety stars in the halcyon days of the 1930's that stayed there, to be dismissed in this way, though considering the track record of our planning department , it's unsurprising. They don't seem to give a damn about aesthetics or history when it comes to making decisions about the resort's - or Lancaster's future!
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