A hotel car park in Nottingham could be demolished to make way for a new five-storey student block.
The site is located on the corner of the A60 Mansfield Road and Magdala
Road, and is currently occupied by a two-storey car park that serves the Mercure Hotel.
Proark and EjendomsInvest, which has submitted the plans, has reduced the number of bed spaces from 163 to 113 following “extensive discussions” with Nottingham City Council’s planning officers.
According to council planning documents, 63 objections have been received – but they have been tipped for approval at a planning meeting on October 22.
Concerns have been raised over the loss of 107 car parking spaces, as well as the impact on the local area, and traffic problems that would be “exacerbated” by the development.
“Negotiations have taken place between officers and the applicant’s team to reduce the height and footprint of the building, to address the mix of accommodation type, refine the elevation treatment, secure high-quality materials and address concerns in relation to surface water flooding,” planning documents say.
However, the Nottingham Civic Society says the scheme remains “too large, bulky, and architecturally out of character”.
“This site was originally occupied by well-detailed late Victorian-Edwardian villas of the type which characterise Magdala Road and Mansfield Road immediately adjacent,” the society says.
“The Mercure Hotel’s massing and design should not be taken as a reference point for what is appropriate on this site, since the hotel was approved before the Mapperley Park Conservation Area was declared and its Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan was adopted.
“Whilst some changes have been made to the scheme, the scale and form of the proposed building remains alien to the conservation area surroundings.”
• Plans for 300-bed student block overlooking Green Heart in Nottingham
