Planning permission has been granted for the partial conversion and extension of River Rooms at 4 Radcliffe Road in West Bridgford, paving the way for the creation of six new flats while retaining a smaller hotel use on the site.
Rushcliffe Borough Council approved the scheme earlier this month following revisions to the original plans, concluding that the development would represent a sustainable form of residential intensification within the built-up area and would not cause unacceptable harm to neighbouring residents, highway safety or the character of the area.
The application, submitted by Mr Slater, relates to the three-storey detached Victorian and Edwardian building, most recently operated as a hotel and known as the Acorn Hotel and River Rooms. The property sits just off Radcliffe Road, accessed via Radcliffe Mount, and includes frontage hardstanding and a shared parking area to the rear.
Under the approved plans, part of the building will be converted from hotel use (Class C1) to residential use (Class C3), alongside a rear extension and an upward extension to the existing rear projection. The development will result in a total of six flats of varying sizes, alongside the retention of a five-bedroom hotel unit within the original building.
The residential accommodation will comprise one two-bedroom flat, three three-bedroom flats and two four-bedroom flats. The rear extension will project up to 3.5 metres beyond the existing rear projection at three-storey height, with a pitched roof incorporating a third floor, and will be finished in off-white render with roof tiles to match the existing building. A small single-storey lean-to extension will sit to the rear of this structure.
Two parking spaces will be retained at the front of the site, with a drop-off and delivery space to the rear. Secure cycle storage and bin storage will be provided, alongside electric vehicle charging infrastructure, all secured through planning conditions.
The site lies within Flood Zones 2 and 3, and flood risk was a key consideration in the assessment. The council accepted a Flood Risk Assessment which confirmed that finished floor levels would sit above the modelled breach flood level. Importantly, areas of the building that are below the flood level, including basement accommodation, will remain in hotel use, meaning there would be no increase in flood risk compared with the existing situation.
The proposal follows a number of earlier attempts to redevelop the site which did not progress. In 2018, an outline application seeking to convert the hotel into eight flats and construct a separate block of ten flats was withdrawn. A subsequent 2019 application proposing a change of use from hotel to a large house in multiple occupation was also withdrawn. Council officers noted that the current scheme represents a more modest and carefully designed approach, retaining an element of hotel use while delivering new housing within an established settlement.
During the course of the latest application, officers raised concerns about the original scale and massing of the rear extension. In response, amended plans were submitted which reduced the depth, ridge height and overall visual impact of the extension. Following these changes, the council concluded that the development would remain subservient to the main frontage building and would not appear overly dominant when viewed from Radcliffe Road or nearby properties.
Neighbour objections focused largely on parking provision, the loss of hotel accommodation, bin storage, cycle facilities and the potential impact on neighbouring amenity. Three representations were received raising concerns about overspill parking, access across third-party land and existing parking pressures associated with hotel use.
Nottinghamshire County Council, acting as highway authority, confirmed that while the scheme falls short of current parking standards, the site’s sustainable location close to public transport and local services meant the impact would not be severe. Existing on-street parking controls were considered sufficient to prevent highway safety issues, and officers concluded that the proposal would not result in unacceptable harm to neighbouring amenity.
Environmental health officers requested that a Noise Impact Assessment be secured by condition to protect future occupiers and neighbouring properties, while ecological assessments found no evidence of bat roosts. Ecological enhancement measures, including the installation of swift bricks, will be required as part of the development.
In approving the application, planning officers concluded that the scheme complies with both parts of the Rushcliffe Local Plan, national planning policy and the recently adopted Rushcliffe Design Code. They determined that the proposal represents an appropriate form of development within the urban area of West Bridgford, making efficient use of a previously developed site while maintaining acceptable living conditions for future residents and neighbours.
Planning permission has been granted subject to a series of conditions covering noise mitigation, ecology, cycle and bin storage, electric vehicle charging, water efficiency and construction management. The development must commence within three years of the decision date.
