Demolition of hotels to make way for flats given go-ahead

Monday 08 November 2021

Proposals to demolish a series of buildings on Kensington Place, including the Revere and Stafford hotels and restaurant, to make way for 106 flats have been approved by the Planning Department.

Dandara applied for permission demolish 14-28 Kensington Place, which also includes Doran's Bistro, and build 20 one-bedroom, 27 two-bedroom, and seven three-bedroom flats with ground-floor parking and landscaping in January.

The developer wanted to knock down the two-star, 72-room Stafford and three-star 56-room Revere hotels, as well as Doran's Bistro and Candlelight restaurant, to replace it with a five- storey building, with two six-storey wings.

Pictured: The Doran family have owned the Hotel Revere since 1952.

The initial proposal, which was for 70 one-bedroom and 36 two-bedroom flats was amended following negotiations between Dandara and the Planning Department to provide “a more diverse housing mix and meet future housing needs”.

The negotiations also established that the ground floor would provide 37 residents car parking spaces, five of which would include Electric Vehicle Charging Points (EVCP) from the outset, as well as five disabled car parking spaces, 156 bicycle spaces, 10 visitor cycle spaces and eight electric bike charging stations.

The application was recommended for approval as “an acceptable change of character” to Kensington Place.

“Whilst the scheme would result in the loss of two hotels there is no policy requirement for the retention of tourist accommodation,” the Assessment Officer report noted. “The proposal  would make good use of the site which is in a sustainable town centre location and would result  in the provision of 106 one, two, and three-bed flats in a block similar to other schemes successfully implemented elsewhere in town.”

Dandara will have to contribute to the provision of bus stops, cycle lanes, road works and public sewer works and three years of car-sharing club membership for future residents.

Pictured: The initial proposal, which was for 70 one-bedroom and 36 two-bedroom flats, was amended following negotiations between Dandara and the Planning Department.

The planning permission marks the end of a period of uncertainty for the site, which formed part of a planning application to redevelop and expand the General Hospital in 2017.

The Government entered into negotiations with the owners, who indicated that they would be willing sellers, to buy the site.

However, the application was subject to a public inquiry led by an independent planning inspector, who recommended it was refused on the basis that the new hospital building would be "grossly out of scale… an over-dominant, obtrusive and alien structure".

The Environment Minister of the day, Deputy Steve Luce, agreed with these recommendations and turned down the application. Current Minister, Deputy John Young, went on to reject a revised application.

Later, the States rejected the Gloucester Street plans and started a new process to find a hospital site, which ended with Overdale being selected in November. 

At the end of last month, the hotels and restaurant closed their doors for the final time. Their loss - alongside that of the Mayfair, and imminent closure of the Savoy - has provoked much discussion about the loss of bed stock locally.

Last week, Express reported that Ports of Jersey had offered up some of its land for a third-party to build an "good value" and "high quality" hotel over concerns about how declining visitor accommodation options may impact local connectivity.