Consultation launched over Newcastle quayside hotel
A planning consultation has been opened regarding the conversion of a former office scheme on Newcastle’s riverside into a luxury hotel.
Proposals from Dakota Hotels look to transform St. Ann’s Wharf, 112 Quayside, into an 115-bedroom hotel spanning five floors of accommodation.
The designs, submitted by planning specialist Lichfields, also show the development of a ground floor bar and restaurant.
Alterations to the building façade have also been proposed, with a ground floor extension designed to provide a central entrance lobby.
Dakota Hotels currently operates sites in Glasgow, Leeds, and Manchester.
The site was originally constructed in 1997 as a purpose-built office, and operated as a commercial premises up until Autumn 2022 when it became vacated and has remained so since. The surrounding area has become a hub for development in recent years, with the construction of developments such as the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Sage Gateshead and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art.
Dakota Hotels said that sustainability will be at the heart of the development, with improvements to the building’s thermal efficiency to be achieved through the installation of rooftop solar panels.
The hotel group added that the development would create a £1.5m boost in economic output, provide £5.4m of annual visitor spending, and deliver 65,000 visitor nights per year.
Local residents have until June 12 to submit their opinions to the consultation, before a formal planning application is submitted later in the summer.