Travelodge gets green light for waterfront hotel

COUNCILLORS in Liverpool have approved a planning application for a 10-storey Travelodge hotel on the city’s waterfront.

The hotel chain intends to build a 141-bedroom hotel with retail and office space on the ground floor facing Strand Street.

The city council has backed the plan despite opposition from the Liverpool Preservation Trust on the grounds that a budget hotel is a, “less than average building and not appropriate for a World Heritage Site”.

The site is opposite Albert Dock and close to the Liverpool landmarks the Royal Liver, the Cunard and the Port of Liverpool buildings.

Planning officers backed the plan saying it would regenerate a derelict car park and serve as a catalyst for adjacent plots.

An agenda document prepared ahead of the meeting said: “It will benefit the local economy and provide enhanced employment prospects. It will contribute towards a complimentary and sustainable mix of uses, in a highly accessible location, and meet an identified demand for mid-range hotel accommodation in easy reach of ACC [Arena and Convention Centre] Liverpool and the waterfront.”

Travelodge hopes to open the hotel next year. The company has committed £47m to expand its estate and in the past few months has announced plans for two new hotels in Manchester and one on the Wirral.