Wilkinson seeks more time for Buile Hill hotel

SALFORD Reds’ owner John Wilkinson has submitted an application to extend planning permission for his controversial scheme to convert Buile Hill Mansion in Salford into a 93-bed boutique hotel.

Permission was initially granted for the £9m project to convert the Grade II-listed building in 2008. However, a subsequent bid for Heritage Lottery Fund cash to assist with its conversion was rejected and the building has lain idle ever since.

The application, which is due before a planning & transportation committee tomorrow, involves the demolition of a series of courtyard buildings to allow for a part-two/three storey extension to be built. An underground link between the mansion and the extension is also to be built, linking hotel suites with a function room and leisure suite.

The re-submitted application furthers the business case for the hotel, stating that it “will positively contribute to the Greater Manchester hotel market improving the number of bedspaces available and increasing the range of choice available to visitors and local people – in particular those seeking romantic wedding venues in accessible locations.”

Council officers have recommended that permission for the scheme should be extended for a further three years.