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Welcome to
the exhibition
A new Premier Inn hotel will help to strengthen Ambleside as a visitor destination
Thank you for visiting this exhibition
We’re consulting on our draft plans and are keen to get your views
Premier Inn,and its development partner We’re proposing to invest £5 million in
Stoford have the opportunity to redevelop the Ambleside to:
Hill Top building on Kirkstone Road into a new • redevelop Hill Top into a viable and suitable
Premier Inn hotel. The site is currently owned future commercial use
by the University of Cumbria, is excess to
requirements, and is being sold to help fund the • help to fund the University of Cumbria’s
Ambleside Campus. upgraded Ambleside Campus
Now, we’re in the early stages of preparing • create approximately 30 full- and part-time
a planning application for the site and are jobs with the UK’s leading hotel business
interested in your feedback on our initial plans. • attract new year-round visitors to Ambleside
Our proposed hotel will help to fund the • satisfy the hotel demand the University
upgraded Ambleside University Campus, create Campus will create
new jobs and support the ongoing success of
• support local businesses and trade in
Ambleside as a visitor destination.
Ambleside as our guests go out to eat, drink
and be entertained in the town.
Please take a look at the plans, ask any
questions and let us know what you think.
Feedback forms are available. All comments
will be reviewed and considered before the
plans are finalised.
Alongside this public consultation, we are
also engaging with Planning and Conservation
officers at the Lake District National Park
Authority to ensure the design of our
proposed hotel is absolutely right.
Additional information on the career
opportunities at Premier Inn is also provided.
The development team is here today to answer
any questions you may have. All of the information
displayed at the exhibition is also available on our
consultation website:
www.premierinnambleside.co.uk
Supporting the University’s
expansion plans
The sale of Hill Top will help to fund the new Ambleside University Campus
The University of Cumbria is planning to invest millions of
pounds in a new Ambleside campus. Our proposed hotel
will be a catalyst for the new facilities.
Hill Top is no longer needed by the University Funding the new Ambleside Campus
of Cumbria as it upgrades its facilities in Our proposed hotel will support the University
Ambleside and focuses its courses around the of Cumbria’s Ambleside expansion in a number
new Ambleside Campus of ways including:
We are intending to purchase the unwanted • helping to fund the University’s new campus
and derelict building from the University. The from the receipts of the sale of the Hill Top
receipts from the sale of the land will be used
to fund the new Campus facilities. • sensitively redeveloping a vacant and
redundant ex-University building
Compared to other land uses a ‘Budget’ hotel,
such as a Premier Inn, will achieve the highest • providing flexible, affordable hotel
land values for the site – higher than would accommodation for academic visitors and
be generated by new homes or by a more those undertaking short or professional
upmarket hotel – ensuring the University courses
achieves the maximum return from the sale of • investing in the long-term future of the site
the site. with Premier Inn taking a 25 year lease of
the new hotel building
• satisfying the hotel demand the University
Campus will create
Investing for the long-term
Whitbread, Premier Inn’s parent company, is one of the UK’s most successful hospitality businesses.
The company invests for the long-term and guarantees new Premier Inn hotels with the strong
Whitbread-backed investment covenant. Premier Inn Ambleside is a deliverable and sustainable
investment that will be held for the long-term.
C
A
B
D
BLOCK A 3 x 4 STOREY TOWNHOUSE
TOTAL = 36 - 39 BEDS IN BLOCK
BLOCK B 3 x 4 STOREY TOWNHOUSE
TOTAL = 36 - 39 BEDS IN BLOCK
BLOCK C 4 x 3 STOREY TOWNHOUSE
TOTAL = 32 - 36 BEDS IN BLOCK
OPTION 02
BLOCK D 3 x 3 STOREY TOWNHOUSE
TOTAL = 24 - 27 BEDS IN BLOCK
TOTAL = approx. 128 - 141 BEDS
JOHN McASLAN + PARTNERS | PUBLIC CONSULTATION FEBRUARY 2014
The current site
Hill Top today – tired and in need of fresh investment
Hill Top has been vacant for many years and is starting
to deteriorate.
If left unoccupied there is a real risk that the Lake District National Park planning policy
building will become derelict, with negative supports a hotel use on the site. In 2011
visual and economic impact on the local the site was allocated in a National Park
environment. Supplementary Planning Document for either
The bulk of the building was constructed in the a residential use (including the use of the site
1950’s, primarily out of render, which is tired as a residential institution) or a business use
and in need of upgrading. – providing planning policy support for the
proposed development.
A new hotel will guarantee the sustainable
long-term use of the site.
Our vision for Hill Top
Indicative sketch looking from Kirkstone Road
We are proposing to sensitively The beginning of the design process
redevelop the site into a 64-bedroom Our objective in Ambleside is to create a
Premier Inn hotel with on-site car bespoke design that fits with the town and the
parking. Our initial proposals include: surrounding Conservation Area. Our plans are
• removing the existing Hill Top building to at an early stage of development and we are
accommodate the new Premier Inn hotel currently working up a preferred design for
• broadly retaining the orientation of the the site.
building so that it faces forward and The images displayed at the exhibition are our
overlooks Ambleside initial proposals for Hill Top and will be refined
• increasing the distances between the new in response to the feedback received from this
hotel building and neighbouring buildings to consultation and the professional input of Lake
the front and rear of the site District National Park Authority Planning and
Conservation Officers.
• enhancing the existing landscaping and green
spaces on the site
The design process
• retaining the existing entrance to the site
onto Kirsktone Road As part of the design process for the new hotel,
we have examined the possibility of converting
65-car customer and staff car parking spaces the existing Hill Top building into a new Premier
are proposed to be located around the Inn hotel. After carefully considering the options
perimeter of the new hotel building. we do not think a conversion is the right solution
for the site. The C-shape of Hill Top is not
appropriate for a hotel and a far higher land value
for the University will be generated by creating a
new bespoke hotel building on the site.
Our approach to design Investing in good-quality architecture that fits with its surroundings Investing in sensitive, quality architecture We have a proven track record of developing hotels in sensitive locations across the UK. We invest in good-quality architecture and buildings that are in keeping with their surroundings. A selection of Premier Inn hotels across the country are below. Premier Inn Kendal Premier Inn Torquay Premier Inn Bath Premier Inn Cambourne A compact Premier Inn for Ambleside The hotel restaurant will offer a more limited We recognise that not all of our guests choose menu, primarily focussed on serving guest to eat our on-site hotel restaurants. That is their breakfasts and light meals. It will not especially the case in locations with a strong compete directly with the established pubs and restaurant, pub and café offer such as in restaurants in Ambleside and will not generate Ambleside. extra trips to the town. We are proposing a ‘compact’ Premier Inn hotel for Hill Top. The hotel will have exactly the same-sized bedroom as a normal Premier Inn hotel but with a smaller food and beverage area.
Strengthening the local
visitor economy
Premier Inn Ambleside will strengthen Ambleside visitor economy
Investing in a successful Ambleside Attracting new visitors to Ambleside
Premier Inn is one of the UK’s most successful We expect the proposed hotel will attract
hotel brands. More and more people are thousands of new visitors to enjoy Ambleside.
choosing to stay with Premier Inn for their The additional guests will:
holidays and short breaks – approximately • be a mixture of families and independent and
40% of our customers stay with us on leisure business travellers
breaks.
• support the local economy through
Our success is built on giving our customers additional visitor spending
affordable, high-quality hotel accommodation
in top locations. All of our new hotels • arrive throughout the year
include comfortable double beds, flat-screen • be attracted by Premier Inn’s flexible pricing
TVs, 24-hour receptions, free wi-fi and on- and digital marketing
site restaurants. We do not charge more for
• use local restaurants, cafés and pubs
family-sized bedrooms.
• park on-site and walk to the town centre
Our unique Good Night’s Sleep Guarantee
promise gives security for our customers and • satisfy the hotel demand the University
ensures we take an active approach to the day- Campus will create
to-day management of our hotels. Our existing hotels around the Lake District
are very popular with our customers and we
are expanding in the north-west. Premier Inn
Kendal, for example, is trading at full-capacity
for the majority of the year.
Our guests
The Premier Inn offer is very different to that found in independent hotels, guest houses and
B&B’s. The vast majority of our guests book with us for the consistency, reliability and good
value that we offer. As such, the experience of staying with Premier Inn complements the more
individual experiences that are available at independently run hotels, guest houses and B&Bs.
Creating new quality jobs Premier Inn jobs are flexible and offer excellent training and development opportunities Working with the UK’s leading leisure Committed to training business We have properly structured training Whitbread employs more than 40,000 people programmes, assessments and ‘Buddy’ schemes and the business is expanding. We have for all new starters. Career progression within committed to creating 8,000 new jobs over the the business is good with many of our senior next five years as Premier Inn and managers and head office staff starting out in Costa expand. junior roles. We are extremely proud of our The proposed Ambleside hotel will create 30 record of retaining and developing our staff. new full- and part-time jobs in a variety Since 2009 over 3,600 Whitbread team of roles. members have achieved nationally recognised We recognise that the local job market is Whitbread Apprenticeship qualifications and different for each new location. Our national more than 4,000 team members are expected target is for 50% of all new jobs to be taken by to pass through the Whitbread Management those not in employment, education or training Development programme in the next (NEETs) and we provide full training and career five years. development paths for all new team members. We encourage our staff to give time to We pay above average salaries and work work in the community and support local closely with local Job Centre Plus Centres charitable causes. across the country to ensure the job opportunities at our new sites are marketed to local people. The recruitment process for new hotels starts approximately three months prior to site opening.
Transport and servicing
Guests will park on site and walk to town
Premier Inn hotels do not require a lot Staff car- parking
of servicing. Premier Inn hotels currently run on an 80%
Premier Inn Ambleside will require a maximum average occupancy rate. The result is that our
of one delivery per day. All deliveries will be car parks are rarely full. As part of our pre-
made directly to the site and will be during application discussions for the site, we are
office hours to minimise disturbance to our examining the potential to set aside dedicated
guests and neighbours – part of our Good on-site car parking spaces for staff as part on
Night’s Sleep Guarantee. Premier Inn’s smallest the plans.
delivery vehicles will service the site. Using roads when they are quiet
Our plans include 65 on-site guest car parking The car parking demand for Premier Inn hotels
spaces – one space per room – located around follows a characteristic profile. Guests typically
the perimeter of the hotel building. The on- arrive in the afternoon or evening, when roads
site car parking will prevent our guests from are less busy, and leave throughout the morning
parking their cars in Ambleside. As Hill Top is usually after the morning rush hour.
so close to Ambleside Town Centre we expect
our guests will walk to the town centre for We believe the hotel will not impact local
their shopping and main meals. traffic levels. We are confident of that and are
commissioning a detailed highways assessment
to examine the expected traffic levels from the
hotel as part of our planning application.
Our on-site restaurant is not expected to
generate any additional trips to Ambleside.
Sustainability and
construction
Whitbread is committed to improving the sustainability of its hotels and restaurants
Doing our bit for the environment Our achievements in numbers
Premier Inn has an impressive track record of • Reducing our carbon dioxide emissions
developing and operating sustainable hotels. by 25% (vs a 2009 baseline)
It’s what our customers, team members and • Reducing our water consumption by 15%
partners expect. (vs a 2009 baseline)
All Premier Inn hotels are built to high • Achieving zero waste to landfill
environmental standards and feature smart
technologies to reduce energy and water • 10% carbon reduction across the
use as well as to cut waste. Our proposed supply chain
Ambleside hotel will have a high energy
rating – a BREEAM rating of ‘very good’ – We are a considerate neighbour –
and will generate 30% of the hotel’s energy especially during construction
requirement on site.
Premier Inn only uses highly professional
The hotel will feature: contractors that know our business and
• high levels of insulation the high standards that we expect. All
of our contractors are signed up to the
• water-efficient bathrooms and toilets Considerate Contractors Scheme.
• an energy-efficient kitchen We have a proven track record of
• energy generating technologies such as working closely with our suppliers to
ground-source heat pumps make our supply chain more efficient and
environmentally friendly. We encourage our
We will also recycle the existing building
contractors to work with local suppliers and
materials from Hill Top and the vast majority of
use local labour where possible.
site waste during construction.
On average, Premier Inn hotels take
approximately eight to ten months to
construct.
Next steps and how you
can help
Ambleside Church
We’re consulting on our initial plans as part of the
planning process for the scheme. We are interested
in your thoughts on our initial proposals for Hill Top.
We want to hear your thoughts on our proposals – feedback forms are available. All of the
comments we receive will be reviewed and incorporated into the scheme where possible.
Our intention is to submit a planning application for the site to the Lake District National Park
in the Spring. Once our application has been submitted, the Park Authority will also undertake a
consultation on the plans.
You can give us your views on the proposals by:
Filling out a feedback form
Emailing us at piambleside@turley.co.uk
Calling us on 020 7851 5738
Submitting your feedback online at www.premierinnambleside.co.uk
We welcome your feedback.You can also read
