Hotel owners in Skegness have expressed their fury over £7 million proposals to build a new Travelodge and Starbucks on the seafront. The sizeable development would be built on the site of a former crazy golf course on South Parade - in front of some local hotels - as part of the plans, which are likely to be approved.
The developers behind the proposals, Burney Group, said Travelodge would bring 30 jobs and claimed guests would contribute £2.6 million to the Skegness economy. Although the plans have been recommended for approval at the next planning committee meeting on Thursday, January 12, hotel owners on South Parade remain firmly against the idea, reports Lincolnshire Live.
A Premier Inn was built on North Parade in Skegness three years ago and some claim it has had a negative impact on nearby hotels. South Parade hotel owners, like Adam Steadman, now fear the same thing could happen to their businesses if the Travelodge plans go ahead.
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The 35-year-old manager of Lakeside Hotel said: "I've tried to resist it, but we already feel like it's a sure thing. If they haven't seen already what the Premier Inn has done to the other end, it should be fairly obvious. Out of the maybe eight hotels up there that were well positioned, there's only about three of them left now and the other ones have been bought by the company sending asylum seekers in.
"I'm opposed to it heavily, there's only a few hotels left on this road and are doing well. I have no problem with progression in the town but they should put it on the outskirts, not right here, it's just silly."
Alan Jeffery, owner of Clarence House Hotel on South Parade, holds similar views and feels it is in the wrong area of the town. He said: "It's the wrong thing in the wrong place. We give a more personal service compared to the large multi-national companies so we tend to get different types of clientele.
"I do feel the foreshore should be for visitor attractions. You only have to look down the road at where they put the Premier Inn and a lot of the establishments around it have now ceased trading. I have concerns about noise pollution, light pollution and increased traffic flow which I have submitted on the planning portal."
Owner of Balmoral Hotel on South Parade, Alison Gardner, said: "The piece of ground has to be developed, it's not the greatest but something has got to go there. I'm a bit concerned that it's a slope up and headlights will shine into our bedrooms with people trying to get out.
"I do hope that the Travelodge would keep the site tidy because that has been problematic since the crazy golf site was abandoned. It got into so much disrepair that I was constantly contacting the council to get it cleaned. Ideally it won't be a hotel, but there's probably nothing else that would want to go there."
A resident living in a flat nearby the proposed site, who wished to remain anonymous, labelled the plans "outrageous" and claimed his sea view would be ruined. He said : "I'm against it myself. Even when I'm sat down in my flat I can see all over the sea front, but that's going to be obliterated.
"We've got more than enough hotels already and it's going make all these B&Bs down here lose their sea views. This area should be used for attractions. The crazy golf site was one of the oldest attractions in the town and now they're going to put a concrete monstrosity on there.
"I'm not against investment if it's going to bring people in, but is it really going to bring people in?" A statement put out by the developers last year said: "Burney Group is pleased to present its proposals for an 80-bed Travelodge hotel and drive-thru Starbucks at South Parade, Skegness, representing a £7m investment by the company in Skegness.
"The global brands have identified Skegness as a key target location, looking to deliver high-quality and affordable hotel accommodation on the seafront and a new store for the world's largest coffee chain."
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