new Hotel and houses on RAE site
Jul 27, 2007 19:08:09 GMT 1
Post by Admin (Annette Andria) on Jul 27, 2007 19:08:09 GMT 1
Hotel gets a mixed reception
by Pete Castle.
A NEW £24million hotel and leisure complex will bring hundreds of new jobs to Farnborough, its operator says.
De Vere, which runs around 60 luxury hotels in the UK, including the Grand in Brighton, plans to open the 154-bedroom facility next summer after Rushmoor Borough Council approved an application for planning permission last week.
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Work is due to begin next month at the Farnborough Business Park site, run by Segro, which currently lies empty.
Helen Farrow, who spoke on behalf of the developer at the meeting, said De Vere was a long-established player in the hotel market.
“De Vere is proposing to develop a De Vere Village to provide an exceptional facility on this site, with outstanding leisure and business facilities all under one roof,” she said.
“This is primarily aimed at the business park and business park users, but the facilities will also be available to local people.
“The site is designated for employment uses. The hotel will bring approximately 250 jobs to Farnborough — that is 160 full-time equivalents, across a range of skills, and 90% of these will be drawn from the local community.
“This is an extremely appropriate use of this site and will provide a complementary role to the business park as a whole.”
Segro had recognised the need to provide more hotel and leisure facilities in the business park and in the town in general, Miss Farrow said.
The £24m hotel would draw extra investment into the area, she added.
“There is a lack of these kinds of facilities and a growing need for such ancillary facilities,” she said. “We think this will have a catalytic effect on investment in the area.”
Richard Kiersey, property director of De Vere, was “very excited” that his company’s plans had been approved.
“This is going to be a very good location for us,” he said. “Farnborough is a very good area, and our brand, the Village, is not just a hotel.
“It has bedrooms, it has a large leisure club, a pub and a restaurant, plus conferencing and banqueting facilities.”
Construction work is expected to begin in August or September, with the hotel open for business a year later.
“We think the area needs more quality bedrooms,” said Mr Kiersey. “It is a mid-market offering. It is four-star in quality, but we have very high repeat-customer business. People come and then continue to come back.”
Farnborough was crying out for more hotel beds, according to the deputy leader of the council, Cllr Roland Dibbs.
Cllr Dibbs, who represents Knellwood, said the area’s businesses are constrained by inability to book accommo-dation nearby.
He said: “We have long recognised the severe shortage of hotel space in the borough. You have to book many weeks in advance in hotels for miles around.
“We have another hotel being built, which is up to five floors at the moment, but even when both these two are built it probably still won’t meet demand.”
Liberal Democrat Cllr Neville Dewey did not have a particular problem with the plans but was concerned for the people living in Pinehurst Cottages near the site.
Cllr Dewey said: “I don’t want to compromise those cottages by having a building which is away from their view.”
Work has begun on 476 new homes close to the hotel site, it has been confirmed.
The 12-acre Redrow development, dubbed Farnborough Central, includes 279 apartments and 54 town houses.
Rushmoor Borough Council has granted detailed planning consent and work has begun on the first phase.
This involves the refurbishment of a building known as Q153 to create 32 apartments, which will go on sale in September.
Around 30% — or 143 — of the homes will be affordable housing.
Geoff Blake, land director for Redrow, said: “Farnborough Central will be a flagship scheme for Redrow and steering it through the planning process has required close consultation with many and varied stakeholders to address a variety of issues.
"With planning consent now in place and full ownership of the site confirmed, we are delighted to be on site and preparing the first of two existing buildings for very careful and sympathetic renovation.”
The homes will be adjacent to the park’s heritage quarter and alongside a pair of Grade I listed wind tunnel buildings, which are being restored by Segro.
Graeme Steer, development manager at Segro, said: “The location of a residential site such as this, next to both the town centre and business park, is unique.
"It will be a real benefit for future residents to be so close to employment opportunities and a number of key amenities such as the cafe, creche and heritage centre.
“For decades the RAE site was known to be the home of tremendous scientific and technological innovation and so it will be great to see this combination of residential and business park helping to re-establish Farnborough as a key business destination.”
by Pete Castle.
A NEW £24million hotel and leisure complex will bring hundreds of new jobs to Farnborough, its operator says.
De Vere, which runs around 60 luxury hotels in the UK, including the Grand in Brighton, plans to open the 154-bedroom facility next summer after Rushmoor Borough Council approved an application for planning permission last week.
Advertisementyour story continues below
Work is due to begin next month at the Farnborough Business Park site, run by Segro, which currently lies empty.
Helen Farrow, who spoke on behalf of the developer at the meeting, said De Vere was a long-established player in the hotel market.
“De Vere is proposing to develop a De Vere Village to provide an exceptional facility on this site, with outstanding leisure and business facilities all under one roof,” she said.
“This is primarily aimed at the business park and business park users, but the facilities will also be available to local people.
“The site is designated for employment uses. The hotel will bring approximately 250 jobs to Farnborough — that is 160 full-time equivalents, across a range of skills, and 90% of these will be drawn from the local community.
“This is an extremely appropriate use of this site and will provide a complementary role to the business park as a whole.”
Segro had recognised the need to provide more hotel and leisure facilities in the business park and in the town in general, Miss Farrow said.
The £24m hotel would draw extra investment into the area, she added.
“There is a lack of these kinds of facilities and a growing need for such ancillary facilities,” she said. “We think this will have a catalytic effect on investment in the area.”
Richard Kiersey, property director of De Vere, was “very excited” that his company’s plans had been approved.
“This is going to be a very good location for us,” he said. “Farnborough is a very good area, and our brand, the Village, is not just a hotel.
“It has bedrooms, it has a large leisure club, a pub and a restaurant, plus conferencing and banqueting facilities.”
Construction work is expected to begin in August or September, with the hotel open for business a year later.
“We think the area needs more quality bedrooms,” said Mr Kiersey. “It is a mid-market offering. It is four-star in quality, but we have very high repeat-customer business. People come and then continue to come back.”
Farnborough was crying out for more hotel beds, according to the deputy leader of the council, Cllr Roland Dibbs.
Cllr Dibbs, who represents Knellwood, said the area’s businesses are constrained by inability to book accommo-dation nearby.
He said: “We have long recognised the severe shortage of hotel space in the borough. You have to book many weeks in advance in hotels for miles around.
“We have another hotel being built, which is up to five floors at the moment, but even when both these two are built it probably still won’t meet demand.”
Liberal Democrat Cllr Neville Dewey did not have a particular problem with the plans but was concerned for the people living in Pinehurst Cottages near the site.
Cllr Dewey said: “I don’t want to compromise those cottages by having a building which is away from their view.”
Work has begun on 476 new homes close to the hotel site, it has been confirmed.
The 12-acre Redrow development, dubbed Farnborough Central, includes 279 apartments and 54 town houses.
Rushmoor Borough Council has granted detailed planning consent and work has begun on the first phase.
This involves the refurbishment of a building known as Q153 to create 32 apartments, which will go on sale in September.
Around 30% — or 143 — of the homes will be affordable housing.
Geoff Blake, land director for Redrow, said: “Farnborough Central will be a flagship scheme for Redrow and steering it through the planning process has required close consultation with many and varied stakeholders to address a variety of issues.
"With planning consent now in place and full ownership of the site confirmed, we are delighted to be on site and preparing the first of two existing buildings for very careful and sympathetic renovation.”
The homes will be adjacent to the park’s heritage quarter and alongside a pair of Grade I listed wind tunnel buildings, which are being restored by Segro.
Graeme Steer, development manager at Segro, said: “The location of a residential site such as this, next to both the town centre and business park, is unique.
"It will be a real benefit for future residents to be so close to employment opportunities and a number of key amenities such as the cafe, creche and heritage centre.
“For decades the RAE site was known to be the home of tremendous scientific and technological innovation and so it will be great to see this combination of residential and business park helping to re-establish Farnborough as a key business destination.”