We’re pleased to have recently secured Planning Committee approval for the major refurbishment and extension of Linton Lodge Hotel to a 123-room 4-star boutique hotel that better meets the demands of the Oxford market.
After two rejected planning applications in 2016 and 2018, the client approached Edgars and Riach Architects in November 2021 to form a new design team to develop proposals that would address the previous rejections.
Linton Lodge is currently a 3-star hotel set in the leafy North Oxford suburb, just a mile from the city centre. It is formed of two converted and extended Edwardian houses and provides 87 hotel rooms for visitors, including tourists and business travellers.
Oxford’s hotel market is currently undersupplied, which is limiting the city’s tourism and business, as well as driving up the price of local accommodation. Over the next decade, at least 670 hotel rooms are needed to address the demand.
This project will make an important contribution to meeting the need for accommodation and the hotel will generate an additional ~£2.1 million in GVA to the local economy and ~£1.7 million in visitor spending, as well as facilitate 15 new jobs and construction and supply chain positions.
The proposal removes and replaces out-of-date 1970s extensions with high-quality and sustainable new buildings to enhance the North Oxford Conservation Area, better revealing and restoring its green garden suburb character.
As the project planning consultant, we collaborated with the client, KE Hotels, and a talented project team, including Riach Architects, Worlledge Associates Heritage Consultant, Mode Transport Planning, Nicholsons, Waterman, Ecology Solutions, EB7, Air & Acoustics Consultants and Avison Young to guide the design proposals through to approval via planning committee on 15th August 2023.
During the planning process, we carried out a detailed analysis of the previous refusals and worked closely with the client, Riach Architects, and the design team to undertake significant pre-application engagement with the Council’s planning and conservation officers.
Riach Architects presented a high-quality design approach to the redevelopment, which was refined through engagement and key evidence was produced to highlight the benefits of the scheme and respond to any concerns. In doing this, planning officers and the Committee resolved to approve the scheme, noting that the benefits of the redevelopment outweighed the impacts.
The client was thrilled with the positive outcome, and we look forward to seeing the development come to life in the near future.
“I am delighted with the outcome of the planning decision. We worked very closely with Oxford City Council, with the assistance of Riach Architects and Edgars to provide a proposal that will allow us to bring Linton Lodge up to a very modern standard and ensure the hotel has a sustainable future as a high-end boutique hotel. The hotel is coming up to its 20th anniversary under our ownership and we’re excited to take this project forward.”
– Anil Khanna, Director, KE Hotels
If you’re looking for planning consultants to assist you with commercial property, estate planning, education facilities, masterplanning and more, we can help. Get in touch with us on 01865 731700 or email enquiries@edgarslimited.co.uk