A new company has been formed to convert a detached house in March, Cambridgeshire, into what they term a “boutique hotel” although one that won’t have a bar or restaurant.
But guests staying in one of the 12 proposed ensuite rooms at 42 Station Road will have access to a breakfast room and be assured of 24-hour security.
The change of use application has been made by Relax Inn- Station Road Ltd, a company formed in May with Kurran Karavadra listed as the sole director.
The company gives its address as the Old Vicarage, Church Close, Boston, the same address as for J & K Investments and Developments Ltd, of which Mr Karavadra is also a director.
However other family members, which provide the same business address, run the Eastfield guest house in Peterborough, the White Lion in Wisbech and hotels and pubs in Eynesbury and St Neots.
In their design and access statement for Station Road, March, 3D Planning says the change of use will provide “a new boutique hotel in an edge of centre location which is consistent with the strategic and sustainability policies of the adopted local plan”.
3D Planning says the house is “suitable for conversion and no external alterations are proposed. The proposal has adequate parking on site to a meet operational needs.
“The limited scale and nature of the hotel accommodation (no function room or bar) is such that it is unlikely to have an unacceptable impact on residential amenity.”
The consultants says management will ensure 24-hour attendance at the hotel “with an on-site presence to meet customers’ needs and to deal with any amenity issues.
“The hotel does not incorporate a communal dining room, bar, or function room and as such it will not host functions or large events which are generally the most disruptive events which can adversely impact on amenity to neighbours from more traditional hotels.
“The only shared area is the breakfast room.”
The floor plans show 12 rooms -7 of which are on the ground floor and accessible for people with mobility issues.
“No changes are proposed to the site layout- other than provision of additional parking on the frontage,” said 3D.
Two early comments on the planning portal of Fenland District Council query the nature of it being called a boutique hotel.
“As a local resident how can I be sure that there are systems in place to ensure that the ‘hotel’ does not evolve into an HMO or a hostel of any kind,” says one resident.
“With the facilities that will be on offer it would be hard to call it a hotel, boutique or otherwise.”
A second resident says: “How can the local residents be sure that this won’t be turned in to an HMO or a hostel for asylum seekers if the Boutique Hotel fails; I cannot see that there is a market for another hotel in March.”
