Hotel to close and be converted into housing

The owners of a four-star hotel in Ludlow have revealed plans to convert it into housing as they prepare to close the business.

Plans are being drawn up which, if approved, would see the 13-bed Dinham Hall Hotel and its adjoining restaurant, Elliotts Bistro, converted into five properties while the cottage within the grounds will house another two.

Presenting the proposals to Ludlow Town Council’s representational committee, agent Gareth Davies of Inklines Ltd said the owners, Franck and Louise Choblet, believed it was time to move on to pastures new.

He said: “The owners are now looking for another project after running this business for 12 years now, and would like to explore the possibilities for this building to see what they can do.

“The proposal is to establish permission to convert the building and the grounds into residential accommodation.”

Mr Davies told councillors there would be no alterations to the outside of the Grade II listed building, except for the removal of the hotel and restaurant signage.

Each property will have two allocated spaces within the existing car park.

Work inside the main house will involve the removal of some of the en-suite bathrooms and more modern partition walls to reinstate some of its “original proportions”.

The entrance halls and stairs will be retained with the addition of a lift.

Mr Davies said the planning application was around a month away from being finalised, after which they will be submitted to Shropshire Council for consideration.

He added: “We hope that this conversion is another chapter in the history of the building and the alterations planned will be sensitive to the importance of this significant building within the centre of Ludlow.”

Councillors asked whether there would be electric vehicle charging points in the car park and Mr Davies said it was something that would be considered as the plans are finalised.

Others questioned whether the installation of the lift would “upset the building”.

Mr Davies said: “The lift is going to be fairly small and the position it’s proposing to go in will be reasonably discreet.”

Councillor Mark Clarke said: “On the face of it the initial proposals look pretty good but I will reserve further judgement until the plans go in.”

Councillor Glenn Ginger, committee chairman, said: “Until you put in the plans we can’t really comment, but there has been no massive opposition to it.

“We are going to have to accept that there will be changes to properties in the centre of Ludlow.

“I can’t see a problem with the proposal but as Councillor Clarke has said we must reserve judgement until we see the final plans.

“We look forward to the full planning application.”

The owners have assured staff and customers that the process will take time and the hotel is not closing imminently.

They said: “The hotel is operating well, and will continue to operate for many months to come.

“However, consultation is  taking place in the preparation of a planning application for change of use in the future, being the development of the property into luxury apartments, to convert this amazing Georgian house into exclusive accommodation.

“This process would take several months, and if this application was granted, the development would be unlikely to start for another two or three years.”

The hall, which sits in the shadow of Ludlow Castle, was built in 1792 by Samuel Nash for Richard Payne Knight of Downton Castle in Herefordshire, who was serving as MP for Ludlow at the time.

It was bought by the current owners in 2008 after being marketed for £1.75 million.