REDEVELOPMENT plans at an iconic hotel site on Portland have been announced in the latest move to help regenerate the island.

The flagship 66-bed Portland Heights Hotel, which overlooks the Jurassic Coast, could be demolished and replaced by a new hotel and flats.
T K New Homes Limited has submitted an outline planning application to Weymouth and Portland Borough Council to redevelop the site.

The development would lead to the creation of a new hotel featuring 56 en-suite bedrooms and a block of 49 ‘later living’ flats.

The existing hotel has been developed over a period of 50 years and has only recently been refurbished.

It contains a gift shop, bar, bistro, coffee shop and Portland’s Visitor Information Centre.

It is not clear if existing jobs will be transferred to the new site if the plans go ahead.

Penny King, from Planning Precision Limited, is acting as the applicant’s agent.

She said the applicant had seen an opportunity to make use of the brownfield site.

Ms King said: “The hotel has outrun its life. It has been refurbished but it is not to the standard people expect.”

Discussing the reason to build later living flats, she said: “We thought the best route to go down is these people who live and spend their time on Portland and spend money on local goods and services.

“This could be something really good for Portland. It needs more redevelopment. It needs more renewal.”

Ms King confirmed that the flats would be targeted at people aged 55 and over.

She said: “It’s not a care home. These people are going to have money in their pockets to spend on the local economy.”

The proposals are seeking consideration of access, layout and scale.

Matters concerning appearance and landscaping are to be reserved but 3D visual representations have been made available.

As part of the proposed redevelopment, the existing access points from Priory Road and Yeates Road would be closed.

Two new road accesses would be created from Yeates Road and an additional access would also be created at the turning head part of Yeates Road for a serving area.

A document submitted with the planning application states: “The proposals represent a legitimate and well conceived design solution for this site and take the opportunity of providing a building which will enhance the character of the surrounding area while providing quality accommodation.”

Mayor of Portland, Cllr Rod Wild, said the Portland Heights Hotel had been a ‘good asset’ to Portland.

He said: “As it stands it has treated the island well. It’s a flagship premises.”

Residents have until Thursday, February 11 to comment on the plans at dorsetforyou.com