Plans for flats in riverside hotel in Norwich refused

The scheme would have seen the 19th century Central Hotel Bed and Breakfast in Riverside Road turned into flats and a house.

But planning officials at Norfolk City Council blocked the project saying the plans cause “unacceptable harm” by overshadowing neighbouring homes.

They also raised concerns over the designs saying they showed a “cramped form of development”. 

The building's exterior was set for some improvements under the plans (Image: Lanpro)

Under the plans, the 17-bed hotel would have been turned into four one- or two-bedroom apartments. 

The on-site garage was to be demolished to make way for an additional three-bedroom house at the rear of the building.

The bulk of the concerns were with the new-build house to the back of the property, with many raising alarm at the height of the three-storey townhouse proposed, as well as the added pressure of parking on an already busy road.

Earlier this year, the vacant B&B hit the market with Arnold Keys for £650,000 and is currently 'under offer,' according to the estate agency's website.

The ground floor would have been separated into two one-bed flats (Image: Lanpro)

The hotel was originally built as a home in the 1890s and falls within a conservation area designed to protect the nearby St Matthew’s church.

READ MORE: Vacant riverside hotel worth £650k hits the market

Plans submitted in November 2022 stated: "In the building's current use much of the historic character has been lost or hidden through successive unsympathetic interventions and subdivisions to create hotel rooms and associated bathrooms.

The building dates back to the 1890s (Image: Newsquest)

"The proposed design shows that through careful re-division it is possible to reinstate some of the historic character through revealing the well-proportioned rooms and windows."

No other planning applications for the property have been submitted to Norwich City Council.