Apartment blocks to be built on former hotel car park
Plans to build two apartment blocks on the car park of a former hotel have been given the go-ahead.
Proposals approved by Wakefield Council include creating 25 new homes next to the old Stoneleigh Hotel off Doncaster Road, Belle Vue.
The hotel closed down more than a decade ago and the building has since been converted into flats.
A planning statement submitted on behalf of applicant Mohammed Azaer said: “The car park is far larger than the operational parking requirements for the residential units within the converted building.
“As such, most of the land serves no beneficial purpose at the moment.
“The site is in a highly sustainable location a short distance from Wakefield city centre and is in a predominantly residential area.”
Council planners approved the construction of a three-storey block containing 17 flats, along with a smaller building for eight flats.
The scheme incorporates 27 parking spaces for the existing flats, plus parking for the new units.
The document said: “This would deliver significant visual enhancement compared to the exiting, largely vacant car park.
“The proposal would put an under-utilised land resource to more efficient and beneficial use in order to provide much-needed new homes.
“The proposal would improve the appearance of the site and would have no adverse impacts.”
No objections or comments supporting the proposals were submitted to the local authority.
An officer’s report said: “The proposal would not lead to a detrimental impact to highway safety and would have an acceptable impact in terms of amenity.”