A BLOCK of toilets is how an altered design for a planned hotel set to be built in Stratford town centre has been described.
An artist’s impression to demonstrate proposed alterations to the 80-room Travelodge, set to replace the Picturehouse Cinema in Windsor Street, has been released by the hotel chain.
The 1930s art deco building, which forms part of the conservation area, is set to be demolished later this month.
The image accompanies a supplementary planning document submitted by applicant Color Estates which argues the former design was created before a business tenant was decided and did not reflect the hotel’s needs.
The differences include the omission of originally proposed ‘green’ plant covered walls to offset pollution in the regularly traffic-choked street. The applicant says a lack of space would make the walls difficult to maintain.
Other proposed changes include to the height and layout to allow interior rooms to be ‘tweaked’, a change of building materials and the scrapping of the glazed upper floor.
The applicant says the bricks and render and other features remain ‘sympathetic’ to the domestic characteristics of the street, while a portion of the building would reflect a more commercial style with Bell Court given as an example.
But residents, who previously raised concerns over the impact of the hotel on air quality, traffic and over its suitability to the area, disagree.
They argue a new application should be put through to reflect the ‘completely different’ design.
Guildhall ward councillor Jenny Fradgeley said: “The variation is so different to the original it is almost a new application.
“I am in total support of the green walls on the original application and in these times of a climate emergency the request to remove these walls is completely unacceptable.
“The variation is more dominant and overbearing, too urban and corporate in this essentially domestic and small business context and of the conservation area.”
One resident likened the design to ‘a block of toilets’ while another complained it was out of keeping with Stratford’s historic centre.
