Newcastle city centre’s disused fire station will be transformed into a five-star hotel, after “exciting” plans were approved by councillors.
An £11.5m overhaul of the Pilgrim Street station, which has lain empty since 2005, will see it become a 60-bed hotel with a restaurant, bar, and pavement cafe.
The proposals from Taras Properties, the development vehicle of the billionaire Reuben brothers, were unanimously backed by Newcastle City Council’s planning committee on Friday morning.
It marks the latest step forward in the firm’s plans for a colossal redevelopment of the entire Pilgrim Street area, which also includes the new Bank House tower block being built on the old Bank of England site.
At the civic centre hearing, Kenton councillor Stephen Lambert said the fire station project was an “exciting development”, particularly at a time when the hospitality industry had been so badly hit because of the pandemic.
Councillors were told that work could start on the conversion “relatively imminently” once planning permission was granted and would take around 18 months to complete.
Coun Ged Bell, the council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods and transport, said after the meeting: “This is fantastic news. The former fire station on Pilgrim Street is a landmark building that’s stood empty far too long. It’s now getting a new lease of life as a 60-bed hotel right in the heart of an area that’s set to undergo major regeneration.
“The £11.5m redevelopment is a significant investment, and the employment opportunities it will create, over 200 in construction and the hotel, will be warmly welcomed as the city gets itself back on its feet after the pandemic.”
Objections to the scheme had been lodged by nearby St Andrew’s Church, which raised concerns about late night noise from people leaving the bar and restaurant, and one member of the public, who claimed the hotel was “a badly thought out plan”.
It was, however, supported by heritage organisations including Historic England and the Northumberland and Newcastle Society.
The proposed hotel rooms will be located in the refurbished main section of the fire station, with the restaurant and bar created in the former fire engine bays on the ground floor.
Proposals also include demolishing part of the building’s hose tower and constructing new extensions that would wrap around the rear of the site.
