Landmark hotel and former squat could be turned into apartments

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A landmark hotel and former squat has been bought by its third set of owners in three years. They hope to have more luck converting it.

The Grade II listed Trafford Park Hotel on Third Avenue, Trafford Park, had previously fallen into disrepair over many years, sat empty for a decade and become a drug den and home to squatters. Now, new owners Food and Tipple Ltd. want to turn the site into 15 apartments and build another block of 20 apartments on the site, right next to the former hotel.

In June 2020, the listed hotel was placed on the market for a cool £750,000 by then owners Ashley Hotels group. The London-based company had only purchased the site itself a year earlier for a massive £900,000.

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At the time, a spokesperson for Ashley Hotels said the firm was working “in earnest” to secure planning permission for the Grade II listed building to turn it into a boutique hotel, but that ambition fell through. In 2020, the firm withdrew its planning application to Trafford council to convert the building into a 121 bedroom hotel via a five-storey side extension.

Later that same year, the site was later bought for £825,000 at auction by Property Hub, who then resold it themselves in 2021 for the same amount to the current owners. Now, new owners Food and Tipple Ltd are hoping to have more luck.

They have submitted a planning application to Trafford council in the hope their ‘sensitive’ plans to turn the listed building into new homes will be approved. The plans are set to be discussed and decided upon by Trafford council’s planning committee through the usual processes with a decision due in the coming months.