Hotel Leofric is sold for student flats...

[dutchman]

The former Hotel Leofric in Coventry is being converted into student flats.



Once a luxury venue graced by the rich and famous, the iconic building has been sold by new owners Travelodge to an unnamed buyer.

The 120-bed venue will close next month with the first undergraduates set to move in for the start of the autumn term.

The sale is part of plans by Travelodge to offload 49 UK hotels and write off debts of £700million.

The Coventry Society, which campaigns to improve the city, said the closure was a “mighty blow”.

The Leofric opened in 1955 and became a symbol of Britain’s recovery after the Second World War.

For over half a century it was the place to stay for celebrities performing in the city, including Morecombe and Wise, and Bill Haley.

Sid Vicious famously smashed up his room after a gig at Mr George’s, in the Lower Precinct, in 1977.

The Leofric closed in 2008 and was bought a year later by Travelodge, who spent £4m removing conference and banqueting facilities and adding 26 rooms.

Keith Draper, of the Coventry Society, said: “The landmark hotel, once called the Hotel Leofric, will close in May after its current owner Travelodge decided to move out as part of a financial restructuring to offload its considerable debts.

“That’s another mighty blow to the fortunes of the city centre.

“Travelodge is very much central to our major attractions – the Cathedral Quarter with the new and old cathedrals, the parish church of Holy Trinity, Herbert Art Gallery and of course the Transport Museum.

[rebbonk]

Can this city slump any lower?

God help us if anything happens to the university.

[dutchman]

Plan to turn former Broadgate hotel into student flats given green light

Councillors have given the go-ahead for a landmark hotel building in Coventry’s main square to become student accommodation.

The ex-Leofric Hotel in Broadgate – a Travelodge Hotel since 2009 – will now be converted into 120 student flats near to Coventry University.

Coventry City Council’s planning committee yesterday heard competing arguments between how best to accommodate students in a “two-university city”, and maintain hotels where visitors could stay.

Tory councillor Hazel Noonan said “times had moved on” since her youth, as she recalled the dance halls and a green Broadgate “with tulips”.

She added: “We need to change as a city. Students will bring more footfall into the city centre.”

Labour councillor David Galliers said six of his family had gone through the studying process, adding students were “law abiding and interested” and “have a few bob in their pockets”.

He added: “It will give the city centre a kickstart. You walk round the city centre and it’s dead. This may attract more businesses and cafes.”

Labour councillor Keiran Mulhall said it could “bring the city centre back to life” and prevent students jumping on the train to Birmingham.

Planning committee chairman, Labour councillor Kevin Maton, said: “Anybody reading the papers knows (students living in) multiple occupation is a real concern.

“It is felt student accommodation is important, but this reduces the number of hotels within the ring road to one. There is a real concern the city is losing its capacity to accommodate not just visitors but some of the events and conferences we want in the city centre.

“This is right by Broadgate which we are aiming to be an area with a lot of vitality for events.”

Planning manager Tracy Darke, who recommended councillors grant planning permission, said there was “a lot of sentiment around the building from its Leofric days”. She added Travelodge had indicated it would vacate the 1950s building whether or not the application for student flats was approved.

She says the advice was it had become unviable as a hotel and any hotelier might have to invest considerably to modernise it, while it was difficult to say if there would be any market interest.

She said there were 800 bedrooms available to visitors within or close to the ring road, but it was not known whether they were regularly at capacity.

The committee unanimously approved the application by Paul Squire, of BIC Project Ltd.

The part of the building once used as a dance hall and conference space will continue to be mothballed.

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Former Leofric ballroom to become restaurant...

Plans to turn the ballroom at a former city centre hotel into a 400-seat buffet restaurant have been approved.

The Leofric Hotel, one of the first hotels built in Coventry after World War Two, hosted stars such as Tommy Cooper and Dame Gracie Fields.

Travelodge bought it in 2008, but last year announced the hotel was to be turned into student accommodation and much of the building was converted.

The city council approved the plans for the unused ballroom off Broadgate.