Plans to extend Newbury Racecourse hotel lodged

Extra accommodation will' benefit racecourse and wider Newbury area'

A BID to increase the number of hotel rooms at Newbury Racecourse has been submitted.

The new plans involve turning The Lodge, which currently has 36-bedrooms, into an 80-bed hotel.

If approved, the three-storey extension will stretch into the car park to the north of The Lodge, elevated above the car park on struts and result in the loss of 16 car parking spaces (from 310 to 294).

Two existing bedrooms will be removed in order to link each floor, resulting in an increase of 44 bedrooms.

The Lodge was originally built as a hostel to accommodate stable staff on racedays.

However, it was granted hotel status for 305 days a year in 2016.

But with the temporary three-year change of use running out this year, the racecourse has also submitted a separate application to fully convert the building to a hotel.

In its application, the racecourse said the increased capacity would “assist in maintaining Newbury Racecourse’s role as a premier sporting and major events venue, which acts as a major tourist attraction and economic driver within the Newbury area”.

As part of the ongoing 1,500-home development at the racecourse, planning permission exists for a 123-bedroom hotel at the east of the course.

The racecourse said it would formally rescind permission for the original hotel if its latest schemes for The Lodge were approved.

Local residents have branded the temporary change of use application as “development by stealth” and claim it is being put forward as an excuse to not submit a detailed application for a purpose-built hotel – expected to cost in the region of £80m.

In its recent application, the racecourse said extending The Lodge would be “particularly advantageous and complementary to the racecourse’s ability to host conferences and events throughout the year, as it will allow accommodation to be offered for mid-size conference enquiries”.

It said: “At present, with only 36 bedrooms, The Lodge is too small for these conferences and business is lost as a result.

“This will offer a significant boost to Newbury Racecourse’s current occupancy levels, attracting more people to the area, which will benefit the racecourse, as well as the wider Newbury area itself.”

A decision on extending The Lodge is expected to be made by West Berkshire Council by Friday, May 3.

A decision on the other application to change its use is expected by Wednesday, April 24.