Fresh plans submitted to demolish hotel in Northop Hall to make way for houses

A new planning application has been submitted to Flintshire County Council which proposes the demolition a hotel and replace it with new houses.

If the plans are approved, Plas Ifan Hotel in Northop Hall would be razed to the ground and seven houses built on the land.

There has been a previous applications to knock down the Plas Ifan Hotel and build new homes in its place. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

A 24 house development was refused by Flintshire Council in November 2019 amid concerns about road safety and the impact on the countryside. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The scheme also attracted more than 170 letters of objection from residents, who said it would put pressure on local services. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Developers then entered scaled back proposals which would have seen the hotel demolished and eight houses built on the site, but that was later withdrawn.

According the planning application submitted by Bodhyfryd Developments this week, the latest proposal would be confined to the existing hotel’s footprint, avoiding any further intrusion into open countryside.

The proposed dwellings consist of five detached and two semi-detached houses, all designed with attractive exteriors and sustainable materials.

Access to the development will be via a single junction onto the B5125, similar to the hotel’s current access point.

A planning document notes that “adequate visibility is expected, and the vehicular traffic associated with the new dwellings is anticipated to be no greater than that generated by the existing commercial site.”

The planning document states that during an earlier appeal for 24 dwellings, an inspector noted that Flintshire has been “under-delivering on housing,” with the shortfall being a significant factor weighing heavily in favour of the proposed development.

“Following the withdrawal of a previous application and reducing the number of dwellings from 8 to 7, the built form will now lie within the footprint of existing buildings, ensuring a narrow, tractor-accessible route to the lower fields for animal welfare and land maintenance. ”

“Additionally, a heavy and hard landscaped border will be provided along the rear boundary.”

“The site has been discussed extensively at officer level, and the resubmission was agreed upon, based on the current plan, with the officers’ recommendation for a favourable outcome.”

Comments are currently being invited on the proposal which can be accessed here: https://planning.agileapplications.co.uk/flintshire/application-details/67044