Plans unveiled for two Ilkley landmark buildings (From Ilkley Gazette)

Plans unveiled for two Ilkley landmark buildings

8:10am Friday 5th February 2010

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PLANS to redevelop Ilkley’s landmark Crescent Hotel as a mix of apartments, hotel rooms and restaurant and bar have been unveiled.

The second and third floors of the Grade II listed Crescent Hotel, Brook Street, may be converted to ten apartments, and a function room could be converted to retail premises if Bradford Council gives the go-ahead.

The first floor would continue to be used as a hotel under the proposals, while a restaurant and public bar is proposed for the ground floor.

Meanwhile, the owner of Station Plaza, Hunter Property Fund Management (HPFM), is seeking planning permission to make alterations to another prominent town centre building, the former Woolworths store, at 6 Brook Street.

The company plans to remove the existing ground floor shop front and create two separate entrances.

Planning applications for both the Crescent and 6 Brook Street are now available for public inspection.

The Crescent was built in the second half of the 19th Century, during Ilkley’s booming trade as a spa town.

The Crescent’s future was hit with uncertainty when previous owner, brewery, pub and hotel chain Cains, went into administration in 2008. The hotel briefly closed early last year, but was later reopened as a hotel business by its former managers, under a one-year lease, after local businessmen bought the building.

The Gazette revealed recently that the owners of the historic Brook Street hotel building were planning to close the existing hotel business for redevelop-ment in April.

The full planning application, and application for listed building consent, has been submitted by Ilkley resident Graeme Walker.

A design and access statement by architects Halliday Clark, said: “The proposed new use is for a restaurant and bar area at ground floor with proposed male and female WCs located in the basement.

“The existing first floor is to remain as 11 hotel bedrooms. The second and third floor plans are proposed for 10 one and two bed apartments which are to be access by a new residential entrance access from the courtyard.”

Speculation continues about the possible new tenants of the former Woolworths store, another significant building on Brook Street.

Half of the retail unit is said to be under offer, but HPFM has yet to reveal what business is wanting to move in. Woolworths closed around a year ago, as the chain withdrew from the high street, closing all its stores.

The building is expected to remain in retail use, say the new plans, which propose replacing the existing first floor windows, removing the existing shop front, and splitting it into two separate entrances.

The plans say the proposal does not involve the loss, gain, or change of use of non-residential floorspace, casting doubt on claims that a national coffee bar chain was about to move in.

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