Hotel plan set to go ahead despite fears over 'unruly' guests

An application to use the former Crompton Hotel on Woodfield Road in South Shore as three three-bedroom serviced accommodation apartments is being recommended for approval when it goes before the council’s planning committee on Tuesday July 25.

Guests would check in using access codes rather than being met by the owner, with the accommodation managed by serviced accommodation specialists SASCO.

However concerns have been raised about increasing amounts of holiday accommodation being managed remotely, with claims it has led to a rise in ‘party houses’.

A number of objections have been submitted to the application including from other B&B owners on Woodfield Road.

One objector says the police have previously been called to incidents at serviced accommodation, with unruly guests “shouting, drinking, arguing and smoking weed”.

The objection adds some guests “have already been argumentative and aggressive with our guests and also to myself when I asked them to tone it down a bit at gone midnight.”

But in its management plan for the premises, SASCO says it advises property owners to install CCTV in all communal areas, 24-hour phone lines are available for guests to report anti-social behaviour and deposits will be withheld if damage is caused.

They say: “A member of the 24 hour team will report to site immediately and will seek assistance from local police if necessary.

“Any excess noise reports, anti-social behaviour including verbal and physical abuse and any evidence of criminal damage will all result in the guests security deposit being retained.”

A council planning report setting out the reasons for recommending approval says Woodfield Road is predominantly made up of holiday accommodation although there are some residential homes.

It adds: “A separate management plan (by SASCO) has been submitted to support the application.

“The management plan sets out the proposed arrangements for preventing anti-social behaviour at the premises as well as details of the day to day running of the self-contained apartments.

“The details as set out in the submitted management plan are considered acceptable. ”

Under the proposals, the ground floor apartment would accommodate five people while the first and second floor would accommodate up to four guests.