JD Wetherspoon’s plans for a 13-room hotel and bar in Welwyn Garden City have suffered a setback after its planning permission application saw over 100 objections.
Locals are said to be unhappy with the chain’s insistence to build on the spot after plans for a pub in the location were turned down. Wetherspoons has already had two attempts to build on the site turned down following objections sent to Welwyn and Hatfield Council.
Local residents have said Wetherspoon has “redefined” its plans as a hotel in order to get planning permission passed. Locals feel that a new hotel complex being built in the city and a closed down pub opposite the location proposed for Wetherspoons, indicate that the town has enough hotels and pubs.
According to JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin, the £1.5m development would create 50 new jobs and would not include a beer garden, the reason previous plans have been thwarted.
Wetherspoon’s application reads: “The bar will principally serve hotel guests, but will be accessible to people not residing in the hotel. The area of the proposals occupied by the bar area is significantly less than the standard JD Wetherspoon public house.”
A Wetherspoon spokesperson said: “We believe the hotel and bar will be a great addition to the town. We appreciate that a number of people have objected to the scheme but also believe there are many people who support it, who might not necessarily say so in writing.”
