Frequently Asked Questions
Community
Q: Will there be any affordable housing?
The scale of new residential has been kept as low as possible to assist in the regeneration of the hotel. The level of investment in the hotel is likely to mean the development cannot support additional costs of providing affordable housing. This will need to be evidenced through an independent viability assessment and reviewed by the local authority.
Q: Will there be any Community Infrastructure Levy payments for local people to benefit?
The new build residential development will be required to make a Community Infrastructure Levy payment in line with policy, which is expected to be in excess of £100,000 with 25% of levy revenues to be spent on local community projects within the Torquay Neighbourhood Plan Area.
Transport
Q: Is there enough parking for both guests and events?
Yes, we are proposing 166 parking spaces within the development site, 51 will be for the apartments with the remaining 115 for the Hotel. This is higher than the recommended policy for hotels of this scale and does not account for the sustainability of the location and proximity to existing parking facilities.
Q: Will this generate more traffic than the old hotel?
The current analysis indicates that The hotel proposals will result in a reduction in the level of traffic due to the reduced numbers of rooms and conferencing facilities. Overall it is expected the combined development proposals will result in a reduction in vehicle trips generated by the site.
Q: How will development affect the coastal footpath?
The route of the South West Coast Path (SWCP) lies within the adopted highway and remains unchanged by the development. The proposals are looking to improve legibility of this important recreational route through new signage and enhanced materials adjacent to the hotel entrance. Improvements to the hotel car park and servicing will also reduce traffic movements and improve pedestrian safety.
Q: What other pedestrian improvements are proposed?
The proposals are looking to create a new publicly accessible path running east along the southern side of Parkhill Road. The path would form a continuation of the existing footway which stops just to the east of the junction. Due to the limited road width, the path would be located behind the existing boundary wall within the hotel grounds. The provision of a safe pedestrian footway in this part of Parkhill Road is identified as a local project within the Torquay Neighbourhood plan. A further footpath is proposed to the south side of the hotel drive, which also forms part of the SWCP.
Design
Q: Why isn’t the style of the new apartments traditional like the hotel?
The main element of the new residential development is within the 1969 extension to the hotel. This has much lower ceiling heights than its Victorian neighbour and the same architectural treatment cannot be easily applied. The current approach also allows the 19th century hotel to be read separately from the adjacent apartments helping break up the overall scale of the development.
Q: Where are the detailed plans?
The design team are still developing the proposals with a view to submitting a detailed planning application later this year following this public exhibition and feedback. This will include extensive supporting information and detailed plans, sections and elevations and will be available for public access and comment upon validation at www.Torbay.gov.uk/planning. The information on this website has been provided as an overview of the proposals which can be easily digested. If you have an interest in a specific element, please contact the consultation team at info@ImperialHotelExhibition.co.uk and they will do their best to assist.
Q: Will the hotel be higher the current building?
The hotel is generally within the envelope of the current building. The corner towers, which were such a feature of the original hotel, are extended above the current roof level by approximately 2.5m. The existing lift tower, which is very visible on the current hotel, will be reduced by around 2.5m. The hotel office accommodation, which faces Parkhill Road, also has a floor removed to reduce its height by around 3m.
Q: Will the residential proposals be higher than the existing hotel?
The residential conversion of the 1960s bedroom wing is contained within the same volume, with modest extensions either side of the lift and stair. There is a rooftop plant enclosure which will be approximately the same height as the existing lift tower which serves the current bedroom wing. On the seaward elevation, to help break up the horizontality of the development the external frame is expressed and extends to a height of the plant room behind - this is an open frame which maintains views and references the proportions of the original hotel. The maisonettes which replace the Torbay Suite and Spa are broadly within the same height as the existing and the new build apartments on the tennis courts are approximately 1.5m higher than the old staff block they replace, but located further north-west to benefit from better views.
Q: Why can’t the hotel be reinstated exactly as it was?
The various extensions of the 1960s removed all of the external ornamentation and added an additional floor to the original hotel. Unfortunately it would not be viable to reduce the height of the hotel or reinstate all of the Victorian detailing. Guests expectation have also changed significantly with requirements for balconies also impacting on the external appearance.
Other
Q: Where are the positive quotes from Historic England taken from?
Throughout the design development of the project we have undertaken extended pre-application discussions with Historic England, the public body that looks after England's historic environment (formerly English Heritage). The quotes are from two letters of advice received as part of this process on 17th August 2020 and 31st October 2020. The full advice can be viewed as a PDF here and here respectively.
Q: What other consultation has been undertaken?
In addition to the extended pre-application advice from Historic England we have signed a Planning Performance Agreement with Torbay Council which set out an agreed framework for considering specific elements of the development proposal. The initial proposals also received supportive comments from Torbay Design Review Panel in July 2020. The panel’s guidance on elevational treatment and the compositional approach to the existing buildings has informed the current scheme.
Q: Will the facilities be open to everyone?
Yes, hotel guests, visitors and local people will be able to enjoy the new facilities including restaurants, beach club and spa, as well as the enhanced gardens.