Permission has been granted for an Oldham hotel to undertake substantial work in a revamp, which the hotel says will result in more jobs.
Grains Bar Hotel on Ripponden Road had approved plans to demolish its existing one-storey hotel entrance and rebuild with a two-storey extension.
In the application, the 18-room hotel says the extension will boost its capacity for weddings to host around 70 people, whereas currently, it can only accommodate around 40 outside of the summer months.
Alterations to the building are planned to improve wedding ceremony facilities, and eight new ‘overspill’ car parking spaces will be built, in addition to 27 already existing.
Oldham Council approved plans on Thursday, August 11, after Saddleworth Parish Council reversed course and recommended approval of the application.
The location of the extension
At a meeting in May, Saddleworth Parish Council had recommended the development for refusal, saying it was ‘inappropriate’ and “harmful to the openness of the Green Belt”.
Under the terms of the approval, development must start within three years.
According to the planning application, the hotel plans to hire seven more staff following the development – taking the hotel from 15 employees to 22.
The planning application also states that the hotel will employ all current staff throughout the year, rather than seasonally for six months, as the hotel currently does.
Developers hope that year-round larger-scale weddings will also stimulate additional spending in surrounding areas.
No change to the scale of the building is expected, with the ridge line of the extension set to be no higher than that of the existing building.
The Highways engineer, Wendy Moorhouse, originally recommended rejecting the plans, raising concerns about parking problems, traffic congestion, and danger to pedestrians – with concerns additional on-street parking would lead to an increase in collisions.
But eight additional car parking spaces were added to the plans, and the engineer later retracted her comments before the plans were approved.
One comment objecting to the plan was received, with a resident worried about extra noise from additional guests, an increase in parking issues, and green belt development.
Lisa Holroyd, owner of the hotel, said: “We are grateful and excited to have received planning approval on the new front to Grains Bar Hotel.
“In the last five years, we have been re-investing, planning and creating a beautiful hotel and wedding venue for everyone to enjoy.
“We are creating a welcoming reception lounge, and the ceremony room will show off the surrounding picturesque landscapes of the Saddleworth Moors.
“The hotel’s new front will boast elegance and rustic features to keep with the nature of the original building and the surrounding areas.”
The full planning application is available to view on the council’s website.
This article has been updated with a comment from the owner.
