Hotel space at listed Liverpool site set for green light

Plans for the development of hotel space at a listed Castle Street location in Liverpool are set to move forward.The application from bar and leisure operator JSM Company Group relates to 20 to 34 Castle Street which incorporates two vacant listed buildings – internally linked at all floor levels – which were lastly used as a National Westminster Bank branch.Full planning permission is sought for the conversion of part of the ground floor and the whole of the upper floors and basement of 20-26 Castle Street and whole of the upper floors of 32-34 Castle Street.The vacant offices would be converted into space for 92 hotel beds and approximately 33,000 sq ft of floor area.A two-storey rooftop extension is to be added to the rear of the property.Access would be from Castle Street through the building’s main entrance or, alternatively, through a new entrance door within an existing opening in 20-26’s Castle Street frontage, both of which would lead into a ground floor hotel reception area.According to a report to be scrutinised by Liverpool City Council’s planning committee next week, approval is recommended for a change of use application alongside permission for internal and external alterations,Separate applications have been conditionally approved for the conversion of the ground floor and basement of the building into two restaurants or bars.JSM Company Group is headed up by Jamie Motlagh, who also runs Pub Invest Group, which operates bars including McCooleys and Rubber Soul.Wroot Architects has drawn up the plans for 20 to 34 Castle Street.