PLANS to transform a grade II-listed building on Aylesbury Street into a hotel have been resurrected after the original development proved to be unviable.

Back in 2009, Swindon Borough Council gave the go-ahead for a 118-bed Hilton ‘Hampton’ hotel to be built on land near the train station which was formerly used by Paragon Laundry.

The approval was controversial, as some councillors and local residents voiced concerns about the project.

Construction of the hotel stalled and it was never built, though parts of the building that were not listed were demolished in 2012 and the site is currently being used as a storage facility and temporary car park.

Now, hotel developer and operator Ridgevale Estates is hoping to build a smaller 112-bed Hilton ‘Hampton’ hotel there with 21 car parking spaces after revising their original plans.

Before submitting the full details of the new plans, Turley Associates sent a letter to the council on behalf of the developers which discussed the need for an Environmental Impact Assessment (reference: S/EIA/17/2062).

The letter stated: “The previous hotel proposals were conceived prior to the full impact of the recession being known, and despite numerous attempts at cost engineering, the previously-consented scheme was not viable due to its complex design.”

The design of the hotel’s rear wing has been changed to reduce its size and shape, and minor, reversible alterations to the building have also been suggested.

Building the new hotel would require minor demolition of the single-storey listed structure to bring it in line with the rear of the structure, but developers intend to retain the full extent of the façade on Aylesbury Street.

Turley’s letter suggests that an Environmental Impact Assessment is not needed as the development will not have any hazardous or significant environmental effects and any short-term impact on the local surroundings caused by the hotel’s construction would be addressed and mitigated with a Construction Management Plan.

The developers are confident that the new plans for their multi-million pound project, once submitted, will satisfy Swindon councillors and residents.

Jas Gill, CEO of Ridgevale Estates, said: “The revised design for our site at Aylesbury Street is of a high quality and ensures that the proposed hotel will meet Hilton’s most up-to-date brand standards.

“However the basic design principles for the hotel, such as retention and restoration of the listed buildings, the height and scale of the new building, and vehicular access remain as previously approved.

“We expect to submit a formal planning application to Swindon Borough Council in mid-January, and, assuming a revised planning permission is forthcoming in the spring, we look forward to commencing construction on this exciting new project mid-year, with opening scheduled for Spring 2019.

“This £12.5m investment is a further vote of confidence in the ongoing regeneration of Swindon Town Centre.”