Two major plans clash in 'War of the Hotels'

10:34am Thursday 17th January 2002

A HOTEL war has broken out in St Albans, after plans to expand one of the city's long-standing establishments were revealed this week.

Negotiations to develop Thistle Hotel in Watford Road coincide with controversial plans for a massive hotel and conference centre in Bricket Wood.

Thistle Hotel, formerly known as The Noke, hopes to get planning permission for 90 extra bedrooms, a 650 square metre conference centre, a larger restaurant and additional staff accommodation.

Such an extension would meet the district's need for further hotel and conference facilities with minimal intrusion into the Green Belt, according to planners Colin Buchanan.

Principal planner Greg Lee has appealed to St Albans District Council to reject the Bricket Wood application in favour of Thistle's proposal.

In a letter to the council, Mr Lee said: "Thistle Hotels intends to submit a planning application for an extension to their St Albans hotel once discussions with the planners at St Albans have been concluded."

He claimed the Bricket Wood plans, submitted by Sopwell House Hotel manager Mr Abraham Bejerano, would "result in an unacceptable and harmful loss of open countryside".

Mr Lee also argued that the plans would "set a precedent for further Green Belt releases."

A Thistle spokesman confirmed the company had "worked very closely with" with St Albans District Council, "who were very supportive" about the plans.

Thistle's plans would "entail very limited scale development within the Green Belt" and would include contributing towards the Watling Community Forest, according to Mr Lee's report. The extension would be screened by landscaping and would not intrude into residential areas, under the new plans.

Mr Lee concluded: "The scope and scale of the Thistle St Albans proposal will result in a very similar type of hotel and conference facility to that which is proposed at Bricket Wood."

The planned extension has been welcomed by members of the Bricket Wood Resident's Association (BWRA), who overwhelmingly oppose Mr Bejerano's proposal.

Association planning leader Ann Morton said: "I think this does undermine the case that they [Mr Bejerano and his company AB Hotels] have explored other alternatives.

"Their dismissal of other possible sites is perhaps a little bit superficial."

However, Mr Bejerano's personal assistant Fiona Hug did not think Thistle's plans would prevent the council from approving the Bricket Wood development.

She said: "Our reaction to them is good luck because there is plenty of business for us all. At last we are going to be able to get these facilities which have been called for by the district council for so many year."

Meanwhile more than 800 letters from Bricket Wood residents opposing the proposed new hotel and condference centre in the village have already been sent to St Albans District Council.

Meanwhile, a door-knocking campaign has been undertaken by the parish council, which hopes to reach a target of 1,000 signatures in a petition against the development. Notices inviting people to have their say about the proposed hotel at a district council planning meeting on February 28 have been issued by the parish council.

A letter slamming plans for the hotel and conference centre has been sent to St Albans District Council by the BWRA.

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