A 104 bed aparthotel on Sunbridge Road approved. The development aims to attract workers and boost tourism.
The area is called Goitside Conservation Area and is a very old part of the city. Cambridge Road Real Estates Ltd proposed the hotel last summer. It will be an aparthotel, basically like serviced apartments with some cooking facilities in the rooms. A restaurant and bar are planned for the ground floor.
The company thinks it’s a big deal for the city and hope to attract construction workers who work on local projects. The Laconia Building had five floors, and someone once considered turning it into flats.
Sadly, that conversion never happened, and the building got neglected instead. Storm Ciara damaged it badly in 2020, and engineers said it was unsafe. That’s why they demolished it, and the spot has been empty ever since.
The hotel will have five stories facing Sunbridge Road, but the land slopes downward a bit, so it’ll look like seven stories from Water Lane. The extra floors will be a car park with space for sixty-six cars.
Paradise Street and Wigan Street will provide access as these streets are on either side of the site. They will widen both streets and add a new walkway for people.
The company states the hotel is a major investment and designed the hotel for longer stays. They are thinking of building contractors needing a place where they can cook for themselves if they want. The weekends would target leisure visitors to attract people exploring Bradford’s culture.
Planning officers approved the hotel plans on Friday. They think it suits the Conservation Area and like how the building faces Sunbridge Road, offering a modern nod to the street. Officials feel it’s a response to the historical area and respects the area’s style and building heights. The hotel will help restore balance and should fix visual damage from the old building’s loss.