D-day for plans for £7m Travelodge hotel and Starbucks cafe in Skegness

Developers the Burney Group say the plans for the six-storey, 80-bed hotel on the site of the former crazy golf course on South Parade would create 30 new jobs and bring in £2.6m to the town's economy.

Approval would also end long-standing rumours regarding the site, which has been closed since 2018.

However, the owner of one of the privately-owned hotels along that stretch of the seafront fears approval of the plan would see further demise of smaller businesses seen since the Premier Inn opened on North Parade three years ago.

Adam Steadman, who manages the family business the Lakeside Hotel, says since the arrival of the Premier Inn, out of around eight hotels on North Parade, only about three of them remain – with some now being used for asylum seekers.

Mr Steadman and his family have operated in this location for 35 years and are especially worried about the increased traffic the development would bring.

“Since the entrance to the Parade car park was changed (moved from the Clock Tower to the end of South Parade) we have been overwhelmed with traffic in front of our business through the summer,” he pointed out in his letter of objection to East Lindsey.

Adrian Banks, who says his business is opposite the proposed site and would be most affected, says: “I have traded in a lot of different conditions over many years but a complete overshadow and no rights to light would have a massive impact on the hotel business and the people who stay and work here.

"I have seen the increase in traffic since the relocation of the car park, with it taking a hour plus to get from Princes Parade car park to the Clock Tower.

“To add a lot more spaces would create gridlock.”

in 2021, the UK's largest independent hotel chain opened its first hotel just a few miles away in Boston - one of 17 built across the country. The new 56-bed hotel on Scott Drive in the new Quadrant development created 15 jobs and rooms were on offer from just £29 to attract visitors to the historic market town.

The Skegness Travelodge hotel will feature a bar/restaurant on the fifth storey that will “provide panoramic views of the beach and coastline”.

Travelodge estimate that their guests will spend over £2.6m per annum in the Skegness and broader Lincolnshire economy.

Alongside the hotel, a drive-thru Starbucks is proposed that will provide indoor and outdoor seating for customers.

A total of 88 car parking spaces will be provided on the site, alongside new electric car charging points.

When the hotel and coffee shop are open, over 30 new jobs will be created in Skegness.

Skegness Town Council is supporting the plans, which have also won approval by resident James Hardaker of Wilford Grove.

He points out the development would provide jobs for locals and beds for visitors and says in his comments to ELDC: “The site in question is derelict and without covenants, and the prevalence of other hotels nearby mean that this development is in keeping with the area.”