Revised ‘destination hotel’ plans for Sandilands

East Lindsey District Council’s planning committee has been recommended by officers to approve the designs for the Grange and Links Hotel, on Sea Lane, which will see the existing hotel building – closed since September last year - demolished and replaced with a new 20 bed facility with a spa, gym and swimming pool.

Another building would include 12 holiday apartments with space on the ground floor for retail and commercial space.

The report before councillors next week notes: “The applicant has indicated that the hotel’s restaurant, spa and swimming pool would be available for wider public use.”

However, the plans also feature plans for 13 open market houses – 10 detached and one block of three terraced – something local residents have rejected previously with more than 500 letters of representation being received due to concerns over the overbearing nature of the development, the increase in traffic and the designs being unsympathetic to the local area.

This time, 61 of the 103 representations received have been in support of the development, calling it a “well thought-out scheme” which will “safeguard character and appearance of the area”, provide work and bring a derelict building back into use.

The new designs feature fewer houses than a previous application turned down in September – after which the hotel closed.

Council officers praise the “potential benefit to the economy” and say the housing is an “essential need”.

When the plans appeared before councillors last year, they were told the existing hotel had been struggling over a number of years, and that the housing would help pay for the plans.

Outline designs for the original plans, put forward by the original owner, were previously refused by the council but granted at appeal.

Another appeal over the most recent rejection was lost by the new owner-applicants.