£300,000 grant to kick start Wellington hotel site development
Telford & Wrekin Council is set to award a grant of £300,000 to help a developer kick start the redevelopment of a former hotel site in Wellington.
The cash to help the owner of the former Charlton Arms will ultimately be funded by agreed Section 106 contributions for offsite affordable housing.
The hotel closed some years ago and has remained vacant since, sliding into an increasing state of disrepair and having a negative effect on Wellington Centre.
Planning permission has been granted for restoration and re-use of the hotel building and up to 41 residential units on the site, including 11 apartments in the former hotel.
A report to Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet on June 25 says the project remains economically unviable without some form of intervention to assist the owners.
The form of intervention proposed is to provide a contribution of £300,000 to be spent on the provision of four affordable homes on the site.
This would assist the overall viability of the development and enable the restoration and re-use of the listed hotel to proceed. It also secures the delivery of four new affordable homes in Wellington.
The report says the terms of the grant have been agreed with the owner, who is now ready to commence work on the Charlton Arms site.
Councillor Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “We are very keen to see the site developed as its appearance has been a major concern for Wellington residents.
“If cabinet approves the grant, it will enable the owner to take immediate action to start the planned development, which will both provide a significant visual improvement for Wellington Centre and safeguard an important heritage asset for the town.
“If the site is not restored and re-used, the building is likely to continue to deteriorate.”
