Council planners give the go-ahead to pub chain Wetherspoons to create a new 30-bedroom Liverpool city region hotel in a Victorian building. Andrew Brown reports

The Sir Henry Segrave Wetherspoon pub on Lord Street in Southport

An historic Victorian building in Southport town centre will be transformed into a new 30 bedroom Wetherspoon Hotel after planning permission.

Sefton Council says the conversion of the 19th Century four-storey Pavilion Buildings at 93-97 Lord Street will “restore the features of a building that have fallen into disrepair and bring back into use the vacant upper floor areas to secure its long-term viability”.

Planning permission was granted just a few weeks ago for the Garrick site, just a few doors away, into a scheme including 109 new hotel rooms, 12 luxury apartments, a gym and spa and a new theatre space, in a further boost for Lord Street.

The Wetherspoon scheme, first revealed in June, would see the revamp of its current Sir Henry Segrave pub site on the ground floor with a bigger public house customer area.

The upper floors, which were empty for several years having previously been used as council offices, would be converted into 30 ensuite hotel rooms.

In a report, Sefton Council chief planning officer Derek McKenzie, said: “The proposed development would retain an active frontage onto Lord Street and Coronation Walk, support the vitality and viability of the town centre and be a compatible use with the retail and commercial character of the area.

“The existing upper floors have been vacant for some time and their redevelopment would secure the re-use, repair and restoration of a heritage asset that would improve and benefit the area.

“Securing a compatible and viable use such as that proposed would likely enhance the prospect of the long-term conservation of the heritage asset.

“The development would also provide facilities to encourage visitors to the Southport central area, which is a strategic location for tourism.

“The building housing the existing pub was built in the late 19th century. The cast iron verandahs to both frontages currently provide shelter for external seated areas.

He added: “The proposed development would see both internal and external works. Internally, the layout would be altered to provide a new fire escape and hotel reception area as well as a refurbished bar and ancillary facilities.

“The upper floors would be fitted out to provide for new hotel rooms. Externally, the existing windows are in a various state of disrepair and would be replaced in a like-for-like fashion to maintain the original character and appearance of the building.

“The proposed development would restore the features of the existing building that have fallen into disrepair and bring back into use the vacant upper floor areas to secure its long-term viability.”

The upper floors were previously utilised as offices for Sefton Council’s Parking Services team and NSL private contract staff.

Sir Henry Segrave Wetherspoon in Lord Street, Southport. Picture by Andrew Brown / Stand Up For Southport

A planning statement submitted by JH.A architects on behalf of JD Wetherspoon said: “Sefton Council’s recent Hotel and Visitor Accommodation Study identified a need for a significantly increased supply of hotel bed spaces, particularly in Southport.”

It added: “The (scheme) demonstrates JD Wetherspoon’s capabilities of reviving significant buildings. By taking into account history and heritage, they are able to meaningfully revive and restore existing structures to become spaces that are open and inviting to the public.”

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JD Wetherspoon is keen to keep the name of the pub, which celebrates one of Southport’s most legendary figures.

The Sir Henry Segrave pub is named after Sir Henry Segrave who, in 1926, raised the land-speed record to 152 mph in his 350hp 4.5-litre Sunbeam Ladybird, on Southport’s Birkdale Sands.

This article first appeared in Stand Up For Southport