Waterside hotel set to be approved in major overhaul of Lincoln City Square

Plans for a new 150-bed waterside hotel in Lincoln’s Cornhill Quarter are likely to be approved next week.

Lincolnshire Co-operative’s plans to build a six-storey hotel on the corner of Waterside South and Melville Street form part of a major overhaul for the former City Square Centre site, which also includes new specialist accommodation for older people.

The existing buildings on the site, including the footbridge across Melville Street, would be demolished.

The plans were originally for a seven-storey structure, however, pre-application discussions and revisions during the course of the application have sen it reduced in height.

It will also be realigned backwards in order to maintain sight-lines to the Cathedral and Castle.

At a meeting of City of Lincoln Council’s planning committee on Wednesday, officers will recommend the plans are approved by councillors.

Buildings which will be demolished in Lincoln City Square | Photo: Google

“It is considered that the proposed hotel will help meet the need for visitor accommodation in the city centre, and provide wider public benefits through improvements to public realm and increased activity to Melville Street, investment within the city and contributing to the vitality and viability of the city centre,” said the officer’s report.

“The revised scheme as shown on the indicative plans would be an enhancement to the street scene by developing this gap site and removing the pedestrian footbridge over Melville Street, to the benefit of the character and appearance of the conservation area.”

Another artist’s impression of the new build.

The report does not state if the footbridge will be replaced in the future.

However Lincolnshire County Council has asked for £500,000 to mitigate the loss and provide improved walking and cycling infrastructure at the location.

The authority notes the money could be fed into its own Broadgate Corridor scheme which would aim to improve the area.

“In consideration of the emerging Broadgate Corridor scheme, LCC and the applicant wish to avoid the applicant delivering a project immediately which mitigates the removal of the footbridge, but which may act as a constraint for the Broadgate Corridor scheme,” said the report.

It means that pedestrians will have to use alternate crossings in the short-term.

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