JD Wetherspoon to build new hotel on Lord Street in Southport

JD Wetherspoon has submitted plans to build a new 30 bedroom hotel on Lord Street in Southport. 

The new development would be built at the four-storey Pavilion Buildings on the corner of Lord Street and Coronation Walk, at 93-97 Lord Street, incorporating its existing Sir Henry Segrave pub already on the site. 

The scheme would see a bigger public house customer area along with 30 ensuite hotel rooms and associated ancillary accommodation on the upper floors. 

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

It would also involve the creation of a hotel entrance and reception area. 

It follows the recent granting of planning permission in April for 109 new hotel rooms, 12 luxury apartments, a gym and spa, a theatre and a bar and restaurant at the Garrick building nearby on Lord Street. 

Stand Up For Southport revealed in 2021 how JD Wetherspoon was keen to bring a new hotel to Southport town centre. 

The plans would see a new hotel reception area created on the ground floor, with a dedicated entrance. 

The kitchen area would be extended into the existing ladies toilets, and refitted with new and additional equipment.

There would be bar upgrades to bring it up to current JDW specifications.

The existing male and female toilets would be relocated to the first floor. 

Provision would be made for new customer disabled access. 

A planning statement submitted by JH.A architects on behalf of JD Wetherspoon said: “The applicant JD Wetherspoon Ltd currently occupies the building on the ground floor as a trading pub. The proposed works are required to facilitate their occupation of the upper levels of the building as a hotel. 

“Sefton Council’s recent Hotel and Visitor Accommodation Study identified a need for a significantly increased supply of hotel bed spaces, particularly in Southport.  

“In summary, the works proposed are as follows: 

• Change of use on levels 1, 2, and 3 to a C1 class Hotel, creating 30 new en-suite hotel rooms.
• Alterations to the ground floor layout to create a hotel reception area and allowing access and required escape routes from the new hotel rooms on floors above. 
• Kitchen to be increased in size and customer toilets relocated to floors above. 

“The Sir Henry Segrave has been trading as a JD Wetherspoon pub on the ground floor of the building. The floors above are currently empty and not in use, although they have been used as office areas in the past. 

“The floors have good ceiling heights, and offer plenty of natural light from the regular run of windows along both facades. 

“ Eternal details of the building will be retained. Internally, heritage values will be symbolised through a traditional pub aesthetic with historical plaques celebrating its history.

“ The design retains all existing access points in the building. A new DDA access ramp will replace the existing, maintaining access to all levels within the ground floor area. 

“The (scheme) demonstrates JD Wetherspoons 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.”

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

JH.A architects said: “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. 

“At the turn of the 20th century, Southport was a leading venue for motor-racing. Henry Segrave was eventually knighted, dying in June 1930, having just set a new world record on Lake Windermere. 

“The building the pub is in was built in c1880, and within a few years was wholly occupied by CF Chinnery’s furnishing emporium. Chinnery remained there until the 1930s. 

“The ground floor is now occupied by The Sir Henry Segrave free house. In 1926 Segrave achieved a new land speed record of 152mph on Birkdale Sands.

“The building boasts the original Victorian cast iron verandahs along the front and side of the building, providing sheltered external seating areas.”

Second Lead (if needed): 

The plans for a new JD Wetherspoon Hotel in Southport follow a Sefton Council study carried out three years ago which revealed “a need for a significantly increased supply of hotel bed spaces in Southport”. 

The new investment follows the Government commitment of £38.5million in Town Deal funding for Southport in 2021, which is predicted to trigger a further £400 million of private investment, and has led to “renewed investor confidence in the town”. 

Construction is currently taking place to create a new £75 million Marine Lake Events Centre plus a water and light show on the Marine Lake. 

The £75 million Cove Resort is due to be created on The Esplanade. 

Further redevelopment is taking place at The Grand on Lord Street in Southport, which will see the opening of a rooftop bar this summer. 

In a report to Sefton Council’s Cabinet in 2021, Sefton Council Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services Stephan Van Arendsen said: “Overall, the accommodation is dated and in need of repair..

“Conversion of the upper floors to the Pavilion Buildings to provide hotel accommodation ties in with and supports the wider regeneration aims of £50m the successful Town Deal bid. 

“The Council’s Tourism and Regeneration teams recently commissioned a ‘Hotel and Visitor Accommodation Study’, which identified a need for a greater range of visitor accommodation types, and a need for a significantly increased supply of hotel bed spaces, particularly in Southport. 

“The use of the upper floors of Pavilion Buildings for hotel bed spaces, and / or to increase the trading area and number of covers would support this end of Lord Street, would help to consolidate a successful business and contribute to wider vitality and viability of the town centre, particularly the leisure and night time economies.

“Bringing into use the upper floors of premises for complementary and productive uses is a key priority within the Local Plan and is one of the main objectives of the Southport Townscape Heritage Project.

“The council’s successful application for Town Deal funding predicted that over £400m of private sector investment would be triggered by the Town Deal and Council project. This commitment by the tenant underlines the renewed investor confidence in the town.

“As part of the disposal, officers will include an overage clause in the sale contracts and ask Wetherspoons to provide a commitment to utilise, where possible local firms and supply chain and to support local employment, apprenticeships, and other training opportunities during the construction works phase.”

Sefton was first approached by Wetherspoon in 2018 and in January 2019 it received a formal offer to acquire the freehold interest in Pavilion Buildings. Following the easing of hospitality venue restrictions in June 2021 Wetherspoon submitted a revised offer. 

Money raised through the sale was committed to Sefton Council’s Growth and Strategic Investment Programme and its Framework for Change Programme. 

The disposal will save the Council approximately £48,000 per annum of revenue costs covering items such as repairs and general maintenance, utility costs, cleaning and refuse, compliance testing and business rates.

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