A SECOND bid to turn a famous Whitchurch building into a hotel and conference centre has been lodged with Shropshire Council.

Plans to turn the Railway Spice, in Talbot Street, into a hotel with 11 rooms – including four ground-floor accessible rooms – were lodged last week.

It comes 10 months after the council’s planning department threw out an original bid to convert the former bed and breakfast in November 2023.

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Those plans included a rooftop bar and 16 rooms but were rejected.

Now, according to the new proposal, the plan is now for 11 rooms with entertainment spaces across two floors which will be formed by using a ‘guilltone window’ system.

The statement said: “This will be achieved by re-using the vast majority of the non-designated heritage asset, with minor elevational change to the prominent elevations, and demolition of later additions to the rear.

“Later additions to the building at the rear, of poor quality and structure, will be demolished to make way for a two-storey, and separate single storey, ‘rear’ extension which will provide the newly installed commercial kitchens, stores and general ancillary rooms necessary for the function of the hotel together with a 46 cover restaurant at ground floor and 44 seat bar at first floor.

“The restaurant and bar will be formed extensively by tri-glazed, ‘guillotine’ window systems, and part retractable roof system, that allow part opening of the areas during warm, dry weather.

“Noise Impact assessment has been evaluated and information on that is provided within the Noise Impact Assessment provided with this application.

“The existing outbuilding (garage/ previously used valeting building) will be converted into conference facilities at ground floor, with three further (suite) bedrooms over.

“The re-use of the site has been evaluated from an ecological standpoint and an Ecological Survey Report, consisting of a preliminary survey and ‘dusk/ dawn’ emerging Surveys has been provided with this application.

“On-site parking and deliveries will be provided to an extent, with reliance on town centre parking facilities for any additional traffic generated.

“This has been evaluated within the transport statement provided with this application.”

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The statement added that parking, including one ‘accessible’ space and two electric charging stations and all accessible rooms will be on the ground floor.

The report, from RPS Design group, concluded: “The proposal will bring back into use a prominent non-designated heritage asset in a location that is critical to the visual grain of Whitchurch town centre.”

Consultation on the application runs until Wednesday, September 18.