Ocean Village hotel gets green light
7:04am Thursday 24th July 2008
THE owners of Southampton's Ocean Village marina have won permission for a new-look, £50m hotel after earlier plans fell victim to spiralling construction costs.
Marina Developments Limited (MDL) wants the 224-bed, glass-sided hotel with a waterfront "events piazza" to be the catalyst to lure back prestigious sailing races and events to the city.
And despite trimming back costs, the developers claimed the redesigned, four-star hotel, jutting out into the marina on the promontory site, is a better building.
Planning permission was originally granted in 2006. But following changes in the construction market the plan was revised.
The hotel was lowered in height to 13 storeys and given a smaller footprint.
Yet architects increased the glazing on the public floors at the base of the hotel and redesigned the guest rooms to "float" above, albeit no longer with balconies.
The guest room block was moved more towards the land to free up the end of the promontory as more of a destination with extra room for openair dining.
Glazing was also extended to the ground floors to link the space with the outside events piazza, allowing events to spill outside from the conferencing facilities for 800 in the hotel, which were moved to the ground floor.
The piazza will feature five large steel sculptures depicting the coastlines of global ports with links to Southampton. Councillors rejected the need for trees.
Other changes included the introduction of an environmentally-friendly, sea-water cooling system instead of traditional air conditioning.
Also, a new "Marina Control Centre"
will be built in front of the hotel looking out onto the marina.
MDL group managing director Tony Keeler admitted the company had been caught out by the market, with rising prices for steel pushing up building costs. But he assured councillors the hotel was now back "on target".
"We are clear with our construction company.
We are fairly convinced from a construction point of view we can build this thing."
Councillors on the planning panel unanimously backed the planning application praising the design of the hotel.
Panel chairman Councillor Matt Dean said: "It will prove significant to the offer of Ocean Village which has fallen away a bit in recent years."
Work on the hotel, which will be run by the Millennium & Copthorne Hotel chain, is set to start in September. It could be opened in summer 2010.
Car parking will be provided for 139 cars at MDL's nearby multi-storey car park, which has been awarded Best New Car Park 2008 and is shortlisted for a RIBA Design Award.
Your Say YourEcho
Hotel Inspector, Southampton says...
8:17am Thu 24 Jul 08
We will soon have more hotels than houses.
Osama Bin Laden, A Cave far far away says...
8:31am Thu 24 Jul 08
Are people supposed to like this?
Wewullywinky, says...
9:00am Thu 24 Jul 08
Bill Ding, Closerthanuthink says...
9:02am Thu 24 Jul 08
Osama Bin Laden wrote:I'm not sure I have ever tried one of those. I'm more of a deep pan four seasons with extra olives, type of person.
"events piazza" Are people supposed to like this?
Major Sir Jerry Pending, Winchester says...
9:05am Thu 24 Jul 08
Fallen away a bit? It's a bl00dy disaster!!!
mza, Southampton says...
9:10am Thu 24 Jul 08
Top Hat, soton says...
9:15am Thu 24 Jul 08
Hush Puppy, soton says...
9:16am Thu 24 Jul 08
Simon, Southampton says...
9:29am Thu 24 Jul 08
Hotel Manager, says...
9:30am Thu 24 Jul 08
Hotel Inspector wrote:Introduce more competition and prices will drop.
Yet another over priced hotel in Southampton. We will soon have more hotels than houses.
Plus, they must have considered the demand for hotel accommodation when approving the planning application. So, I assume, there is a need for another hotel.
Hotel Inspector, Southampton says...
9:57am Thu 24 Jul 08
Hotel Manager wrote:YOU ASSUME the council considered the demand.
Hotel Inspector wrote:Introduce more competition and prices will drop.
Yet another over priced hotel in Southampton. We will soon have more hotels than houses.
Plus, they must have considered the demand for hotel accommodation when approving the planning application. So, I assume, there is a need for another hotel.
Since when have our Council considered anything that is good.
I have worked for the council for many many years and the only time they consider anything is when the individual dealing with it can get something in return.
NEVER ASSUME anything with this council look at what they have done to our city already
goard, Ocean Village says...
10:21am Thu 24 Jul 08
goard
Bob the Builder, says...
10:45am Thu 24 Jul 08
Ciaran, says...
10:53am Thu 24 Jul 08
Hotel Inspector wrote:Well I imagine the demand for hotel space in the city is well known by hotel operators - they're hardly in the business of throwing money away just to annoy residents.
Hotel Manager wrote:YOU ASSUME the council considered the demand.
Hotel Inspector wrote:Introduce more competition and prices will drop.
Yet another over priced hotel in Southampton. We will soon have more hotels than houses.
Plus, they must have considered the demand for hotel accommodation when approving the planning application. So, I assume, there is a need for another hotel.
Since when have our Council considered anything that is good.
I have worked for the council for many many years and the only time they consider anything is when the individual dealing with it can get something in return.
NEVER ASSUME anything with this council look at what they have done to our city already
However, I agree with everything else you say about the council. Imagination and amenity in this city is quashed by council officers who assume they know what residents want.
JCB, says...
11:05am Thu 24 Jul 08
I would imagine Trants would be in the running as there seems to be a connection with MDL and Banana Wharf
Southampton Lover, says...
11:54am Thu 24 Jul 08
Hotel Inspector wrote:I see a completely different approach... Without new developments, this city will decay MUCH further... The Council is aware of this... They are not in the habit of just saying "Oh yeah - nice big hotel down there - shopping centre there - flats there and there" - there is a bit of logic behind it all.
Hotel Manager wrote:YOU ASSUME the council considered the demand. Since when have our Council considered anything that is good. I have worked for the council for many many years and the only time they consider anything is when the individual dealing with it can get something in return. NEVER ASSUME anything with this council look at what they have done to our city alreadyHotel Inspector wrote: Yet another over priced hotel in Southampton. We will soon have more hotels than houses.Introduce more competition and prices will drop. Plus, they must have considered the demand for hotel accommodation when approving the planning application. So, I assume, there is a need for another hotel.
What I see when I read your post is someone who doesn't want Southampton to develop - wants to see the city decay into disrepair and the **** at the council because they have no-one else to blame.
Get off your soap box and move if you don't like it!
I can't wait to see these new developments start - i moved here just over three years ago and have already seen great improvements - isn't this city great?
Ocean Village resident, Ocean Village says...
12:12pm Thu 24 Jul 08
Well done the council!
old wykehamist, says...
1:57pm Thu 24 Jul 08
Major Sir Jerry Pending wrote:Sitting at the waterfront with a glass of wine watching the clipper yachts leave. Paradise! OV is no disaster and the hotel will add to it. There speaks the voice of a very ill informed person and there is no need for bad language, the english language is a rich heritage - there is no need for swearing on a public forum
Panel chairman Councillor Matt Dean said: "It will prove significant to the offer of Ocean Village which has fallen away a bit in recent years ." Fallen away a bit? It's a bl00dy disaster!!!
Neville Kneivel, says...
2:02pm Thu 24 Jul 08
old wykehamist wrote:Likewise, there is no need for personal insults. Seems we're doing more than just satisfying needs, then
Major Sir Jerry Pending wrote:Sitting at the waterfront with a glass of wine watching the clipper yachts leave. Paradise! OV is no disaster and the hotel will add to it. There speaks the voice of a very ill informed person and there is no need for bad language, the english language is a rich heritage - there is no need for swearing on a public forum
Panel chairman Councillor Matt Dean said: "It will prove significant to the offer of Ocean Village which has fallen away a bit in recent years ." Fallen away a bit? It's a bl00dy disaster!!!
Paramjit Bahia, Southampton says...
5:17pm Thu 24 Jul 08
goard wrote:Non paying visitors did you say? No no no never ever. Depending upon which part of the ordinary public from Southampton most of us won't even be able to afford their rip off rates.
Looks grand BUT can the non-paying visitor sit and relax on the piazza? Do we have to go through the Hotel and buy a meal first? Surely this is not in place of our Pier where everyone can promenade, push our prams, sit and have icecream and rest awhile. We need more information as to public access. goard
What this city desperately needs is accommodation that our average youngsters can afford and some decent places of work, which provide some security of employment with reasonable pay and work conditions. This upmarket hotel will be paradise for rich, it most certainly is not going benefit most of us..
plan b again, Southampton says...
8:20pm Thu 24 Jul 08
Southampton Lover wrote:So if we don't like it, move on eh? Another hotel, more shops we don't need, flats that won't sell, more multiplex cinemas and drinking clubs for the idiots who binge drink. Thats it??? Its not the planners who are to blame for the lack of vision in this city. Its their masters who dictate the policy and sit on the committees who have the final say. After all the Jurys Inn was refused until it went to appeal to an outside government agency. Vison is risk, something the councilllors don't do in this city. Sadness part 103.
Hotel Inspector wrote:I see a completely different approach... Without new developments, this city will decay MUCH further... The Council is aware of this... They are not in the habit of just saying "Oh yeah - nice big hotel down there - shopping centre there - flats there and there" - there is a bit of logic behind it all.
Hotel Manager wrote:YOU ASSUME the council considered the demand. Since when have our Council considered anything that is good. I have worked for the council for many many years and the only time they consider anything is when the individual dealing with it can get something in return. NEVER ASSUME anything with this council look at what they have done to our city alreadyHotel Inspector wrote: Yet another over priced hotel in Southampton. We will soon have more hotels than houses.Introduce more competition and prices will drop. Plus, they must have considered the demand for hotel accommodation when approving the planning application. So, I assume, there is a need for another hotel.
What I see when I read your post is someone who doesn't want Southampton to develop - wants to see the city decay into disrepair and the **** at the council because they have no-one else to blame.
Get off your soap box and move if you don't like it!
I can't wait to see these new developments start - i moved here just over three years ago and have already seen great improvements - isn't this city great?
Sotonian, Soton says...
10:44am Fri 25 Jul 08
The main drawback is SOME of the people who live here!!
goard, Soton says...
1:39pm Fri 25 Jul 08
goard
mike, OV says...
12:10pm Wed 30 Jul 08
Your sayYourEcho
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Paul Redknapp-French, P*rtsmouth says...
7:51am Thu 24 Jul 08