City of Lincoln Castle to consider White Hart Hotel expansion plans

Plans for an ongoing expansion of a city centre hotel have been submitted.

A multi-million pound redevelopment at The White Hart Hotel in Lincoln’s Castle Square has been underway for two years, and the owners show no sign of stopping just yet.

As many as three White Hart Hotel-affiliated items are on the agenda for City of Lincoln Council’s Planning Committee meeting on Wednesday (July 10) — concerning plans for a swimming pool complex and an expansion across Castle Square.

The White Hart Hotel put an application through in February to construct a swimming pool, spa and gym inside the hotel, located to the rear of the building on Eastgate, to be used by hotel guests.

It would require no external changes to the Grade II listed building, but would need internal layout alterations to remove existing concrete floor slabs to make way for the 11m long and 1.4m deep pool.

Also: First look at spa which provides countryside escape

The applicant felt the swimming complex would “contribute towards the revival” of the hotel, after it was acquired by businessman Andrew Long in 2022 and closed in 2023 for refurbishments that have since been completed.

Despite concerns of archaeological impact on the historic site, planning officers have recommended the approval of the swimming pool plans, saying “matters in relation to archaeology have been appropriately considered by the city archaeologist and officers have duly assessed the development’s impact against the public benefits.”

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The other item concerns the Judges Lodgings, which were bought from Lincolnshire County Council by Mr Long in 2022; and the initial idea of turning the site into a kiosk-style retail hub appears to now be taking shape, with this latest application for works at Judges Lodgings, Castle Hill and 2 Bailgate.

Works would include the demolition of the rear extension at the Judges Lodgings and replacing it with a three-storey extension with apart-hotel rooms upstairs, and undercroft car parking at ground floor level.

A cafe and restaurant space with associated kitchen and toilet facilities will also be inside the Judges Lodgings, and a new building will be constructed with retail or commercial floorspace, and more undercroft car parking below.

At 2 Bailgate there will be a renovation project to reinstate the shopfront there as part of the kiosk vision, and associated works will enable an open, public space outside, as well as a substation.

This has also been recommended for approval by City of Lincoln Council’s planning officer, meaning that it is full steam ahead for the White Hart Hotel’s takeover of this picturesque section of the Cathedral Quarter, so long as the council support the officer’s recommendation to approve.

Approval has also previously been given to a White Hart Hotel application at 8-9 Castle Hill, also known as Leigh Pemberton House, which would see four new hotel rooms revamped above the existing visitor information centre.