Rejected plans to develop The Lawn in Lincoln to be revealed to the public
Plans to transform a Lincoln landmark which were rejected by City Hall, will be revealed to the public.
Jonathan Pass, attempted to buy The Lawn complex earlier this year.
His vision was to turn the former mental hospital, in Union Road, into a hotel, restaurant, bar and conference centre.
It also included the refurbishment of the Sir Joseph Banks Conservatory.
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But his offer was rejected last month by City of Lincoln Council executive councillors.
"Obviously I am disappointed our proposal hasn't progressed at this stage," said Mr Pass.
"But the whole team behind the plan is absolutely convinced this is the right way forward to not only preserve this historic complex but to ensure it has a successful future.
"Our plan means the building and its grounds being more accessible to the public than it currently is.
"But we haven't given up on the vision. We hope the public meeting will give us a chance to explain in detail to all interested parties what we had planned.
"Meanwhile, we will try to keep an open dialogue with the council.
"It is not a case of going out looking for support. People know about the bid process but don't know about the details of my bid. This meeting is about letting the public know what we saw as a solution to the problems the building will face.
"The building is becoming empty and the next stage will be demolition, so letting people see what we wanted to do with it feels right. Getting the message out about our bid is what this is all about.
"I still passionately believe that this development will be good for the economy of the city, good for the people of the city and good for The Lawn's long-term future."
The complex was built in 1820 and closed in 1985. The City of Lincoln Council bought it a year later for £425,000.
The new scheme would also see luxury VIP accommodation and health and beauty suite and redevelopment of the shops.
The planning, architectural and conservation experts who put together the new proposal, as well as Mr Pass himself, will be on hand to explain the detail of the scheme.
Detailed drawings and artists' impressions will also be on display and visitors will be able to question the team on their plans for the site.
Mr Pass's plans for the new-look hotel and conference complex include restoring many of the building's original features and creating an outdoor plaza with seating and landscaping.
The proposal includes a formal restaurant, a bistro and a public bar – each with its own entrance and open to city residents – and the refurbishment of the Sir Joseph Banks Conservatory.
Around 30 new jobs would be created.
Jonathan Roberts of John Roberts Architects said: "I'm surprised and disappointed this proposal wasn't accepted.
"In my opinion this was the best possible option for the future of the Lawn."
The open meeting, which takes place on Monday, September 3, at 6pm in the Charlotte House Hotel, is open to everyone and will consist of a presentation of Mr Pass's proposals and a question and answer session.
Comments
by Gnome_Chomsky
Thursday, August 09 2012, 9:40PM
“A "public bar ... open to city residents" - Well, that should appeal to tourists, or have I misread it?
Easily done. I was still gawping at the two superfluous commas in the first two sentences.”
by Saxilby_Mick
Thursday, August 09 2012, 12:20PM
“If the city council want to sell it, then why should public access be maintained?
What incentive is there for a private developer to submit plans if their vision is shackled to the past?”
by LeslieM
Thursday, August 09 2012, 11:30AM
“This is a difficult one as clearly the Lawn is very expensive to maintain and the City Council is probably doing what it can under the circumstances of very limited resources in the depths of a recession. It's a shame they can't get some external regional or national "heritage" funding for this historically significant building. A brilliant job has been done by the Council on the Grandstand so something similar would be good. The Council need to be very careful with this sale. Alarm bells are ringing for me when I see the words "Luxury," and "VIP".”
by TB78WHlNE
Thursday, August 09 2012, 9:12AM
“Well done, Labour voters. Your heroes are certainly doing a sterling job of running the city into the ground. Will the last person out of Lincoln please switch off the lights...”
by billybilboa
Thursday, August 09 2012, 8:41AM
“Well on the face of it from the developers point of view this sounds like a good idea, I look forward to seeing the plans to make my own mind up. It would be a much better use of it than the neglated state it is currently in. First and foremost though the full grounds have to remain accessible to the public and the Sir Joseph Banks conservatory has to be restored to its former glory. If this is acheived I don't feel we, the public, are losing out on anything. The site has been neglected by the council for many years now and it would be really nice to see it again shine as a public space!”