Hall's conversion plans include hotel rooms

Another hotel could open in Lincoln city centre if council planners give the go-ahead.

Oddfellows Hall in Unity Square, off Broadgate in Lincoln will be converted to a 23 bedroom hotel if blueprints are approved.

The unlisted building, which was originally built in 1878 as a private members' club, was last used as student accommodation run by national firm ClubEasy.

The use as a 40 bedroom hostel for students was terminated in 2007 and it has been disused since then.

Now the company has submitted plans to the City of Lincoln Council to put in new windows and create 23 hotel rooms.

Architect Andrew Wilding, who runs Nocton-based City Designs, says in plans: "Being just off Broadgate it would be an easy place to find for visitors to the city."

Mr Wilding thinks the city centre location makes a hotel the ideal development to put on the site.

In documents he says: "This would be a fine place to spend a few days instead of one of the rather ordinary modern hotels that are dotted around the edge of the city."

But Mark Knell, who owns Hillcrest Hotel in Lindum Terrace, Lincoln, thinks it would be a bad idea for the council to grant permission for the development.

"It would be bad news for us," he said. "During the recession it's very difficult.

"It really depends what kind of hotel they want to put there. The three-star hotel market is really saturated at the moment."

A consultation period is now underway for local people and hoteliers to have their say on the plans.

This will end on Thursday, July 30 and the authority hopes to make a decision on the plans by Wednesday, September 30.

For more on the plans, see Saturday's Echo.