Wolverhampton hotel restaurant to be demolished for expansion

City of Wolverhampton Council has approved plans by budget hotel chain Premier Inn to demolish the former Bluebrick at its Wolverhampton city centre hotel and replace it with a new restaurant and 23 extra rooms.

The five-storey hotel in Broad Gauge Way sits next to Wolverhampton railway station and the neighbouring listed former Low Level station – now a banqueting hall and wedding venue.

The three-storey hotel extension would include a 94-cover restaurant and bar and would increase the number of rooms from 109 to 132.

The Bluebrick was one of the few if not the only venue accommodating away supporters for Wolverhampton Wanderers games before it closed last July.

The pub and restaurant was one of 100 venues next to Premier Inn hotels shut down by hospitality firm Whitbread last year as part of closures and planned conversions into extra hotel rooms.

A statement included with the application said: “Premier Inn has identified a considerable demand for additional budget hotel accommodation in this location. It is also acting to reconfigure its offerings to ensure it best fits customers’ needs.

“This proposal for additional bedrooms and an adjusted guest amenities proposition will meet Premier Inn’s operational requirements and address the identified demand for its offer.

“The block will be acceptable in terms of location, scale, and design, and the changes will not negatively impact amenity.

“This reconfiguration of the site will secure its economic future and support the local economy by ensuring the best use of available land to ensure the site will continue to flourish into the future.

“This re-purposing ensures the long-term use and viability of the site, which is a significant and direct benefit to the delivery of the council’s economic strategy.”

An 81-bed hotel was approved on the site in 2006 and a five-storey extension with 20 new rooms was backed by the council in 2015.