Hotel & Visitor Accommodation Futures
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ROTHER HOTEL & VISITOR ACCOMMODATION FUTURES Final Report Prepared for: Rother District Council November 2013 Rother Hotel & Visitor Accommodation Futures - Final Report CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................... i 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 1 1.1 Study Objectives and Uses ........................................................................................ 1 1.2 Scope of the Study ..................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Study Methodology .................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Structure of the Report ............................................................................................... 4 2. THE STRATEGIC, POLICY & MARKET FRAMEWORK ................ 5 2.1. National Planning Guidance .................................................................................... 5 2.2 Rother Visitor Accommodation Planning Policy ................................................. 10 2.3 Driving Growth - Other Policies, Strategies and Trends ...................................... 15 2.4 Prospects for Growth in Accommodation Demand in Rother ......................... 23 3. HOTELS .................................................................................. 24 3.1. Current Hotel Supply ................................................................................................. 24 3.2. Changes in Hotel Supply .......................................................................................... 26 3.3. Potential Hotel Development Sites ........................................................................ 27 3.4. Current Performance and Markets ........................................................................ 28 3.5 National Hotel Development Trends ..................................................................... 32 3.6. Hotel Developer Interest in Rother ......................................................................... 34 3.7. Hotel Development Opportunities in Rother ....................................................... 36 4. INNS & RESTAURANTS WITH ROOMS.................................... 39 4.1. Current Supply ........................................................................................................... 39 4.2. Current Performance and Markets ........................................................................ 42 4.3. Pub Accommodation Development Trends ....................................................... 44 4.4. Sector Development Potential in Rother .............................................................. 45 5. GUESTHOUSE AND B&B ACCOMMODATION ..................... 47 5.1. Current Supply ........................................................................................................... 47 5.2. Current Performance and Markets ........................................................................ 50 5.3. Sector and Comparator Destination Development Trends.............................. 54 5.4 Sector Development Potential in Rother .............................................................. 54 6. HOLIDAY COTTAGES, HOMES & FLATS ................................ 56 6.1. Current Supply ........................................................................................................... 56 6.2 Current Performance and Markets ........................................................................ 56 6.3 Sector Development Trends .................................................................................... 59 6.4. Sector Development Potential in Rother .............................................................. 62 7. HOLIDAY LODGES & HOLIDAY LODGE PARKS .................... 64 7.1 Current & Proposed Holiday Lodge/ Lodge Park Supply .................................. 64 7.2 Current Demand ....................................................................................................... 65 7.3. Sector Development Trends .................................................................................... 65 7.4 Sector Development Potential in Rother .............................................................. 70 8. HOLIDAY PARKS ................................................................... 71 8.1 Rother Holiday Park Supply ..................................................................................... 71 8.2. Current Performance & Markets ............................................................................ 74 8.3 Sector Development Trends .................................................................................... 75 8.4 Sector Development Potential in Rother .............................................................. 78 9. TOURING CARAVAN & CAMPING SITES ............................. 80 9.1 Rother Touring Caravan & Camping Provision ................................................... 80 9.2 Current Performance & Markets ............................................................................ 84 9.3 Sector Development Trends .................................................................................... 85 9.4 Sector Development Potential in Rother .............................................................. 89 Hotel Solutions November 2013 Rother Hotel & Visitor Accommodation Futures - Final Report 10. GLAMPING ........................................................................... 91 10.1. Current Supply in Rother .......................................................................................... 91 10.2. Current Performance ............................................................................................... 92 10.3. Sector Development Trends .................................................................................... 93 10.4. Sector Development Potential in Rother .............................................................. 96 11. GROUP AND YOUTH ACCOMMODATION .......................... 97 11.1 Current Supply and Demand ................................................................................. 97 11.2 Sector Development Potential in Rother .............................................................. 98 12. CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS ........................... 101 12.1 Identified Accommodation Development Potential ...................................... 101 12.2 Planning Policy & Process – Critique & Recommendations ........................... 110 12.3 Other Suggestions for Public Sector Intervention and Support ..................... 117 12.4 Concluding Thoughts ............................................................................................ 125 APPENDICES 1. Visitor Accommodation Businesses Interviewed 2. Extract from Good Practice Guide to Planning for Tourism – Tourist Accommodation 3. Extract from Practice Guidance on Planning for Town Centres – Hotels Lynn Thomason Andrew Keeling Hotel Solutions Hotel Solutions Deleanor House Mill Field House High Street Mill Fields Coleby Bassingham Lincoln Lincoln LN5 0AG LN5 9NP t. 01522 811255 t. 01522 789702 e. [email protected] e. [email protected] Hotel Solutions November 2013 Rother Hotel & Visitor Accommodation Futures - Final Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY __________________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Background The Rother Hotel & Visitor Accommodation Futures Study has been commissioned by Rother District Council to provide an up-to-date, objective, evidence-based assessment of the opportunities and requirements for the future development of all forms of hotel and visitor accommodation across Rother District. The findings are to be used to provide a demand side analysis to inform planning policy development and development management decision-making, and to support future inward investment and business support activities. 2. Changes in Rother Visitor Accommodation Supply Since 2009, Rother has seen a gradual increase in the supply of all forms of visitor accommodation, as well as a gradual improvement in quality. This has been achieved through both investment in the up-grading and expansion of existing accommodation operations and the development of a number of new high quality visitor accommodation businesses. There has been only limited loss of visitor accommodation to other uses over this period. The supply remains predominantly small in scale and owned and operated by independents, other than in the holiday park and holiday lodge park sectors, in which Rother has a number of national branded operators represented. The District has seen some innovative product development in the past 4 years, most notably in terms of glamping offers, high quality lodges and boutique inns. 3. Market Demand for Visitor Accommodation in Rother The market for visitor accommodation in Rother remains very much leisure-dominated, weekend focused and seasonal. There is very strong demand in the peak summer months and at weekends throughout the year for all types of visitor accommodation, with spare capacity during weekdays and out of season. Generally speaking, higher quality visitor accommodation operations are achieving higher occupancies and rates. The period since 2009 has seen some gradual strengthening of the market for most forms of visitor accommodation in Rother, reflecting both the ‘staycation’ trend and the improvement in the quality and range of supply. London, the South East and near European