A SCHEDULE of planned renovations and work to continue the efforts to bring one of Launceston’s much-loved venues has reached its next phase as it bids to bring the hotel rooms fully back into use.

The owners of the White Hart Hotel in Launceston are seeking to undertake a program of works to address the fire safety issues with the hotel rooms that saw it slapped with a prohibition order under its previous owners in 2019.

It meant that the hotel rooms could not be used until the hotel had sufficient fire detection and an alarm system – with the current owners commissioning a new system and applying to Cornwall Council for the necessary consent for the works necessary to make it compliant with the requirements of Cornwall Fire Service.

The primary objective of the works is to improve the means of the escape from the guest rooms. At present there are 31 existing hotel rooms and after the works are completed there will be an additional room created, meaning a total of 32 guest rooms.

If consent is given for the works, it is believed that the internal layout of the building will be revised to provide safe means of escape from the guest rooms in the event of an emergency.

The only impact to the landscaping of the building will be a new metal post and ail fence in the car park and there will also be some new windows proposed at the rear to replace ones which are at the end of their service life.

Details of the proposed works have been confirmed by KZSS Ltd, which owns the venue. Their planning agent told Cornwall Council: “The works comprise upgrades to walls and doors of hotel rooms and improvements to exits to create protected fire escape routes for residents.

“Other than the installation of fire alarms, no works are proposed to the basements. A new flight of stairs between ground and first floor is proposed to replace an existing steep flight to provide a safe means of escape for residents.

“Two new openings are proposed on the ground floor, one new opening on the first floor, none on the second floor and four new openings to suit reconfigured room arrangements on the third floor.

“New openings are generally limited to existing stud walls but one new opening on the ground floor is through a masonry wall, beside the new flight of stairs.”

The planning agent’s analysis on the historic impact of the works on the building stated: “The proposals will impact minimal historic fabric less than substantially however, the intervention is essential to enable this historic hotel to continue functioning under strict legislation on fire protection.

“The improved means of escape from the guest bedrooms must be undertaken for the business to continue under today’s regulations – the continuing of this historic use in the town is what is significant in this issue.

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“In my view, the less than substantial harm to a small amount of historic fabric is outweighed by the benefits of the proposal described.”