A 42-bed hotel on the outskirts of Wisbech could be converted into flats, if the scheme is approved by planners.  

Elme Hall Hotel, in Emneth, has been closed since March 2020 and the location was previously considered by the Home Office to accommodate asylum seekers.  

But now its new owner, who bought the property last year when it was listed at a guide price of £1.9m, wants to redevelop the site into residential accommodation.  

The application form submitted to West Norfolk Planners outlines a scheme where the hotel and its ballroom will be converted into 20 flats.  

It says there will be five one-bedroom units and 15 two-bedroom units. The 2.9-acre site also comes with 40 car parking places.  

However the planning statement submitted alongside the application outlines a scheme of 24 flats. 

This document explains how the original building was built in the 1980s and was later extended to include the ballroom.  

A motel block was added to the front of the site in 2010 and approval was more recently granted to convert this into housing of multiple occupation (HMO).  

The planning statement, prepared by Inspire Architectural based in Emneth, says: “Since the last application (approved 2022) the client has completed his purchase of the whole site from the previous owners.  

“They have progressed the conversion of the motel block and are successfully renting out a large number of the spaces.  

“Throughout this whole time, the main building has remained a hotel and remained on the market as such.  

“Thus meaning that it has been marketed for over three years, since early 2021.

“It was hoped that by removing the less sought after ‘motel style’ accommodation that it would make the hotel more desirable but this has not been the case and there has been no interest.  

“With the main building showing serious signs of decay and becoming an unsightly proposition upon the entry to Wisbech, coupled with the success of his motel conversion, the client has decided to act.  

“This application therefore seeks approval to convert the hotel to 24 residential units.” 

West Norfolk Planners validated the planning application on June 18, 2024.  

The applicant is Mr D Conetta. 

In December 2022, before Elme Hall Hotel was purchased by its current owners, Fenland District Council revealed it was being considered by the Home Office to house asylum seekers as part of the contingency accommodation scheme.  

At the time, the Rose and Crown, in the Market Place, was already accommodating asylum seekers and the council welcomed the decision to not use a second Wisbech hotel.