Southend Council has issued a decision on plans to transform a boarded up former hotel into an 18 bedroom house of multiple occupancy.

Change of use plans were unveiled last month for the former Anchor Hotel in Westcliff, which was also previously known as the Branch Hotel, to be converted to provide 18 bedrooms.

Of those 11 would have ensuites with the building in Cobham Road also having three shared bathrooms, two shared kitchens and dining and living areas.

A planning document had stated the proposed development would "optimise" the use of the site by creating a "good environment" for the future tenants. 

It added: "The conversion will not compromise the appearence of the street scene, as no changes to the original property elevations are proposed."

However, last week Southend Council refused the plans to change the former hotel into an 18-bed HMO, finding the proposal to be "harmful" due to its location in a key area for visitor accomodation.

Delivering the decision, Kevin Waters, director of planning, explained: "The application does not demonstrate that the established use as a hotel is not feasible or viable. 

"The site is located within a key area for visitor accommodation and on this basis the proposal is found to be harmful to the provision of visitor accommodation within the city."

The council also said the development would provide poor living conditions for future occupiers, due to daylight and outlook conditions in one room and overlooking received in another. 

The decision statement added: "The application has also not demonstrated that satisfactory living conditions can be achieved for the second-floor rooms in terms of the provision of light and outlook and sufficient floorspace with a usable head height."