New hotel to be built at Gosport marina

British marina operator boatfolk is to build a new 13-bedroom hotel at Gosport’s Haslar Marina, near the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour on Britain’s south coast.

The firm, which runs 11 marinas across the country, including Haslar, says the new hotel will promote the flexibility and sustainability of the marina’s business.

The application, which comprises three buildings to the west of Haslar Road, has an overall floorspace of 574sqm.

During a meeting on 7 December, Gosport Borough Council’s regulatory board granted planning permission for the development, which must now start within three years.

In a covering letter, boatfolk says: “The proposed hotel rooms provide land-based accommodation that promotes the flexibility and sustainability of the marina business at the Haslar Marina site.

“The proposal, along with other improvements at the marina, will improve its economic sustainability through the provision of new employment and economic development and an enhancement to the wider offer the marina provides for the town in terms of tourism and leisure.

“The proposals will have no harmful impact on the amenities of existing nearby residents, by loss of landscape or privacy, overbearing or overshadowing. The traffic generation associated would be low and would have no detrimental impact on the amenities of the occupiers within the marina or nearby residential properties.

“A successful modern marina needs not only high-quality berthing but a range of high-quality services and facilities including boat repairs, boat sales, a food and beverage offering and chandlery.”

The proposal met with one letter of objection, which raised concerns about increased noise, traffic and a loss of privacy for nearby residents.

In its summary comments when granting that the development goes ahead, Gosport Borough Council highlighted the contribution that the marina makes to local employment, with a cluster of marine-related businesses currently occupying the site.

Last year, MIN reported that boatfolk had invested £3.5 million in a development plan to improve Haslar Marina.