Durham cricket club pushes on with £28m hotel
Promoted in 2023, the county is looking to improve the Riverside ground in Chester-le-Street with the addition of a 152-bedroom hotel, designed by Howarth Litchfield.
DPP Planning has filed the plans on behalf of Durham, which after a troubled financial period is now on the up again, being promoted to Division One for the coming season.
Also on the professional team is Hydrock, providing geo-environmental, civil and structural, MEP and BREEAM consultancy advice.
The proposed development is 76,783 sq ft, and along with the hotel accommodation includes tiered seating for 983 spectators.
Undercroft parking to the rear is proposed for around 80 cars.
According to DPP’s planning statement, around half the hotel rooms would overlook the pitch, giving the hotel a similar feel to the Hilton Garden Inn at Old Trafford, the extension of which forms part of Lancashire CCC’s latest upgrade.
Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl also has a hotel on-site, and it was these two grounds that accommodated all England matches in the Covid-hit summer of 2020.
At the Riverside, the bar-lounge, function rooms and restaurant would all also overlook the playing surface.
Having had a strong initial push in hosting international cricket, Durham has been somewhat out in the cold in recent years, but is making strides in addressing that.
DPP said: “The proposed hotel will provide a landmark building and signature gateway to the cricket ground.
“The scheme will enable Durham County Cricket Club to compete directly with other major venues around the UK, where branded stadium hotels are already underpinning and enhancing the sporting, leisure and business offers available.”
The planning consultant added that studies by both Colliers and Knight Frank have shown that there is demand for a mid-market hotel in the area. The cricket in and of itself would be a reliable source in summer: most visiting teams stay on-site at Old Trafford.
Consultation documents are now available to view online. The full planning application is on Durham County Council’s planning portal with the reference DM/24/00316/FPA.
DPP is the planner, Howarth Litchfield the architect. Credit: planning documents
