Historic Royal Clarence Hotel in Exeter set to be turned into luxury apartments after fire

The iconic Grade II listed building, which dates back to 1769, was ruined by a blaze in October 2016 Credit: Viewer's footage

Exeter’s historic Royal Clarence Hotel looks set to be restored and turned into luxury flats - six years after being destroyed in a fire.

Exeter City Council’s planning committee will consider a planning application for the apartments at a meeting on Monday 10 October.

The authority's planning officers are recommending they be approved, saying the plans would "revitalise" the area.

The iconic Grade II listed building, which dates back to 1769 and overlooks Exeter Cathedral, was ruined by a fire in October 2016. It started in neighbouring buildings and spread to the hotel.

A previous plan to build a 74-bedroom hotel on the site fell through. It was then sold to Southwest Lifestyle Brands Ltd, a company run by former Plymouth Argyle owner James Brent.

His firm revealed a £17million scheme to restore the front of the building to “its former glory” and build 23 luxury apartments, a restaurant and a bar on the site.

The apartments will be spread over five floors. A restaurant and pub, as part of the reconstructed Well House Tavern Pub, will be on the ground floor.

The development will contain 15 two-bed apartments and eight three-bed apartments, with an entrance to the front of the building from Cathedral Yard.

According to the planning report, it has been designed to “retain and showcase as many historical features of the remaining building fabric as possible".

It adds: “This includes the remaining facade facing Cathedral Green, the majority of the facade facing Martin’s Lane and the central spine walls, except where minor removals are necessary to facilitate window openings/circulation.”

It says the building will be reconstructed to closely match the look of the former hotel and include the "Royal Clarence lettering, crests and ironwork."

The plans are set to restore the building and create luxury apartments Credit: Planning Documents/KTA Architects

The report says: “The public benefits of the scheme are considered to outweigh the harm of the partial demolition works of some of the listed buildings on the site, including the demolition of the remains of 6 Martin’s Lane.

“These works are necessary to deliver the scheme and because some parts of the building have become unsalvageable following weather exposure since the 2016 fire.”

Credit: Ollie Heptinstall, Local Democracy Reporting Service