A CLEVEDON hotel will be turned into apartments after plans were approved by North Somerset Council.

The owners of the struggling Highcliffe Hotel in Wellington Terrace applied to covert the cliff-top building into luxury apartments due to the fact the hotel is in need of major investment to remodel it both inside and outside.

However, this would not be financially viable at a time when there has been a large growth in budget chain hotels opening in North Somerset.

At a meeting of North Somerset Council’s north area planning committee on Thursday, members voted to approve the plans subject to a legal agreement being reached with the authority.

The scheme, which was devised by the hotel owners Helen and David Daniels after previous attempts to sell the building failed, will see a modern, full-height extension created between the two existing Victorian villas.

This will allow for 14 two-bedroom apartments to be created with large dining and living spaces.

There will be 15 car parking spaces and for those apartments which will not have garden access, balconies will be created.

In their analysis of the proposals, council planning officers said: “The proposed demolition of the link, which connects the two semi-detached villas, and the construction of the second and third floor infill above, provides an appropriately detailed scheme which will sit comfortably between the two existing parts of the hotel building to provide good-sized residential apartments, all of which will benefit from sea views.”