While I was first living in Carlisle I followed the saga of the Central Plaza Hotel which was apparently named as one of the most important Victorian buildings in the UK. And there was some excitement this week when it was announced that the site would become the city’s fifth Premier Inn.

Apparently it was allowed to fall into disrepair and was eventually demolished in 2020 after I moved to the Highlands of Scotland.

And apparently, under law, the property was not owned by anyone so it passed to the Crown Estate, but legally speaking the body did not own the former hotel in a conventional sense, and it was instead in a state of legal limbo called escheat.

So the building fell into a state of disrepair, with Carlisle City Council only able to carry out necessary works to keep it safe.

This involved closing down Victoria Viaduct in 2018 for two months to carry out emergency work – a glimpse of what was to come the following year.

In October 2019, the building was for a final time declared unsafe. Apparently the expert engineering opinion concluded that the only way to make it safe was to tear it down.

And so demolition works began the following month, and by the beginning of March it had been fully completed. And, when I was back in Carlisle looking for somewhere to live, I had to do a double take when I realised the hotel was no longer there.

Now, the council is looking towards what the now empty site could become. It is weighing up the £9.1 million grant awarded this week from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund for regeneration projects on the city’s high streets – and part of those plans involve resurrecting the former Central Plaza as a brand new hotel when Premier Inn hotel expressed an interest.

Cumberland Council has announced that an investor has been secured for the former Central Plaza site in Carlisle. Whitbread PLC, the parent company of the Premier Inn hotel chain, has agreed terms to acquire the site from the council which will see the land redeveloped into the latest generation Premier Inn hotel. 

The former Central Plaza site has been effectively ownerless for several years and has been subject to escheat by The Crown Estate. Carlisle City Council demolished and cleared the hotel that stood on the site during 2020 after it became structurally unsafe.

Cumberland Council has been in dialogue with the Crown’s advisors to acquire the site and enable the redevelopment of this important and prominent site. To further support the redevelopment of the land, the council has used an allocation from its UK Government Future High Streets Fund programme to undertake a series of enabling works, including repairs to the gable wall of the Green Room Theatre, located on West Walls.

Working with property consultant CBRE, the council sought proposals to redevelop the prime site in Carlisle’s city centre. Whitbread was selected as the preferred developer due to the company’s position as the UK’s leading hotel operator and the strength of its proposal for the regeneration of the site.

The company intends to lead the construction of the new hotel, subject to planning permission from Cumberland Council, and own and operate the completed hotel.

Leader of Cumberland Council, councillor Mark Fryer, said: “I am delighted that an investor has been secured for the site. It is another important step forward for the regeneration for Carlisle city centre.

“Work is already underway on city centre transformation schemes and the Citadels Railway Station redevelopment, with plans also in place for the University of Cumbria site too. All will bring transformational change to the city.” 

Whitbread acquisition manager, Jill Anderson, said: “We’re excited to bring Premier Inn to the heart of Carlisle, providing high-quality, affordable hotel accommodation in a prime and accessible location.

“This development underscores our commitment to expanding Premier Inn across the north of England, supporting local economies, and creating lasting employment opportunities. We’re proud to be investing in Carlisle’s future and bringing this important city centre site back into long-term use.”

Whitbread intends to submit a planning application for the new hotel this summer and it is targeting an opening date before the end of 2028.

The site is in the wider area is in a part of Carlisle known as English Damside so it seemed obvious to get some shots from the area.