ALTERED plans for a Bradford hotel, wedding and events venue have been lodged after initial proposals for a major extension were refused by the Council.

In the first application, Holiday Inn said it would pull the franchise from its hotel in Tong Lane, Tong, if the plans for two new extensions and a marquee were not improved.

Bradford Council rejected the application due to it involving building in the green belt, the detrimental effect it would have on neighbouring properties, and because the development would be a “significant intensification of use of the site”.

An extension to the reception area, an pavilion-style orangery extension, and a marquee to cater for up to 500 guests were all seen as crucial to a franchise-wide concept to upgrade all Holiday Inns.

A new application - which does not include the marquee - has now been lodged with planners.

In refusing the plans, the Council said: “The marquee is considered to represent a threat to the amenities of nearby residential properties by reason of noise and disturbance, particularly from late-night events.”

If approved, the revised plans would see a new orangery and reception extension built at the hotel.

The design and access statement says: "The Holiday Inn is an international hotel chain, with a phenomenal reputation for consistent quality.

"The Bradford Holiday Inn, operating as a franchise is currently doing a full refurbishment as a part of its business strategy.

"In order to succeed with it, further extensions to the building are required.

"A large investment of money will be made in order to promote the success of the business, which will be reflected in the community."

Millionaire hotel tycoon Anish Bir, who owns hotels in the Midlands and in India, bought the hotel back in 2017.

The design and access statement states: "The new owner is determined to develop and grow the business and reinforce Bradford’s reputation as a welcoming city for inward investment and entrepreneurial activity."

It sets out three phases to plans to transform the building.

The first phase, which is currently underway, is to refurbish the banqueting suite and convert meeting rooms to bedrooms.

The second is to add an orangery extension and the third is to upgrade the lobby area and bedrooms to the latest Holiday Inn brand standards.

The application reiterates that all hotels must be upgraded to the new layouts before the end of 2019 and that "failure to do this will result in the withdrawal of the Holiday Inn brand".

It adds: It can be seen that the overall proposals for the Holiday Inn Bradford will improve the guest experience, increase employment and improve efficiency.

"As with all interventions on historic buildings, the principle of legibility has been

applied to the proposals to ensure the new additions are complementary to the existing facility.

"In line with the aims of the new Bradford Economic Strategy, this acquisition and proposed development by The Bir Hotel Group represents to strong vote of confidence in Bradford and the local area."

It says Mr Bir is "keen to make this hotel a success for Bradford" and: "The design and implementation is a very high quality intervention into the site and will lead to a secure future for the staff, guests and wider community."