Plans To Convert Edwardian Department Store To Spa Hotel

Plans to convert a prominent historic former department store, which operated for more than a century in the seaside town of Tenby, to a spa hotel and restaurant have been submitted.

Will Crockford, of Bassett Crockford Holdings Ltd, in an application submitted to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park through agent Gerald Blain Associates Limited, is seeking a change of the former TP Hughes department store on the town’s High Street to a 17-bed spa hotel, restaurant and cafe/bar, along with associated extensions and alterations.

The property has two buildings sitting either side of St Nicholas’s Lane with retail frontages on both the town’s Upper Frog Street and High Street, linked by a first-floor Edwardian bridge which stretches over St Nicholas’s Lane.

The property was occupied by the well-known TP Hughes department store from 1902 to 2017, the TP Hughes name still visible in a mosaic step on Upper Frog Street and a stained glass window on the bridge.

It is sited within the Grade-I-listed medieval defensive town walls of Tenby, a designated scheduled ancient monument.

The site, more recently occupied by clothing retailer M&Co before its closure was announced last year, is also in the town’s conservation area, next to three listed buildings.

A supporting statement submitted through Gerald Blain Associates Limited said: “The proposed scheme would remodel the interior of the building to create a 17-bedroom spa hotel, café/ bar and restaurant. The internal remodelling would include the repositioning of the staircases, lifts and partitions.”

It adds: “Existing external features of architectural quality such as the sash windows, bridge, former shop frontages would be restored and repaired as necessary. The bridge includes several notable features include a dome, metal railings and stained-glass windows, all of which would be retained and restored.  New solar panels, heating and air conditioning systems would be installed on the roofs to improve the energy efficiency of the building.”

Giving reasons for the applied-for change of use, it says: “The closure of two retailers at the property in the last 10 years serves as evidence of this change in the high street. Also, the applicant is aware that several retailers have closed on Upper Frog Street in recent times,” adding that a change of use for a nearby business, the former Clarices toy shop, has been approved.

It says a pre-application enquiry “did explore the potential for a small aspect of retail on the ground floor,” but says it is now viewed as unviable.

The scheme will be considered by park planners at a later date.