Plans for a major redevelopment of a King's Lynn timber yard could see more than 100 new homes and a hotel built in the town centre.

Plans for a major redevelopment of a King's Lynn timber yard could see more than 100 new homes and a hotel come to the town centre.

The proposed scheme would see the Pattrick and Thompsons timber yard on Page Stair Lane transformed into flats, townhouses and maisonettes along with a four-storey hotel, cafe and retail unit.

'The dockland/river frontage area is and has further future development potential to become a significant public amenity space within the surroundings of the town centre,' says the application submitted by Walker Commerical Properties of West Lothian, Scotland.

The 3.3-acre site would accommodate 93 flats for private sale, 19 for social housing and six townhouses for sale with three or four bedrooms.

'It is important to emphasise that the proposed development density is essential due to the poor ground conditions and flooding issues and the associated costs. A lower density proposal would make the site unviable and unmarketable. The consequence will be an undeveloped and blighted town centre site,' says the planning statement submitted with the application.

The planned 60-bed hotel will include a restaurant and bar with retail space on the ground floor level.

Pattrick and Thompson dates back to 1865 and the business was acquired in 1985 by the James Walker Leith Group. The site has historically been used to manufacture matting and has been a saw mill and malthouse before becoming a timber yard.

'The property is no longer fit for purpose as a timber yard, given the limitations for industrial use in a town centre location, and the business is being relocated to a dedicated engineering facility in Wisbech,' says the statement.

The development would also have a 'quality green space' and hard landscaped areas to 'help create a sense of place and ownership'.

Parking for the new homes would be limited to one space for each flat, two for the town houses, which will have their own garages and driveways, while visitors would share residents' bays.

The hotel would have no dedicated on-site parking of its own – except for bikes.

Drop-off spaces are likely to be available in Page Stair Lane for the hotel, office and cafe entrance.

The site is adjacent to the Associated British Port (ABP) docks and the development would allow for continued use of the Alexandria Dock.

The issue of potential noise from the industrial nature of the docks should not present a problem, says a separate design and access statement submitted with the application. There have been no complaints to West Norfolk Council's environmental health department and ABP is not aware of any problems, it says.

The fact that the site is close to the town centre, has good public transport links and would redevelop a current brownfield use, are all cited as reasons why it would be of benefit to the area.

'No other sites in the town centre are more appropriate or available for this type of development. Page Stair Lane is an industrial, brownfield site adjacent to an existing residential development at Trinity Quay,' says the application.

The development will incorporate a number of green measures, including low-energy heating.

A number of groups have been consulted about the plans, including English Heritage.