Plans for a 177-room hotel at Kingsmead House have been approved.

Councils voted seven to three to go ahead with the plans at a meeting of Bath and North East Somerset Council’s development control committee yesterday.

The application from Telereal Trilium will see the demolition of the office block and a hotel with conference facilities built.

Councillors in favour of the proposal felt that using the building for office space was not suitable, and that the city needed more conference facilities.

Councillor Les Kew (Con, High Littleton) said: “I think this is an excellent application.

“The need for a hotel with conference facilities in the city is great. The conference centre really does make me want to support it.

“It will be a quality hotel with room for a conference centre, which is something that Bath needs.”

Councillor Liz Hardman (Lab, Paulton) said: “Bath is a tourist city, but we are told it has less accommodation than other cities.

“I feel that we do need more accommodation.

“I think we should go ahead, if we don’t we will be left with an area that has been demolished and nothing is being built there.”

The application was opposed by the Bath Independent Guest House Association, and the Bath Federation of Residents Associations, who are concerned at the impact of a series of planned hotels on the city.

Federation of Bath Residents’ Associations spokesman Robin Kerr said the Kingsmead House hotel development was not needed.

He said: “We already have a 190-room hotel at Green Park House approved, and it looks likely that Premier Inn will go ahead.

“We do not need this large hotel as well.

“Bath needs quality office space the help the economy grow, and the building would be better used for this.

“I am also concerned about the lack of parking and the congestion and impact on the community.

The application was approved subject to conditions including that the work should begin before the expiration of three years, that materials used for the building should be approved, and that no deliveries should arrive or be dispatched outside the hours of 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday, and 8am and 1pm on Saturdays.