Plan to rebuild hotel and add apartments rejected

A CONTROVERSIAL plan to rebuild an Exmouth hotel has been rejected at appeal because of the 'significant and demonstrable harm' it would cause.

- by BRADLEY GERRARD

Applicant Azim Lalani wanted to demolish the Devoncourt Hotel and replace it with a 65-bed alternative, and also build four apartment blocks with a combined 66 homes.

One of the blocks would have been for 15 affordable properties, with some being rented or for shared ownership.

The scheme was rejected by East Devon District Council's planning committee in May 2024, but the developer lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate earlier this year.

The strength of feeling against the proposal was fuelled at the time by the building being generally considered as the town’s finest hotel before it became timeshare accommodation under 25-year leases in the 1980s.

Now the planning inspector has backed the council's position, rejecting the appeal.