A planning application for a 96-room hotel complex in central Yeovil has been withdrawn.
The ambitious six-storey project also included a rooftop restaurant, conference rooms, a coffee shop, leisure facilities and parking spaces at ground floor and basement levels.
Applicant Landrecy Group wishes to build the hotel on land adjoining 42 and 43 South Street but withdrew the application before it was due to go through the first phase of the planning process (Yeovil Town Council) this week.
The address given is on the north side of South Street opposite the bingo club and former box factory site.
The Clarion has been unable to contact the applicant, but it is believed a modified application will be submitted at a later stage since the odds were stacked against the proposal, with planning officers recommending refusal for a number of reasons.
The conservation architect, for example, had grave reservations about design, and said in a report that illustrative proposals resulted "in a building with an extremely poor contextual response, poorly related to neighbouring buildings on either side of the site and a severe lack of any components to integrate the design with its context at any level".
On the other hand, the idea of a hotel in central Yeovil has gone down well with large parts of the community. The local tourism manager is supportive and a petition organised by the applicant produced 44 signatories and 52 letters in support.
The planning department, though, received four letters of objection from people/organisations worried about the loss of parking spaces.
In summing up, planning officers said: "The proposals would be contrary to planning guidance and policies identified, and should be refused permission."