AN ICONIC Southampton building which has fallen into disuse could be about to get a new lease of life.

Plans have been lodged by a mystery developer to turn the building, in Town Quay, into a new eight-bedroom hotel.

If proposals are given the green-light by civic chiefs, it will be the first time the grade-II listed building, on Bugle Street, has been used for “several years”.

This Italian style building was built in 1846 as the home of the Royal Southern Yacht Club.

It was designed by local architect Thomas Sandon Hack and paid for by Robert Wright, a Vice-Commodore of the Club.

The building, located opposite Royal Pier, was most recently used as offices by Southampton University Air Squadron (SUAS).

However it has been empty since the group left in 2013.

Although the building is said to be in a “fair state of repair”, much of the paint work on the outside of the building has deteriorated.

Bargate councillor, Sarah Bogle, said: “I’d be pleased if this does go ahead.

“It’s such an iconic landmark building for the city and it’s a building with lots of history.

“But it’s been lost in time because it’s been empty for so long.”

Previous plans to convert the historic building into flats were approved back in November 2014.

According to councillor Bogle, those proposals did not come to fruition.

However, the Labour councillor said that the new plans could be better for the city.

She said: “I think with the flats it would have been a bit of a missed opportunity.

“I think I prefer the flat plans the hotel plan because it would be more open to the public.”

The plan states that the hotel will make use of the existing building, while maintaining its original features.

Changes include restoring the original steps to the building’s garden doors, while the exterior walls will be patched and repainted to make the building “more appealing”.

Inside, the developer plans to make “very few external changes”, apart from partitioning off the various rooms to form separate bedrooms.

Alongside bedrooms, the hotel will have several function rooms, a kitchen, a dinning room and a bar.]

In the plans, it states: “This will provide much needed hotel accommodation in a highly accessible area of the city centre.

“The listed building will be externally improved which will enhance and preserve the character of the Conservation Area.

“The internal alterations will preserve the architectural integrity of the building. “

The Echo attempted to contact the developer, who is not listed on the application, through the registered planning agent.

In 2015, neighbouring grade-I listed building, the Wool House, was re-opened as the Dancing Man Brewery.