Plan to upgrade The Standing Order pub in the High Street

JD Wetherspoon has submitted an application to make a raft of improvements to The Standing Order, a former bank in the High Street.

The upper floors of the large, four-storey building have been vacant for several years.

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As reported in the Daily Echo, Wetherspoon is selling 32 sites across the country, including The Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis on Canute's Pavilion.

Wetherspoons founder Tim Martin pictured during a visit to The Standing Order pub in Southampton (Image: Newsquest.)

But the company is seeking consent to upgrade The Standing Order by converting the first floor into extra floorspace and providing bedrooms on the second and third storeys.

The scheme also includes a beer garden at first-floor level and a new glass roof enclosing a light well on the south side of the building.

Similar proposals have been approved in the past but the work was never carried out.

The Standing Order pub in Southampton High Street (Image: Newsquest.)

A planning statement submitted to the council says: "The main focus of this application is the proposed conversion of the second and third floors of the building to hotel bedrooms to be operated in conjunction with the public house.

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"The South Hampshire Hotel Futures Study (2010) identified opportunities for significant new hotel development in the city centre.

"It reported that in 2010 the city centre had 19 hotels with a total of 1,462 rooms. Although there have been proposals for new hotels, relatively few have opened in the last five years.

"The study projected that 14 new hotels and 1,340 new rooms were required to 2031."

Another Southampton Wetherspoons The Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis, is being sold off. (Image: Newsquest.)

The statement says proposed alterations to the back of the building will improve an "unsightly" extension as well as enhancing the bin storage area.

"Furthermore, the introduction of a roof terrace is acceptable given the context. However, hours of use controls are recommended (8am-10pm) to prevent unreasonable noise disturbance.

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"External seating areas have become particularly critical to the viability of the hospitality sector over the past few years with intermittent Covid-19 restrictions reducing indoor capacity, and a preference by many to remain in an outdoor setting."

Sign up to our weekly What's On newsletter to find out all the events taking place in Southampton by clicking on the picture above (Image: Newsquest)

The statement says the scheme will support the continued viability of the pub, making a positive contribution to the economic growth of the city centre."

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