SIX houses are set to be created on the site of a former west Cumbrian hotel.

The Grove Court Hotel in Cleator is currently being demolished and a planning application has now been lodged for the site to be redeveloped with houses in its place.

The hotel stopped trading and was later put on the market after a kitchen fire in August 2019, which caused extensive smoke damage.

Planning approval was granted in July 2022 for the hotel to be demolished with indicative proposals to redevelop the site for housing.

Marketing of the hotel had continued however it failed to sell and demolition has now started.

A planning statement submitted with the plans, put forward by Colin Benn, of Lakeland Business Park in Cockermouth, say: “The former hotel occupies a generous site with a good outlook to the south and west.

“Just off-site, there are three detached bungalows with a further plot of land approved for a fourth bungalow which are all retained.

“There is also an annex building which is retained but previously approved for conversion to a residential property.

“The proposal is to seek outline planning approval to allow the site to be redeveloped for residential development of six houses plus the conversion of the annex.”

The proposed design of the houses “will reflect that of the recent completed developments in the village". Access to the site will be from the A5086.

The former Grove Court Hotel building was originally used as a Roman Catholic Infant school in the early 20th Century.

A previous application was put forward in December 2020 for the hotel to be redeveloped into supported living units to accommodate people with learning disabilities, but the plans fell through.