Five-star hotel with roof top bar set to open

A Grade-II listed building is set to be converted into a five-star hotel with a roof top bar.

Plans for the former Cathedral Hotel in Salisbury, Wiltshire, include 13 rooms, an al-fresco restaurant and a recreation of a historic façade on Milford Street.

The "run-down" building, which has been vacant since 2022, is due to reopen in 2027.

Brian Currie, owner of the site, said: "The hotel will be a unique destination which will make a major contribution to the tourism sector and the economic future of the city."

It is the first proposal to be approved amid the city's Skyline Policy, which limits the construction of new developments higher than 40ft (12.2m).

The building already stands at 53ft (16.1m), but will be 3ft (0.9m) shorter after the redevelopment.

The Spitfire Sky Bar, which is inspired by Mr Currie's parents who met in the city while making components for the fighter during World War Two, will offer panoramic views of landmarks across the city.

Adam Bennett, the planning director representing Mr Currie, said the development would be "transformative" for the city.

"It will not only bring back into use a vacant and run-down Grade-II listed building, but deliver for local people and visitors to Salisbury alike the chance to see and experience this historic city in an entirely new way, from a roof top perspective, and better reveal its numerous heritage assets," he added.

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