WORK on a 1 1/4m, hotel development of more than 200 bedrooms could begin at Cogan Pill. Penarth, as early as next March if the plans are given the go-ahead by Glamorgan County Council.

Penarth Council on Monday gave their support to the planning application to develop a complex of 200 to 240 bedrooms in two tower blocks, around the existing Elizabethan Hotel.

The plans also provide for the existing access to be retained onto Cogan Pill roundabout, and for a new access to be created off Cogan Hill.

Members of the Council were told that the scheme has been given international provisional approval for the grant and loan by the Welsh Tourist Board – but work must start by March 1971 to qualify for aid.

Cllr Harold Green, chairman of the Penarth Development Committee, welcomed the news and said the provision of Hotel facilities for Penarth was a project with which his committee was much concerned.

The scheme, proposed by Cogan Pill House Ltd, also includes provision of a two-storey restaurant and ballroom, with parking space for more than 200 cars.

The bedroom accommodation would be in two six to eight storey blocks on either side of the existing building, with the restaurant and ballroom at the rear, but the whole complex would be linked together.

The whole development is planned to luxury standards with each room having its own private bathroom.

The developers have also stated that they are determined to keep the existing old historic mansion which forms the present Elizabethan Hotel, and to incorporate it as a functional feature of the scheme.

Surveyor, Mr T. A. Cecil warned, however, that only 100 to 150 bedrooms would be possible because of parking restrictions as the plan stood at present.

The planning application will be determined by the County Council who had asked for Penarth Council’s observations.

Cllr. W. R. Jeffcott said: “We have been calling for a proper hotel development in this town for a long time, and we should welcome these proposals.”

But he reminded members that there had been previous planning applications for developments on the same site and the County Council had objected on the grounds of traffic generation.

“We ought to be strong enough to persuade the County Council that something can be done to avoid any further traffic risks,” he said.

“But we must anticipate some sort of objection, and we have to be able to present a case to meet those objections.”

Cllr Harold Green suggested that the County Council should be asked what difficulties they foresaw.

And Cllr Glyn Salmon proposed that the two local County Councillors for Penarth should be asked to support the plan.

All members were in complete support of the hotel development and the County Council will be urged to approve the plans as quickly as possible.

Mr Morris said he was grateful to the Penarth Council who afforded the scheme every co-operation.

The Directors of Cogan Pill House Ltd. are Mr Ted Ralph, Mr Tony Creighton Griffiths, and Mr Keith Morris.