A Georgian terraced hotel with 55 en suite rooms could be created in a prominent location on the inner ring road in Chester city centre.

There would be 35 rooms within 16-20 Nicholas Street plus 20 bedrooms within a new Georgian-style building that would be built to the rear facing the original property.

But change of planning permission and listed building consent will be required to convert existing offices and a licensed club, previously run as the Liberal Club until 2013.

Alterations would involve installing a lift to number 18 as well creating new openings and corridors to interconnect the three Georgian buildings.

16-20 Nicholas Street

Facilities would include a restaurant, bar, coffee room, conference and function rooms as well as parking.

There are 30 spaces associated with the existing buildings, which would be reduced if the new block was created although this would incorporate 18 spaces in the basement.

A planning application has been lodged is by Michael Bartlett, whose family own the buildings and run Bartlett’s Solicitors from the ground and first floors of number 16, which will continue.

A document accompanying the application states: “The continued use of these period listed houses as cellular offices is no longer an economic option, as modern requirements are for open plan offices which cannot be met here.”

It concludes: “16, 18 and 20 Nicholas Street, has the potential to become a unique boutique hotel and restaurant in restored grade II-listed period buildings, with all the modern amenities which guests require.

A rear view of numbers 16-20 Nicholas Street

“We believe that it will be an asset to the historic town of Chester, adding to tourism and creating employment. We are conserving the building by restoring its Georgian features.”

Designed by Joseph Turner, the Nicholas Street buildings date from 1780 and originally comprised ten town houses. The terrace became known as ‘Pillbox Promenade’ or ‘Pillbox Row’ because many were used as doctors’ surgeries but later the street became well known as a base for law firms.

Number 16 has been used as offices since the 1950s and the lower ground floor was used as a sauna for many years but in 1991 was joined with number 18 to provide the catering facilities for the Liberal Club.

The hotel plans include the former Liberal Club premises

Number 18 is understood to have been used as a Temperance Hotel before the war. At a later stage the whole building became The Liberal Club until 1990 when the accommodation was reduced to the lower ground floor only. Since closing in 2013, the club has remained vacant.

Numbers 18 and 20 was occupied by one tenant, Gifford & Partners, from 1990 to 2012 but it has not been possible to secure a tenant since that time.