A 168-bedroom Hampton by Hilton hotel at the Imperial War Museum (IWM), Duxford has been given planning approval by South Cambridgeshire District Council’s planning committee on Thursday, June 25.
The proposal is for the hotel to be built on the IWM site, which would support an existing on-site conference centre and ensure the viability of the site as a national tourist attraction.
The six-storey hotel will be an L-shape, with bedrooms across five floors, a lobby and gym on the ground floor. It will also have a reception and a bar and dining area on the top floor, with an outdoor terrace. The plans also include additional car and cycle parking, and an opportunity to employ 40 staff.
John Brown, IWM executive director commercial services and operations, said the museum is “delighted” about the decision: “This has been a long-held aspiration of ours and we are thrilled it is coming to fruition in partnership with Propiteer Hotels. We believe it will improve our offering as a museum with the option to stay overnight and explore more local attractions and let people enjoy multiple days of our annual air shows more easily.”
Mike Aspinall, director of Propiteer Hotels, said: “We are pleased to secure planning permission for our exciting hotel project at IWM Duxford. We are working in partnership with both IWM and Hilton Worldwide to ensure the finest possible experience for every one of our guests.”
Councillor Dr. Tumi Hawkins, lead cabinet member for planning, said: “Most local people will know about the airfield’s significance: being used as a training station during World War I and a fighter station in World War II, and now as a place for visitors to enjoy breath-taking aerial displays featuring some of the most iconic planes. It makes perfect sense for a hotel to be built on site so that visitors can attend these spectacular displays more easily. It will also create economic prosperity for local people and create 40 new jobs. I look forward to visiting in the future!”
More information about the application can be found at https://scambs.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=768&MId=7962&Ver=4
The hotel is expected to open in spring 2022.
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