AN ABANDONED hotel 'used by squatters' will soon be transformed into flats.
The city council has approved a planning application for the site of the now-closed hotel, Cargo.
The three-star venue with bar and restaurant at 20-22 Oxford Street shut in early 2019.
However, according to council documents, the empty building has since been used by squatters.
Now, plans have been approved to turn the hotel floors into one, two and four-bedroom flats.
READ MORE: Disused hotel in trendy part of Southampton could be turned into flats
The application was made by Southampton-based property firm Jamba Leisure, which owns the land.
The plans are to keep the ground floor as a commercial unit and convert the hotel above into new flats.
Five new flats will be created in place of 14 hotel rooms, and there are also plans for six new cycle spaces.
The roof of the Grade II-listed building will be replaced to create more head height for the third floor, and partitioning inside that was installed more recently will also be demolished.
But the application says that all original features and structure "will remain untouched".
The plans suggest that work will be started this month and is expected to last for six months.
The project was approved on September 6, with conditions including preserving historical interest and using sustainable design choices.
A message from the Editor
Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo.
Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website.
You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more.
Don't just take my word for it - subscribe today.
Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by searching Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents on Facebook
Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated group by searching Hampshire Court and Crime News on Facebook
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel