The Jarrold Group has today announced plans to preserve and regenerate historic St James Mill in Norwich – and potentially transform it into an 88-bedroom hotel, complete with spa, gym, restaurant and bar. Chief Executive Nick Steven-Jones explains what it could mean for the city
Jarrolds has pledged to breathe new life into Grade 1 listed building, St James Mill in Norwich, protecting it for the future and creating a unique destination for the people of Norwich, Norfolk and beyond – and one option is to transform it into an 88-bedroom hotel. A public consultation launches on Monday 30 September to allow people and businesses within the local area to discover what a Jarrolds hotel could offer and to give their opinions. Once all feedback has been gathered and considered, a planning application will be submitted to Norwich City Council.
Built as a yarn mill in 1839, St James Mill and the buildings around it were purchased by Jarrolds in 1903, before being sold to the Ministry of Labour in 1919 to be used as a training centre at the end of the First World War. Jarrolds bought the mill back in 1927 and from the 1930s, the site was synonymous with Jarrold Printing. By 1957 around 2,000 workers were employed, although the mill itself was never used for printing as the floors could not withstand the weight of the printing machinery. It has been an office building since the early 1990s.
Nick Steven-Jones is chief executive officer of the Jarrold Group. ‘The Jarrold Group has been a fixture in Norfolk since 1823 and we have built a proud reputation as a business that cares passionately about the city, providing products, services and experiences that people value,’ he explains. ‘Innovation and evolution have been fundamental to our success and longevity as a company, and we’re always looking for new ways to delight and surprise our customers, while investing in our communities.’
St James Mill is one of the Norwich 12: a list of buildings of significant historical importance in the city spanning 1000 years, created by the Norwich Heritage Economic & Regeneration Trust.
‘We take our responsibility as custodians of St James Mill extremely seriously,” continues Mr Steven-Jones. ‘It is as a much-loved building that has played a significant role in Jarrolds’ history, as well as that of our tenants. We have therefore been looking at different ways the mill could be utilised to preserve it for future generations. One idea is to transform it into a unique hotel, and we are pleased that we can now share this concept with the people of Norwich.
‘We know that there is a real demand for a stylish, upmarket, city-centre hotel in Norwich, as more people come to visit our wonderful city,’ Mr Steven-Jones adds. ‘If it were to go ahead, as well as 88 bedrooms, many with stunning views over the river to the city of Norwich, the hotel would feature a spa, gym, restaurant and bar for local people and guests to enjoy.
‘As the mill is Grade 1 listed and in a very special area of Norwich, any change of use project must be carefully thought through, to retain the original beauty and historic features of the building. We have discussed our hotel idea with organisations such as Historic England and Norwich City Council to gather their input, and now invite local people to provide their comments and suggestions via the public consultation. This input will be reviewed and, where appropriate, fed into a planning application,’ Mr Steven-Jones concludes.
People wishing to find out more about the proposed transformation of St James Mill into the Jarrolds hotel can visit lanproservices.co.uk/st-james-mill. A public exhibition will also be taking place: on Wednesday 2 October 2024, 6pm – 8pm, Second Floor of St James Mill; and Thursday 3 October 2024, 10am – 2pm, Second Floor of St James Mill. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to discuss the draft proposals and provide their comments in writing using feedback forms provided. Representatives from Jarrolds, their architects and development partners will be available to answer questions.
Featured images – supplied
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