Jane Austen fans ‘in despair’ as hotel she frequented is set to become student flats

Jane Austen fans are “in despair” after a plan to turn a hotel she frequented into student flats was approved by a council.

Pride and Prejudice devotees on Thursday, said they were ‘disappointed’ to learn of the ‘depressing’ decision to turn the Grade II listed Dolphin Hotel in Southampton, where she spent her 18th birthday into student flats.

An Austen fan club - and literary lovers from as far as the USA – objected to the plans in an effort to preserve the ‘rich history’ that the 500-year-old building has.

The hotel was regularly frequented by the Sense and Sensibility author and it was where she spent her 18th birthday on December 16, 1793.

But now, planning officers have recommended plans to turn it into a 99 student rooms.

Dr Cheryl Butler, who set up a Sarah Siddons Fan Club, a historical re-enactment theatre company named after Austen’s favourite actress, accused Southampton City Council of neglecting its heritage.

She said on Thursday: “It’s pretty depressing. I despair at the planning officers in Southampton.

“Everyone is disappointed, but not surprised.

“I just think if this had been made more widely known earlier, there could have been more time to come up with an alternative.

“We had very little time to do anything but put in an objection.

“You think if the city was keen on its heritage, it would have put out an appeal to people to see if there was someone that could have done something with it, but it’s just taking the easiest option.

“We as a society are constantly saying we need to do more about the heritage, but then when it actually comes down to it, it doesn’t translate into doing anything.”

Dr Butler also took issue with the suggestion that part of the student accommodation will feature a “museum or interpretation centre”.

She said it “very much feels like lip service”.

Dr Butler made no criticism of students but said there are already “lots” of student buildings.

“I just hope the students appreciate what they have got there”, she added.

Comedian and author David Baddiel, an ambassador of the author’s Hampshire home museum, previously said Austen’s heritage needs preserving.

He told The Telegraph: “I agree that important elements of our history that are about great artists – and I do very much think that Jane Austen is a great artist, and very under-rated even though she’s so popular – should be preserved, and I would be very happy about preserving anything that Jane Austen is involved with.”

However, the 60-year-old, named ambassador of the museum in 2018, stressed the importance of building new student accommodation.

He said: “At the same time, students need accommodation. So for me, if there was a way of preserving within the halls of residence a tiny corner at least saying, ‘This is where Jane Austen danced when she was 18’, that would make me happy.”

A Southampton City Council planning officer’s report, which recommended granting the application, said the principle of a student residential development was considered acceptable and supported given the “established need” in the city.

The report said: “The concerns raised by third parties about the loss of this important and attractive hotel with a strong tourist draw is well articulated.

“However, the planning system, and our adopted development plan, doesn’t protect the Dolphin Hotel from closure and the council cannot insist that an unviable business remains open.”

The council’s planning committee will sign off on the plans at a meeting this month.