Deal to turn former club into hotel falls through

A deal to turn a Victorian mansion that housed a nightclub into a luxury hotel has fallen through.

St Albans City Council, which owns Batchwood Hall, had agreed a 35-year lease with the Oakman Group which went into administration this week.

The chain had planned to spend millions refurbishing the building into a hotel, wedding and function venue with a bar and a restaurant.

Now the council has said the agreement has been terminated and the former nightclub is back on the market.

Robin Taylor, strategic director for customer, business and corporate support at St Albans City and District Council, said: "We are sorry to hear that Oakman Inns and Restaurants has gone into administration.

"We had been talking to Oakman about a financial settlement to allow them to withdraw from the Batchwood Hall project and are now in contact with the joint administrators about this.

"The agreement for lease has now been terminated as, sadly, Oakman are no longer in a position to meet the conditions."

Planning permission to refurbish the building has already been granted.

Mr Taylor added: "Oakman's difficulties will have no impact on our 2025/26 cashflow or budget as no rental income had been due.

"The deal allowed for a long rent-free period in exchange for the major capital investment needed to transform the building."

The house was built in 1874 for Edmund Beckett, who co-designed the mechanism for the clock of the Palace of Westminster - and restored St Albans Cathedral.

Club Batchwood was launched at the house in the 1980s.

A golf course was built in the grounds in 1935 and it was used as a Covid-19 vaccination centre during the pandemic.

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