A former nightclub and bar on Bedford High Street could be transformed into a 36-bedroom hotel under new plans submitted to Bedford Borough Council.
The application for 53–55 High Street seeks permission to extend earlier approvals granted in 2020 and 2024, which had already allowed the upper floors and part of the ground floor to be converted into hotel accommodation.
The building is currently occupied by two businesses; one is the nightclub/bar Vogue, which occupies part of the ground floor, the majority of the first floor, and the whole second floor.
The other is the Slug & Lettuce, which occupies part of the ground floor and a small section at the rear of the first floor.
According to the latest planning statement, a reorganisation of the Slug & Lettuce has freed up additional space, enabling the hotel proposal to expand from 29 to 36 rooms.
The revised plans also include a small ground-floor extension to create a reception area and a lift shaft running from the ground to the second floor, along with alterations to windows on the northern elevation.
The building, which sits within the town centre’s conservation area, was Grade II listed until April 2023, when Historic England determined it “no longer meets the criteria for listing.”
The new application argues that the latest changes are consistent with local and national policy, with no anticipated harm to neighbouring amenity, conservation area character, or transport access.
More information can be found on the council’s planning portal, reference 25/01665/FUL.
The overall consultation expiry date is Wednesday, 24 September 2025.
by John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
