Newport Towers was a large hotel and motel complex, built of concrete and reconstituted stone, on the A38 Gloucester – Bristol main road. It had 56 bedrooms, a ballroom and two conference rooms.
Superstar cricketer Ian Botham undertook a massive charity walk in the autumn of 1985 when he walked from John O’Groats to Lands End. His original targe of £100,000 was met by the time he reached Gloucestershire and it was hoped that his efforts would raise up to £1 million. The Gloucestershire leg from Tewkesbury via Gloucester on Wednesday 20th November ended at the Newport Towers Hotel on the A38 where he stayed overnight.
The Citizen. Saturday, October 1st, 1988: Transferred: One of the county’s best-known motels is changing hands. Licensing watchdogs in Stroud, yesterday granted a temporary licence to Cardiff based Jesbrow Limited, the new owners of the Newport Towers Motel on the A38 near Berkeley. The new licensee will be Beatrice Abraham from Penarth.
It ceased trading in October 2006 and was due to undergo development after 13 years of standing empty. There have been several planning applications put forwards proposing various developments. A detailed application for housing and a community shop on the site was approved by Stroud District Council in June 2019.
A huge fire broke out at the derelict hotel during the early hours of Sunday 6th September 2020. Five appliances tackled the fire which was started deliberately by arsonists. Crews fought the blaze for three hours.
The Newport Towers Hotel was finally demolished in November 2020 and 39 homes and a community shop are being built on the site.
Gloucestershire Gazette – Thursday 12th November, 2020: Green light at last (by Matty Airey) – Plans to build 39 homes at the site of the derelict Newport Towers Hotel on the A38 near Berkeley have been given the green light at last. Stroud District Council signed off the final conditions last week allowing Tenens Ede to proceed with plans for the homes and community shop. The council initially approved plans for the site in June 2019, but it had taken until now to resolve issues with the proposals.
Berkeley Vale district councillor Haydn Jones said: “The buildings have stood neglected and forlorn since doors closed in 2007 and have proved a magnet for anti-social behaviour. The community have really been very patient and everyone that drives through Newport will have seen the hotel gradually decaying. It will be so nice to see it become something positive in these difficult times.”
Conditions associated with the planning were hampered by a series of technical challenges, but after working between Berkeley councillors, Stroud District council and Gloucestershire County Council officer with developers Tenens Ede, the remaining obstacles have become overcome.
Cllr Jones said: “Reuse of brown-field sites is usually more complex than building on green fields, but should be the first choice. As councillors we are sometimes able to make timely connections between council officers and developers to secure progress. I would like to thank the developers and officers for getting this over the line and my colleagues, councillors Lindsey Green and Gordon Craig, who have provided unstinted support. In particular, I would like to recognise and offer sincere thanks to the local community who have displayed commendable patience whilst these technical and administrative hurdles have been navigated.”
The hotel, which closed down in 2007, was damaged in a suspected arson attack in September, after a previous blaze in April last year.
