PROPERTY bosses last night admitted they will not be in a position to start work for a couple of years on a boutique hotel in Liverpool’s Hope Street.

Maghull Developments looks set to be given planning permission to create the £10m 50-bedroom hotel in Hanhemann House at the city’s planning committee tomorrow.

It forms part of the company’s £100m mothballed scheme to redevelop a number of sites in the historic street.

But while saying it was still committed to the overall scheme, the company said it planned to continue letting Hahnemann House as offices for the “short-to- medium term”. Maghull plans to eventually convert the Grade II- listed building at 58 Hope Street into a four star 50-bedroom boutique hotel with a bar, restaurant and day-spa.

The firm was forced back to the drawing board with its original plans for a 62-bedroom hotel in the Hahnemann Building after the building was listed last year.

Local ward councillor Steve Munby is opposed to the plans and wants the committee to turn them down.

He said: “Maghull are continuing their campaign to destroy what’s left of Hope Street and are now proposing to make a hotel ably supported by the planners.

“Quite rightly it was not acceptable for Hope Place to be used as a load bay for the Hope Street Hotel, but now it seems to be acceptable for Maghull.

“It’s quite unbelievable and quite unacceptable.”