Plans to transform K Village into a Travelodge hotel are up for discussion at a council meeting today.

The application for a new 69-bed hotel and 88-one bed apartments has been recommended for approval by South Lakeland District Council planners.

K Village, a £100 million scheme, opened on July 28 2010 with space for 29 retail units, along with 94 residential apartments.

But the factory outlet centre struggled to make its mark and sections of the centre were closed to the public early this year.

A report to councillors said: “The fortunes of K Village have declined in recent years and this proposal provides an important opportunity to bring this prominent building back into full active use.”

Kendal Civic Society is in favour and said the “sad building” needs to be given a new lease of life.

The hotel development does not affect the Anytime Fitness gym, Costa Coffee or Terrazzo, which are all still trading, said a council officer’s report.

Twelve letters have been submitted to the council after 175 residents were notified but none were opposed to the scheme.

Under the new plans, the main hotel entrance would be on Lound Road.

Eighteen bedrooms would front onto the road and the remainder would encircle a central atrium.

The basement car park would also be extended by 12 spaces to create 429 spaces for cars, including “bike docks” for cyclists.

There would be more than 30 apartments on the first floor, 38 on the second, and 20 on the third floor.

The plans mean the loss of the K Shoes Heritage Centre telling the 160-year-old history of shoe making in Kendal.

Its floorspace would be “reconfigured and converted into residential space” and there are “no proposals” to rehouse the centre on the site.

In papers to go before councillors, the applicants said footfall to the museum declined between 2011-2017.

The council officer’s report said: “The applicants have stressed that they do not own the contents of the heritage centre.

“It is understood that the majority is owned by Clarks, and the remainder by a private individual with family links to K Shoes.

“Consequently, as the applicants have pointed out, there is nothing they could do if the owners decided to move the collection to a different location, which is a distinct possibility anyway given Clarks’ state intention to relocate to the Westmorland Shopping Centre in the New Year.”

Talks about where the heritage centre might go are said to be ongoing.