English Heritage have described the new proposal as follows:

"Most of the existing buildings will be retained for adaptive re-use. The later, northern building will be demolished, as will the last metre or so of the adjacent bay to the cottages. This will be replaced by a modern intervention overlooking the entrance to the proposed hotel, which will probably be largely glazed to maximise light into the remainder of the buildings to discourage further openings elsewhere in the historic fabric.

"In addition, it has been agreed that the original openings on the east and south sides will be retained, and the pattern and rhythm of the door and window openings will be preserved. To the west, a small glazed link will be provided to allow access from the hotel to the buildings, in an area of the building which has seen the heavy loss of historic fabric, and some unsympathetic patching and re-fenestration.

"The original stone basin copings adjacent to the western wall of the buildings will be retained and incorporated into the floorscape of the new link, thus marking the line of the basin."

So it appears that the old building can, after all, co-exist with the proposed new hotel.