Beales Hotel in Hatfield, currently operating as a 53-room facility, could continue as a YMCA-run hostel until March 31, 2028, under a new planning application submitted to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. Beales Hotel closed in 2020 and has been used as a YMCA hostel since 2021. "There is a clear need for the temporary planning permission to be extended for a further period until March 31, 2028." Welwyn Hatfield Borough councillors later approved the plans in 2024, despite concerns about the absence of affordable or social housing. To view the YMCA planning application, visit planning.welhat.gov.uk/Search/Basic and search 6/2026/1312/FULL.