Premier Inn submits revised plans for Newbury hotel

Hotel chain puts in scaled back plans after previous proposals refused

PREMIER Inn has submitted revised, scaled-back plans for a 100-bedroom hotel in the centre of Newbury – right next door to a competitor.

The hotel chain had a previous planning application for a 110-bedroom, five-storey hotel at Parkway refused by West Berkshire Council in September.

The council previously said the hotel, which would be built on the redundant privately-owned car park between Travelodge and the former cinema (now BST Fitness), would be too overbearing and would overlook nearby residential properties.

Developer Rotterdam Properties has now put in revised plans which it says are “significantly different” to those formerly proposed.

The new plans will see the number of bedrooms reduced from 110 to 100, and the height of the rear section of the hotel reduced from five to three storeys.

It will also include an ancillary restaurant, reception and back-of-house accommodation, as well as 10 car parking spaces for staff, three motorcycle spaces for staff/guests and 16 cycle spaces.

The proposed building has been moved 18 metres further away from neighbouring properties than it was previously.

Sutton Griffin Architects says it has liaised with councillors, officers and local residents and is confident the application will “fully address the previous reasons for refusal”.

An existing sycamore tree previously proposed to be removed will now be retained.

In addition, no windows – other than one servicing a stairway – are proposed on the eastern flank elevation.