Southwater hotel plans are submitted to Telford council
Plans have been submitted to build a Travelodge on green land near Telford's Southwater Square.
The application for the 68-bed hotel also includes plans for a ground-floor unit which would be used either as a pub, bar or restaurant.
The proposals have been submitted to Telford & Wrekin Council.
The plans to build a hotel on the strip near the lake have sparked fierce debate, with protesters starting up a petition to try to get it protected as green land.
The Friends of Telford Town Park is among groups that have already raised concerns.
Members said they feared ambitions to bring new businesses to the site would ruin an area loved by thousands of families and that the hotel would overshadow the park.
Telford MP Lucy Allan has also criticised the plans. She said the multi-storey hotel would be a step too far for the multi-million pound shopping and leisure development.
But council chiefs said the land has always been earmarked for development, and added the Conservatives had planned to build a new multi-million council headquarters there until Labour wrestled control of the authority in 2011 and scrapped the idea.
If the plans are given the green light the hotel would sit opposite Indian buffet restaurant Mimosa and Telford Ice Rink.
The plans will soon go out to consultation, with a final decision being made at a later date either by Telford & Wrekin Council's planning committee or via officers using delegated powers.
