Fresh plans for £8m Shrewsbury hotel

Fresh plans have been submitted for an £8 million hotel in Shrewsbury's town centre which is expected to create more than 40 jobs.

Premier Inn has submitted a new planning application for a 136-bedroom hotel and restaurant in Smithfield Road, Shrewsbury.

The application, which was lodged yesterday with Shropshire Council, reflects alterations to plans for the site which originally included permission for a 127-bedroom Premier Inn.

Part of the initial plans, which were approved in June 2009, included 1,000 square metres of office space which is now surplus to requirement.

The hotel will create around 45 jobs and will see investment from Whitbread PLC, Premier Inn's parent company, in the region of £8.2 million.

John Bates, head of acquisitions in the UK & Ireland for Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, said approval would allow Premier Inn to start building this year and open in 2012. He said: "We are excited about our new plans for bringing Premier Inn to the centre of Shrewsbury."

He added: "The hotel will be a real asset for Shrewsbury."