Work on £10m waterfront hotel progresses

Work is progressing on the largest hotel in Walsall town centre as part of a £50 million redevelopment.

Whitbread will open a 100-bed Premier Inn hotel on the site, off Wolverhampton Street, in addition to a large Brewers Fayre restaurant.

The work follows a joint land agreement between Walsall Council, Whitbread, Urban Splash and the Government's Homes and Communities Agency.

The scheme is the latest in a series of investments at the Waterfront following the completion of other work in the area including landscaping improvements, commercial space and new homes to the south of the canal. John Bates, head of acquisitions for Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, said: "Walsall Waterfront is an ideal location for Premier Inn and we can't wait to open.

"The Midlands is very important to our nationwide growth and, as well as this exciting new hotel at Walsall, we will now be developing new Premier Inns at Longbridge and Redditch following deals signed last week."

The 100-bed building work follows a £40m investment nearby which has seen more than 300 flats and homes built off Charles Street. The Homer Building, off Charles Street, has also been restored as part of the project to provide a new birthing unit for the hospital along with new commercial space, with a new restaurant building at Wharfingers Cottage available for rent.

Councillor Adrian Andrew, regeneration boss said: "We've seen the artists impressions and we've heard the predictions and now it's brilliant actually to see such progress.

This is the latest chapter in a story that is seeing investment in Walsall and new jobs created.

"This is a £10 million investment and a massive vote of confidence into Walsall town centre. Yet again, we are bucking the trend with new investment."