Green light for budget hotel plan

The hotel and pub at the centre of a major regeneration project in Cannock have been given the go-ahead.

Sited on Lakeside Park in Bridgtown, opposite Orbital Plaza, the 80-bed budget hotel is likely to be occupied by Ramada Encore or Day's Inn and operated by Pritchard Hotel Group, which also operates the Ramada Lion Point Hotel.

The pub will be known as the New White Lion. The old White Lion stood on an adjacent site for many years until it was demolished in the 1960s.

They will be situated at the main entrance to Lakeside Park off the A5 Watling Street.

A start is hoped to be achieved on the hotel complex within six months and it will take between six to eight months to construct and be operational.

The hotel scheme is valued at £5 million and will create around 200 construction and permanent jobs.

Developer Fred Pritchard said: "The hotel will offer a different standard of accommodation and a different level of affordability at around £50 per night.

"As normal with the budget hotels, it will provide limited service but all services will be able available from Orbital Plaza opposite in the form of restaurants, nursery facilities, a conference centre, meeting rooms, etcetera.

"Its location is extremely convenient for the A5, A34 and M6 Toll Junction T7, from where the NEC and Birmingham International Airport are just some 20 minutes away.

"The designs are a combination of traditional and modern methods of construction and complement the Bellway housing development opposite."

Work is already underway on the long-awaited £100 million Lakeside Park development.

A care home and retirement village with 60 apartments, almost 130 flats and 300 new homes are included in the plan at the former Automotive Lighting factory.

Mr Pritchard added: "Tourism and travelling in the Cannock Chase area will be encouraged by the combined facilities at Lakeside Park and will be used by business or social tourists alike.

"It is more good news for Cannock Chase in terms of jobs created, both in the construction and the hotel industry."