Plans to turn disused bus depot into budget hotel
PlatinumLiveA disused bus depot in a town centre could become the site of a budget hotel if plans are approved.
Proposals are set to be officially put forward for a 69-bedroom hotel on Bransty Row, in Whitehaven, by BEC, a property developer that previously turned the nearby bus depot into a business hub and the former Whittles building into a gaming centre.
BEC's chief executive, Michael Pemberton, said the hotel would be operated by a "nationally recognised brand" and would bring "many more people into Whitehaven".
The announcement comes just over a month after Cumberland Council approved a masterplan for the town - a strategy on how to develop the area in the coming years.
Cumberland Council's Labour leader Mark Fryer said he supported the hotel plans and said it was "an exciting time" for Whitehaven.
The area's Labour MP Josh MacAlister said the facility would "strengthen the visitor economy" and support shops, restaurants and pubs in the area.
He said: "The plan is about bringing underused sites back into use, attracting more people into the town centre and giving private investors the confidence to back Whitehaven's future."
A timescale for the project is yet to be set, but plans for a hotel would have to be approved by Cumberland Council's planners.
BEC said the planning process was expected to get under way soon and it had already appointed architects to work on the project.
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