A popular national hotel chain is inviting residents and businesses in Littlehampton to view and provide feedback on its plans for a new Premier Inn hotel in the town centre.

The proposals seek to redevelop the former Waitrose supermarket site on Avon Road into a 130-bedroom Premier Inn hotel, bringing new jobs and investment to the area.

A public consultation event will be hosted by Premier Inn owners Whitbread’s development team next week, giving the community an opportunity to review and engage on the detailed plans. The drop-in exhibition will take place on Wednesday, February 12, from 2pm to 7:30pm at the New Millennium Chamber, The Manor House, Church Street, Littlehampton, BN17 5EW, with the information also available online.

The former Waitrose store on Avon Road has been vacant since its closure in 2015. Whitbread’s proposed redevelopment in a new Premier Inn seeks to revitalise this prominent location, bringing it into long-term use and enhancing the town centre, while meeting the growing demand for high-quality, affordable hotel accommodation on the south coast.

The former Waitrose site in Avon Road, Littlehampton, could become a Premier Inn hotel. Picture: Premier Inn

placeholder image — The former Waitrose site in Avon Road, Littlehampton, could become a Premier Inn hotel. Picture: Premier Inn

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Louise Woodruff, Property Acquisitions Manager at Whitbread, said: “We are excited about the opportunity to grow our presence in Littlehampton, create permanent jobs and support the local economy through the year-round spending of our guests.

“Our plans will bring our very best product to the town, including our popular ‘enhanced’ Premier Plus bedrooms, and a flexible and well-designed ground floor space.

“The Avon Road site is an excellent location for a Premier Inn given its prominent town centre location and we’re pleased to be investing in the site as we continue to expand our presence in the south of England.

“The team and I are keen to engage with the community, share our vision and plans, answer questions about the Premier Inn and listen to feedback on what we are proposing. The consultation is an important part of the planning process for the development, and we encourage everyone to come along.”

Residents can find more information on the proposals and register for updates on the project website at www.premierinn-avonroad.co.uk. All the material on display will be uploaded to the website on the day of the exhibition, and comments can be submitted online from February 12, onwards.

Premier Inn operates a network of 855 hotels across the UK and Ireland. See www.premierinn.com for more information