Plans formally submitted for 130-bedroom Premier Inn hotel at former Waitrose site in Littlehampton

The proposals seek to redevelop the former Waitrose supermarket site on Avon Road into a 130-bedroom Premier Inn hotel, with an associated restaurant, parking and landscaping. The hotel chain plans to bring new jobs and investment to the area.

A public consultation event was hosted by Premier Inn owners Whitbread’s development team in February. This was the first opportunity for the community to review and engage on the detailed plans.

A planning application (LU/76/25/PL) – submitted on April 24 – states: “Former Waitrose Site, Avon Road, Littlehampton. Demolition of vacant supermarket building and erection of four-storey hotel with ancillary restaurant, public realm, landscape improvements, retention of associated car park and all associated works.

"This application affects the setting of listed buildings and affects the character and appearance of the East Street Conservation Area.”

A decision is expected to be made by June 24 – with the deadline for comments being May 30.

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.

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.”

Some residents told the Littlehampton Gazette they were excited for the plans to redevelop an ‘eyesore’ in the town.

David Aston, who lives in Wick, said: “I am really pleased that something is finally going to happen and it’s an eyesore in the town. It’s the best thing to happen here for years.”

This was a common viewpoint expressed by residents at the exhibition events.

There were some concerns, however, over the height of the proposed building – which would be three storeys above ground floor. It would include 40 bedrooms – with accessible rooms as well as enhanced Premier Plus bedrooms.

Councillor Sean Lee – the mayor of Littlehampton – was fully supportive of the plan.

He said: “This proposed redevelopment of the old supermarket site in the town centre is great news.

"I think it's going to get a lot of support – it's certainly buzzing on social media. We hope it can add a lot of redevelopment and repurpose the town, bringing in more businesses.

“I've already got local businesses coming up to me and proposing new events and ideas about weekends – I think it just gives people a lot of optimism and that's really nice to see.

“With the seafront regeneration, the Premier Inn will provide much-needed bed space for anybody who comes to make use of those facilities.

“It's very important for people to have their say. As a town councillor, I'm more than keen and happy to hear the views of my constituents all the time. There's an opportunity to go online and tell the Premier Inn what you think of their proposals.”

To see the planning application, search for reference LU/76/25/PL at www.arun.gov.uk/planning-application-search/