Residents share their views as ground is broken at new Premier Inn hotel in West Sussex
The news that ground has been broken on the site of a new hotel in Littlehampton was met with mixed reactions from residents.
A new 130-room Premier Inn hotel, complete with restaurant and 100 car parking spaces, is being built in Anchor Springs. It replaces the old Waitrose supermarket, which closed in 2015 and was demolished between November and April this year.
I was there for the groundbreaking event on Monday of last week, ahead of work to construct the three-story building with hopes to open in autumn next year.
When the story was posted to Facebook, residents commented in their dozens, with some pleased to see the site being developed, while others suggested they would rather have shops in that location.
David Sax said: “GOOD we hope to see a lovely new business opening ASAP. Good news for the town. We need this additional hotel, and bear in mind this site was UNUSED FOR 10 YEARS.”
Alexander Morawiec added: “Build some shop not a hotel lol.”
While John Salmon wanted to see the new car park for the hotel used as a bus depot: “Why can't the little carpark in Anchor Springs be closed and used as a bus station as the buses at the moment seem to have trouble getting to the existing bus stops and it would make it easier for cars etc driving through.”
The £16m new hotel is being developed by Premier Inn owners Whitbread. Last week I spoke with construction project manager Jordan Tomkinson about the project.
He said: “When you look around the town, this is the perfect location for us. Our site fits perfectly within the boundaries and it means we can get enough rooms in without it being too tall and looking out of place.
“There’s lots going on along the coast – we have a new development in Brighton, Hastings, Bognor Regis, planning permission for a site in Chichester. So, there’s a lot this will bring to the town and the local economy in general.”
Last week, a new Premier Inn in Bognor was officially opened at a ceremony attended by Bognor Regis and Littlehampton MP Alison Griffiths.
The development has been hailed as a major boost for tourism and the town’s economy, and it is hoped the same will be true when the Littlehampton hotel opens.
Alison Griffith said: “It is fantastic to see this major investment in Bognor Regis and our seafront. This new Premier Inn will bring new jobs, support local businesses, attract more visitors to the town, and help showcase everything our area has to offer.”