Plan for £10m hotel 'a really big deal' for town

A £10m plan for an 81-bedroom hotel was "a really big deal" for a market town, a councillor said.

The new Premier Inn would be built on part of the former Crane Fruehauf site on the outskirts of North Walsham, Norfolk.

The chain's owner Whitbread plc said it had submitted proposals to North Norfolk Council and, if approved, hoped to create about 20 permanent jobs.

Liberal Democrat county and district councillor Lucy Shires said a hotel would draw more visitors to the area and help the local economy.

The town, about 8 miles (13km) from Cromer and 16 miles (26km) from Norwich, was "perfectly positioned" to be attractive to tourists, she said.

"We've got some fantastic places to eat and drink. We've got a beautiful town centre, lots of fantastic independent shops and a really up-and-coming craft sector."

Since Crane Fruehauf closed in 1999, Shires said the land off Cromer Road had been "a tricky site to develop" and she hoped more investment could be attracted to the area.

"This is a really big deal," she added.

A spokesperson for Whitbread said it had been looking to expand into north Norfolk because of "strong year-round demand from our leisure guests as well as many business customers that use Premier Inn for work".

The firm said, if the plans were approved, it expected to invest more than £10m in the hotel development.

Whitbread also claimed independent research it had commissioned found guests typically spent £71 per night with nearby businesses.

The plans should soon be available on the council's website and will be decided on at a later date.

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