Plan to build houses next to Premier Inn fails

The houses would have been built close to the hotel

The owner of Premier Inn has failed in its attempt to get nine houses built next to one of its hotels.

Whitbread, which owns the hotel chain, wanted to build four semi-detached, three-bedroom houses and five detached four-bedroom houses at the Premier Inn in Pinchington Lane, Newbury.

It said it would have helped in “a modest way” to provide new houses for West Berkshire.

But West Berkshire Council rejected the plan in June 2023 and it was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate following an appeal on 10 October.

Planning inspector Jane Smith said the project would have led to an unacceptable impact on road safety and to the flow of traffic.

The homes would have been built on land previously used for a wedding venue, which was demolished when Whitbread took over the hotel from previous owners Hilton.