Hotel and gym plan for former city centre store

easyGroup which runs a budget airline and hotels says its proposals for the site will create 12 jobs

An empty former shop in Wolverhampton city centre could be turned into a 52-bedroom hotel and gym.

The proposal from easyGroup, which runs budget hotels and an airline, involves converting the former SportsDirect store on Queen Street.

The sportswear retailer closed the shop in 2021 after moving to the nearby Mander Centre.

According to the application, the hotel would create 12 jobs, provide much-needed city centre visitor accommodation and improve the look of the existing building.

"The proposed conversion of 4 Queen Street from retail to hotel use represents a high-quality and sustainable redevelopment," it stated.

The application added the scheme would help the local economy by attracting tourists and business users, and the building's "dated" façade would be replaced.

A separate planning application to convert most of the Queen Street's building ground floor into four new retail units was submitted to City of Wolverhampton Council by easyGroup last month.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.