Hotel and drive-through plan for Southampton Road (From Salisbury Journal)

Hotel and drive-through plan for Southampton Road

6:00am Thursday 7th March 2013 in News By Jill Harding

PLANS are being put forward for a new 65-bedroom hotel and drive-through restaurant in Salisbury.

Developers want to build the hotel and fast food restaurant on land between Tesco car park and the park and ride site in Southampton Road.

They say the scheme would create between 90 and 100 new full and part-time jobs – with about 30 positions in the hotel and the rest in the drive-through.

The project also includes parking for 74 cars and catering facilities for the hotel, which will offer breakfasts and some evening meals.

A planning application is expected to be submitted in the coming weeks and, if approved, developers want to begin work late this summer. “This can be described as a Premier Inn-style hotel,” said Richard Evans, from the developer, Life Property.

“There is a need for more bed spaces of this kind in Salisbury.

“It is a suitable site with access to the park and ride so that business people can easily reach the city centre.

“It also has a good road link to Southampton.”

The developer has yet to confirm which company would occupy the drive-through but says it will be a “fast food retailer”.

Last year a planning application was submitted for the Salisbury Gateway project – a separate development on the other side of the A36.

If approved, it would include a Sainsbury’s supermarket, nature reserve and changes to the layout of Southampton Road to improve traffic flow on the busy road.

The project has attracted objections due to its position on the A36 and proximity to a flood plain, and the application is still due to be considered by Wiltshire Council planners.

Worries have also been raised about the volume of traffic already using Southampton Road.

There will be a presentation about the hotel scheme at a Salisbury Area Board meeting at South Wilts School at 7pm on Thursday, March 14, where members of the public will have the chance to ask questions.