Hotel: 'Sweet move'

The three-storey hotel will be built in the town's business park, south of the centre, just off the A63.

Selby councillor John Cattanach said he was delighted that hotel operator Christian Spencer Leisure had chosen to move to the town.

He said: "For 20 years we have been fighting for more hotels in Selby. This is great news."

Earlier this week, Selby District Council's planning committee gave the plan the green light.

Christian Spencer Leisure runs a chain of budget hotels called New Country Inns. In August last year it opened its first such hotel, The Bluebell Inn, Barnsley.

The Bluebell Inn, the company said, is designed to have a "warm, friendly atmosphere intended to attract families with children".

The company has already joined the Selby Chamber of trade and commerce.

Now its Selby hotel will be built in two phases - the first part of the building will house 40 bedrooms and conference facilities, with a 117-space car park.

When the developer feels it is "commercially viable" to do so, the hotel will expand to a further 20 bedrooms, including a banqueting suite, and an extra 50 car park spaces. The site provides easy access to the key A63 Selby bypass, with links to the M62 and A1.

Selby District Council's planning officers had raised concerns that the hotel would not provide enough jobs to compensate for all the space it would take up in Selby Business Park - but they were overruled by the planning committee.

Meanwhile, David Moss, honorary secretary of the Selby Civic Society said the society "supported the principle of this proposal, as Selby has a dire shortage of modern hotel accommodation".

He said: "We believe this development will help to increase tourist and business visitors to the town".

Nikki Dolan, company secretary of Selby Chamber, said: "We feel this (the hotel) would help to encourage and maintain the economic growth of the Selby district.

"It will bring a much needed service to the area."