Council agrees deal to bring Premier Inn to Swindon town centre

The regeneration of the town centre has taken a big leap forward as the Council has signed a deal to bring a swanky new Premier Inn hotel to Swindon.

Whitbread PLC have agreed terms with the Council to acquire the former Aspen House site in Regent Street, opposite The Savoy pub, for the development of a Premier Inn hotel, with an application for full planning permission to be submitted in November.

The £17m development will comprise a new 197 bedroom Premier Inn arranged over eight storeys, with an integral 214 cover ‘Bar+Block’ steakhouse restaurant at ground floor level and 42 car parking spaces, with additional car parking available in the Granville Street Car Park to the west of the site.

The redevelopment of Swindon town centre is one of the Council’s major priorities, and the plans for the former Aspen House site come alongside further regeneration taking place at Kimmerfields, Fleming Way and the North Star Village.

The Regent Street Premier Inn will feature comfortable king-sized beds, ensuite bathrooms, a TV with Freeview and Wi-Fi in every room. The hotel has a bar and restaurant, offering a wide selection of meals and full English and continental breakfasts.

The Bar+Block steakhouse will be an informal, all-day restaurant with a focus on high quality steaks. The contemporary restaurant design features a large open kitchen, central bar and rustic design elements. The main menu will offer a range of high quality steaks which are hand cut to order.

Councillor Dale Heenan, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for the Town Centre, said: “Whitbread, the UK's largest hospitality company, has purchased the former Aspen House site in Regent Street, and over the next 12 months, residents and businesses will see a visible difference with construction starting on a new Premier Inn hotel and steakhouse.

“This deal has been quietly worked on for nearly a year and is hugely positive news for Swindon. It clearly demonstrates that, step by step, we are making real progress in sorting out the regeneration of our town.

“The Council is committed to making the town centre a popular and thriving destination. Slowly but surely, progress is happening on the first new office development in 20 years, the North Star leisure complex, restoring the Mechanics’ Institute, the £30m new Bus Boulevard, a new larger theatre and art gallery, a new Hilton by Hampton near the train station, and the new £25m Town Investment plan."

Peter Lawson, from Planning Consultancy Turley, said: “Whitbread’s investment in this key site will assist in regenerating the upper part of Regent Street and will boost footfall both during the daytime and into the evening to the benefit of Swindon town centre as a whole”.