PLANS for a new Travelodge hotel in Newton Abbot are set to be unveiled next week with the aim of it being open for business in 2021.

The Halcyon Road 115 space car park in Newton Abbot is set to be turned into a 72-bedroom hotel with a restaurant as part of redevelopment plans for the town centre.

A formal planning application for the scheme is due to be submitted next week, but for the first time, it can be confirmed that the hotel chain that will operate the business is Travelodge.

The new hotel is the second phase of Teignbridge District Council’s masterplan for the centre of Newton Abbot, which also includes a new four-screen multiplex cinema in Market Square, a new food court and revamp to Market Hall, the old Alexandra Cinema to be converted into a mixed use building that could be used as a gig venue, and redevelopment of the cattle market site.

Both the Travelodge hotel in Newton Abbot, and a similar scheme for a Premier Inn in Teignmouth, will be progressed on a self-develop basis, meaning that Teignbridge District Council will construct the hotels to a specification agreed with both hotel operators., with a least a 25 year lease with both the Premier Inn and with Travelodge already agreed.

Teignbridge submitted the planning application for the Teignmouth Premier Inn this week while the council has confirmed they expect to have submitted the Travelodge application by next week.

Cllr Alan Connett, Teignbridge Council’s executive lead for regeneration and development said: ‘These two developments reflect our commitment to supporting both towns to secure prosperous futures.’