PREMIER Inn has published an ‘open letter to Ashburton’ as its proposals for a new hotel head towards Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) for a decision next Friday.

The plans have proven to be controversial for the town, having already been rejected on design grounds. Concerns have been raised over the building’s impact on the rustic character of Ashburton.

Premier Inn say the hotel would see the company inject over £5.2 million into Ashburton in the regeneration and redevelopment of Dolbeare Business Park at the edge of Ashburton, creating approximately 30 new permanent jobs.

A spokesman for Premier Inn said: ‘Since Premier Inn first brought forward its plans, the company has been liaising closely with planning officers at DNPA to incorporate their feedback and adjust the scheme. The proposals for an 80-bedroom Premier Inn hotel now reflect the design guidance input from officers and the results of additional surveys on the impact of the building on the local bat population.’

‘With an updated design, and stringent mitigation measures in place to ensure a sufficiently dark environment for bats, Paul Smith, who is leading the initiative for the applicant, Whitbread, is asking for Ashburton to embrace the opportunity which will result in significant investment and considerable economic benefits for Ashburton as a whole In an open letter to local stakeholders, he is affirming Whitbread’s commitment to investing into Ashburton and contributing to the sustainable development of the town and the National Park economy. The letter also highlights the long-term benefits the scheme would bring as the town and the National Park look to bounce back from the challenges and setbacks created by the COVID19 pandemic.’

The letter:

Dear All

Our amended planning application for a new Premier Inn in Ashburton comes before the National Park Committee on Friday 31 July.

The application was deferred by the Development Management Committee in October 2019 to allow further engagement with Officers.  We have worked diligently with Officers throughout this time to address the feedback received and we have made several important changes to the application at the request of Officers.

We are proposing a high quality, bespoke Premier Inn hotel for Ashburton which brings with it a wide range of economic and social benefits including £5.2 million of direct private investment, 30 new, year-round jobs and more choice of accommodation for people wanting to stay in Ashburton and the National Park.

Research we have carried out at comparable Premier Inn locations has indicated that the hotel will have high occupancy rates and that most guests would eat out during their stay, supporting local businesses in Ashburton and elsewhere.  The COVID-19 pandemic has not altered our assessment of future occupancy or guest behaviour – indeed, Premier Inn hotels in equivalent locations have bounced back quickly following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

The scheme would also kick-start the regeneration of the stalled development at Dolbeare Business Park which won’t be possible without the hotel investment.  Without funds from the sale of the land to Whitbread, the owner of Dolbeare Business Park would not be able to commence and complete the infrastructure works required for the whole site.

On design, we have worked with Officers to produce a bespoke architectural style that takes on board their feedback.  The hotel will also now feature automatic blackout blinds/glazing to rear bedroom windows to ensure a sufficiently dark environment for bats. 

Overall, we are confident that this application would ensure direct investment and local benefits to Ashburton and the National Park.  We believe that it has substantial merit and would support the sustainable expansion of the National Park economy and complement existing facilities in the town.

We stand ready to invest.  We hope we will have the opportunity to do so and to play our part in building a bright future for Ashburton and the National Park.

Paul Smith, Acquisition Manager, Whitbread