BACKING for a 102-bedroom hotel in north Swindon could scupper town centre regeneration, councillors have been warned.

Earlier this year proposals were unveiled for a Harvester restaurant and a 102-bedroom hotel on a site next to the Turnpike Roundabout, close to Motorola, on Thamesdown Drive.

When councillors debated the plan in July they agreed to postpone making a decision until the developer supplied more paperwork.

Now that paperwork is in - and officers are urging councillors to back the plan.

But town centre developer Modus, which is behind the Regent Place scheme in the centre of town, is objecting.

It wrote to planning officers saying that if the council supported the hotel plan it could damage the chance of town centre regeneration.

In papers prepared for councillors before the meeting, officers summarised Modus' argument.

"If Swindon Council continues to grant planning permission for key town centre uses' such as hotels on out of centre' sites without proper justification, then this will seriously erode the chances of bringing forward successful regeneration schemes within the central area as, quite simply, there are insufficient hotel operators and demand for rooms to go around."

They also said Modus argued that hotel applications should be directed' at the town centre and that sites such as the Swindon College area in Regent Circus would soon be available.

The New Swindon Company, which was created to drive the regeneration of the town, is also objecting.

It spoke against the plan at a public inquiry earlier this year saying a hotel at that site would work against the redeveloped town centre and could threaten town centre hotel plans.

The company's objection said: "While interest in hotels in the town centre remains high they are all in their early stages of discussion."

Officers weighed up all the arguments, looked at the paperwork and drew up a conclusion based on planning law.

And in the papers they say: "The updated assessments demonstrate to policy officers that to grant planning permission in this location would not undermine the vitality and viability of the town centre."

The application will be debated on Tuesday, January 8.