YET another company has unveiled plans to build a hotel close to the centre of Swindon.

In the past 21 months Swindon has seen a flurry of plans to build new hotels.

Now Absolute Swindon Limited And Vantage Hotel Developments has joined the queue.

It wants planning permission for a 130-bedroom hotel and fitness centre at Drakes Meadow, just off Drakes Way.

Coun Sinead Darker (Con, Central) has given the plan a cautious welcome - although she says there are concerns.

"I am pleased that Swindon is seen as a growing town attracting investment of this type," she said.

"However, I am not convinced this is the best place for a hotel.

"I would prefer to see a hotel in the town centre which would bring life back into our town in the evenings and help develop a cafe style culture rather than just all pubs.

"I would also be concerned about the effect such a development would have on the local residents.

"Hotels usually have bars, restaurants and sometimes nightclubs.

"I would need to be sure that the residents wouldn't suffer noise nuisance.

"A huge hotel like that would have lots of traffic and that also may cause congestion along the busy Drakes Way.

"On the other hand, the proposed site is on brownfield land beside an industrial estate and urgently needs regeneration, which this hotel could offer, so I can see pluses and minuses on both sides."

In the past two years plans for a string of new hotels close to the town centre have been lodged.

Mathew Singh, who owns the Mechanics Institute building in Emlyn Square, wants to turn it into a hotel.

Regent Circus, which is on the old Swindon college site, is set to get a new hotel as part of a multi-million pound redevelopment scheme.

In July, councillors approved plans for a 102-bedroom hotel close to the Turnpike roundabout and, in June, Northern Irish company Jury's Inn submitted plans for a 200-room hotel on the old Arriva Ford site in the town centre.

Because of the number of hotel applications, Coun Darker said anyone with concerns should come forward.

"I would urge all residents to make their views known to me or to the planning officers," she said.

The London agents acting for the Drakes Meadow applicant refused to return Adver phone calls.