PURPLE hoarding has appeared in the town centre on the site of a new £17 million hotel and steakhouse.

The latest addition to the Premier Inn chain is being built on the old Aspen House land oppostie The Savoy pub on Regent Street.

The £17m investment from owner Whitbread will feature almost 200 rooms in eight storeys and include a 214-cover ‘Bar+Block’ steakhouse restaurant on the ground floor.

A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: "This redevelopment will provide more footfall to the top end of Regent Street as well as Commercial Road which will benefit from what will become a much improved pedestrian route on Temple Street.

"To find out more about town centre projects, visit www.swindon.gov.uk/towncentreregeneration"

Swindon Advertiser:

The local authority agreed the sale of the site to Whitbread in November 2019 and approved plans for the building back in June 2020. On-site preparations then began in March this year before construction could go ahead.

The hotel chain expects that around 45 full-time employment jobs will be created when the new one opens.

Swindon Advertiser:

There are already three other Premier Inns elsewhere in Swindon - near Junction 16 of the M4, in Kembrey Business Park, and near the A419 in Blunsdon.