CGI of the proposed hotel. Credit: Maple Grove Developments.

Whitbread has signed a lease agreement with Maple Grove Developments for a proposed 110-room Premier Inn in Lancaster city centre.

The scheme is subject to planning permission. It would redevelop a vacant, derelict site on Edward Street in the city’s Canal Quarter.

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Notably, Lancaster City Council has identified the Canal Quarter for long-term regeneration.

Maple Grove Developments, the commercial development division of Lancashire-based Eric Wright Group, is seeking to build a new-format Premier Inn on the site.

The hotel would be located at the corner of Moor Lane and Edward Street. Its entrance and ground-floor restaurant would face Edward Street and a proposed public space.

Maple Grove Developments managing director James Scott said: “Getting the development to this stage has involved foresight, determination and the hard work of many committed people, including Officers and elected representatives at Lancaster City Council.

“Signing the agreement for lease with Whitbread brings certainty to the change we are seeking to deliver at the Canal Quarter, ultimately transforming a collection of derelict industrial buildings into a high-quality hotel that will bring many lasting benefits to Lancaster and the surrounding area.”

Whitbread operates 842 Premier Inn hotels across the UK and Ireland. It currently runs an 81-bedroom Premier Inn on Caton Road, on the edge of Lancaster.

Whitbread acquisition manager Jill Anderson said: “This agreement is a significant milestone for both Lancaster and Whitbread’s expansion in the Northwest.

“We have long targeted the city centre as a priority location, and this new Premier Inn will deliver attractive financial returns and meet clear demand for high-quality, affordable accommodation.

“In partnership with Maple Grove Developments, we’re unlocking a key regeneration site and bringing it back into productive, long-term use – creating permanent hospitality jobs, supporting local businesses and driving new economic activity.”

If the permission is granted, construction is expected to take 18 months. Whitbread expects the hotel to create around 30 permanent jobs when it opens.

Premier Inn team members are employed directly by Whitbread.