Fresh plans to build a Premier Inn near Events Square were revealed last month and now in an open letter, the project leader announces Whitbread Hotels' "long-term commitment to Falmouth."

Paul Smith, regional acquisition manager (south west) for Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, writes:

"We recently announced plans to redevelop the Discovery Way car park site in Port Pendennis into a new latest generation 70-bedroom Premier Inn hotel. The latest application is the third for the site, though it differs in many important ways from those submitted previously.

"Most importantly Whitbread, Premier Inn’s parent company, is now leading the development of the site independently. We have also instructed our project architects to review the previous designs and address the comments and concerns that were raised. As a result, the new design takes greater account of its surroundings, includes a new elevation facing the residents of Fisher Court and has an improved and more active frontage onto Discovery Quay.

"What has remained constant however is the demand for a Premier Inn hotel in central Falmouth and the long-term benefits it will bring. Last year there were more than 10,000 searches for a Premier Inn in Falmouth on the premierinn.com website. Our nine existing hotels in Cornwall are all performing well, with above average occupancy, and demand is across the year.

"All Premier Inn hotels are family friendly and are designed to be used flexibly. The vast majority of our guests eat and drink out when they stay with us and we expect this to be the case in Falmouth. Based on the predicted occupancy of the hotel and our guests anticipated spending, a Premier Inn in Falmouth is expected to generate an additional £1.7 million in visitor spending every year. A location at Port Pendennis ensures our guests are only a few minutes’ walk from established eateries and attractions.

"As a business we take a long-term stake in the locations where we invest. Our Falmouth hotel will create 22 new FTE jobs, with recruitment focused locally, and we will encourage the appointed building contractor to use local suppliers and sub-contractors where possible. Given the nature of our business, and the Premier Inn Good Night Guarantee, we will also manage the completed hotel intensively and responsibly.

"Car parking studies carried out demonstrate that parking is unlikely to be a problem as our guests will use public car parks overnight when they are least busy. At present the whole car park is not available for use with a significant percentage only available for nearby private residents. These private spaces will be retained once the hotel is completed.

"A planning application for the new hotel is expected to be submitted to Cornwall Council in January. If it is granted, we will move to develop the site quickly and are targeting to have the hotel open by summer 2018. We won’t delay as a new Premier Inn hotel has a lot of offer and will make a positive and long-term contribution to the ongoing success of Falmouth."