Drighlington Premier Inn expansion plans approved

Plans to expand a budget hotel with more than 40 new rooms have been approved by the city council.

Drighlington’s Premier Inn will be upgraded to 103 bedrooms to meet growing demand from customers.

Leeds City Council gave planning permission for alterations to the building on Wakefield Road, near junction 27 of the M62.

Some 43 new rooms with be added to the hotel on the site of a former brickworks on green belt land.

A planning officer’s report said: “Throughout the decades, the site has been redeveloped with modern construction, with the tall chimney and its original lettering remaining as features of historic Interest.”

The report said a new two-storey extension at the site would not encroach further onto undeveloped land.

It said: “Taking this into account it is not considered that the proposed extension would result in substantial harm to openness of the green belt.”

An existing single-storey extension would be demolished at the site.

Electric vehicle charging points and cycle storage would be provided as part of alterations to the car park.

Premier Inn said the hotel was operating at full capacity and it was not possible to provide extra space at another location.

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