Architectural practice Webb Gray is returning to its Black Country roots after securing a hotel project in the area where it all started for the company nearly a century ago.
The practice, which was established in Dudley in 1919 but relocated to Birmingham in 2005, has been appointed by developers Stoford to design a 63-bedroom Premier Inn hotel on the Castle Gate Business Park, Dudley. The £3.5 million project is set to 25 create new jobs, support local businesses and boost tourism.
Planning permission was granted by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council earlier this year for the three-storey hotel, along with a café and 60 parking spaces on the land, which is owned by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The 28-week project is due to be completed in May 2013.
The Birmingham-based architects, which originally focused on designing impressive municipal buildings, have completed a broad range of projects from the largest commercial developments to smaller works, covering new build and refurbishment in every sector.
David Delaney-Hall, director at Webb Gray, said: “It’s great to be working in the Black Country again and with such a well-known brand as Premier Inn. We are pleased that the hotel will create new job opportunitues in the area during both the construction stages and when it opens to the public next year.”
John Bates, head of acquisitions for Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants in the UK and Ireland, said: “Premier Inn is expanding aggressively across the UK as we keep up with strong demand for our high-quality, affordable product and search out new exciting locations for our customers.
“Castlegate Business Park is an ideal location for a new Premier Inn hotel, with great road access and many restaurants and entertainment facilities nearby for our customers.”
Premier Inn is the UK and Ireland’s biggest and fastest growing hotel company. Owned by global hotel, coffee shop and restaurant company Whitbread PLC, Premier Inn has more than 49,000 Premier Inn bedrooms across 630 hotels nationwide and offers quality accommodation at affordable hotel prices.