A NEW hotel, gym and nursery will be built in Whiteley despite many objections from nearby residents.

Winchester City Council’s planning committee gave the go-ahead for a mixed-use development which will include a Travelodge, Brewers Fayre restaurant, and a multi-storey car park.

The development on land north of Forum Buildings, Solent Business Park, will also see a maximum of 8,946sqm of floorspace comprising light industrial.

CCP IV Solent Sarl had previously been given planning permission for industrial units, but with changes in market need it returned with a new application.

Applicant David Hughes told councillors: “The application represents a culmination of three years of hard work, consultation and positive engagement. I hope it will be seen for what it is, a sensible scheme that looks to add positively to the built environment of Whiteley, which will add much needed amenity to the business park and which is a logical use of allocated development land in the absence of demand for new offices.

“It is not the proposal of a greedy developer looking to maximise profit.”

He said the hotel will not be ready for occupation for two years after highways work, including new access routes and junction works and servicing routes, are completed.

However, the application sparked backlash with 79 written objections.

Speaking at the meeting nearby resident Yvonne Beadle-Smith said: “We know that the whole area is designated for office use, change of use is overdevelopment at its worst. The hotel will ruin the landscape of Whiteley as you enter Whiteley with its signage the first thing you see.

“They want to build yet another gym, there are already three gyms in Whiteley and you have given planning permission for a fourth one in February. They all have vacancies and there another 20 with vacancies within a 10-minute drive.

“As regards to the Brewers Fayre restaurant there are multiple restaurants in Whiteley, Brewers Fayre brings nothing new.

“The multi-storey car park will sit above the tree line and will do little to ease the parking problem in Whiteley and will be a grotesque blot on the landscape.”

But councillors backed the plan, with committee chair Cllr Therese Evans saying: “I think the scheme is an attractive and it will alleviate parking, and I think the hotel will be useful to the business park.”

Cllr Patrick Cunningham added: “The traffic seems to be the main issue with regard to the objections. I know I would rather see a balanced mixed used development as has been presented to us than I would like to see an additional five office blocks adding to traffic congestion.”

The developers will have to return with an in-depth application for the industrial units, the nursery, gym and associated landscape and parking as the proposal was only seeking outline permission.