Plans for the £10m renovation of a building in Dorchester's high street have been submitted to Dorset Council.

As previously reported, Premier Inn have been planning the construction of a new hotel on the site of the former Marks and Spencer shop on South Street in Dorchester.

Premier Inn’s parent company, Whitbread PLC, has submitted the plans for the hotel which would see the company spend around £10m on the hotel’s construction and the 50 jobs on and off site during the build.

Whitbread has submitted the planning application to Dorset Council following a public consultation in the Autumn which they say saw ‘favourable feedback’.

As previously reported, much of the existing building has fallen into disrepair after RAAC was found in the roof, and it has been proposed that the building would be demolished and replaced with a purpose-built hotel which will be built to Premier Inn’s latest design and sustainability specification.

The site is expected to create 30 new permanent jobs in the town, with the hopes that it will boost the local economy, providing accommodation for tourists in the town centre.

Phil Gordon, Project Director of Dorchester BID, said: "I'm delighted to see some progress on the planning for the new Premier Inn proposal for South Street as I have been hoping to get an update from the developers and its been a little quiet recently.

"All the traders I've spoken to in town so far can't wait for this to happen and are very supportive of the project.

"This is in part due to them realising that having this in the heart of town will attract more footfall and so more custom for them potentially.

"They also welcome the substantial inward investment which is a further sign that businesses have great confidence in the future of Dorchester as a tourist destination and an important historic county town," he added.

He went on to say: "Although there have been a few negative comments, they are mostly about things that are non-issues like parking.

"I've seen these a few times and the simple answer is that mostly, guests will be wanting to park overnight and we have 1,500 plus spaces in car parks all around the proposed hotel some a very short walk away."

Steve Bulley, President of Dorchester Chamber for Business, said: "Our members have been positive about the plans since they were first announced. The high street is evolving and although we lose a large retail unit the hotel will bring a significant number of visitors with spending power.

“The visuals of the exterior look sympathetic to the adjoining properties which I believe is a good move from the developers.”

Mayor of Dorchester, Cllr Robin Potter, said: “I’m very pleased to see the building used and a hotel looks like a sensible use for the building with the hopes that Premier Inn can make it better.

“We’ve seen the original plans and will be discussing them in closer detail at a meeting on Monday.”

Chairman of the Dorchester BID, Neil Strudwick, said: "As chairman of Dorchester BID and someone who also has a business in this fantastic town it's an absolute winner all round that Whitbread want to build a Premier Inn in the centre of town.

"I think it's great that such a large business can put its faith in Dorchester giving us a huge confidence boost in moving the town forward. It shows that Dorchester can not only attract small independents businesses but also large corporations as well."

Louise Woodruff, Property Acquisitions Manager at Whitbread, said: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who took part in our public consultation last year. The feedback we received showed significant support for the redevelopment of the site as a Premier Inn hotel which we were delighted to hear.

“The application we have submitted will bring the former M&S site back into long term use, delivering significant investment during the construction of the hotel and creating long-term opportunities when we open.

“We have benefited from the input of many stakeholders during the design and planning of the development, and I’m looking forward to seeing the application progress to committee and hopefully a recommendation to proceed.”

For more information, visit the dedicated website for the proposed development at www.premierinn-dorchester.co.uk.