REVEALED: The hotel giant with BIG plans for Peterborough city police station site

A planning application has been submitted to turn the building into a Premier Inn Hotel.

However, visitors will not be able to spend a night in the cells, as if the application is given the go ahead, the building will be demolished, with a new hotel built in its place.

The police station has been empty since 2015, while Cambridgeshire police’s motor workshop moved away from the site last year.

The planning application reveals the new hotel would have 126 rooms, and provide 37 new jobs. The new hotel would also have a restaurant.

Premier Inn is the latest hotel brand to announce a move to Peterborough city centre, with a Hilton Gardens Innset to open. The 130 room hotel in the Fletton Quays Development is being built thanks to a £15 million loan to developers from Peterborough City Council.

Cllr John Holdich, leader of the council, said the offering from Premier Inn would be different to the Hilton. He said: “All the evidence is that we need more hotel space in the city.

“We have a monstrosity of a building in the middle of the road at the moment, and just about the only thing you can do with it is build a hotel.

“But it has to look good. We have spent money on Lower Bridge Street, and it is the gateway to the city from that side.”

Toby Wood, from the Peterborough Civic Society, said the society was looking at the plans. He said: “Civic Society committee members are meeting with the applicant’s agent early next week to discuss the application. Our view will be more definite after that.”

Stuart Rose, Acquisitions Manager for the Midlands at Premier Inn, said: “Our development partner has recently submitted a planning application to Peterborough City Council for a brand new 126-bedroom Premier Inn hotel by Rivergate in Peterborough. The proposal seeks planning permission to demolish the former Bridge Street Police Station and create a striking new hotel building. The strategic location of the hotel on the corner of Rivergate and Bridge Street will act as a gateway to Peterborough city centre and the contemporary design will create a lively frontage onto Bridge Street.

“Whitbread, Premier Inn’s parent company, is making a significant investment in the new hotel and, if approved, it would create approximately 40 new year-round jobs, with recruitment focused in Peterborough and the surrounding area.

“We have been actively seeking a site for a new hotel in the city centre for a number of years, so the former Police Station presents an ideal opportunity for us. We hope the Council supports our ambitions for the site and the opportunities we will bring to Peterborough.”