CIVIC chiefs have agreed to sell land to Premier Inn so it can spend £2.5m to expand one of its hotels.

It means the chain's hotel at Gosport Leisure Park will expand from 63 to 99 bedrooms and four new jobs could be created.

There will also be 36 new car parking spaces created by the expansion for hotel and leisure park customers, with a planning application anticipated to be submitted imminently.

Gosport Borough Council's economic development board agreed at a meeting to sell the land to Premier Inn.

Cllr Stephen Philpott, chairman of the economic development board said, “The council is delighted with this proposal to extend the very busy Premier Inn at Gosport Leisure Park which makes an important contribution to the economy, particularly in the tourism sector for the Borough.

"It is great that a national company like Premier Inn are continuing to invest in Gosport.”

Graham Hedley, project and programme manager for Premier Inn, said “We are delighted to have agreed terms to acquire land that could pave the way for a new 36-bedroom extension to our Gosport Premier Inn.

"Our hotel has been a great success with consistently strong visitor numbers and high customer demand – our new extension will deliver £2.5m in fresh investment and create around four new jobs.

"Having agreed the deal on the land, we will now produce a planning proposal for submission to Gosport Borough Council."