A PUB company has cut the number of bedrooms in its plans to convert its head offices into an hotel.

Devonshire Pub Company is set to get the green light on Monday for its scheme to convert its offices in Surrey Road, Nelson, into a hotel with conference facilities.

The number of bedrooms being proposed has been cut from 38 to 30 to reduce the number of car parking spaces required. Concern about car parking in the area has been one of the main hurdles.

The proposed hotel would share a 77-space car park with the adjacent Thatch and Thistle pub, owned by Devonshire. A further 10 new spaces, including three for disabled drivers, would be created as part of the plan.

Pendle Council's Nelson area committee is recommended to delegate consent for the hotel subject to an agreement that the car park sharing goes ahead and the hotel does not have a separate restaurant for non-guests.

Planning officer Daniel Hartley, in a report to the committee, said: "The hotel is ideally situated on a bus route and in close proximity to the M65 motorway and would provide a valuable facility with local job opportunities for the borough."

Pendle has a lack of hotel rooms which is holding back industry, according to local firms.

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