Premier Inn hotel in Burgess Hill could see 64 more rooms

Planning permission is being sought for the Premier Inn hotel on Charles Avenue, in Burgess Hill, which would involve the demolition of an associated restaurant and the construction of a new building, providing 64 more rooms.

The plans would see the hotel more than double its existing capacity, taking it from 58 bedrooms to 122.

The three-storey hotel is currently attached to another building, which houses a Beefeater restaurant.

The hotel chain and the restaurant chain are owned by the same parent company, Whitbread.

While the current restaurant building would be demolished under the plans, the new building would also include a replacement restaurant, with space for 80 diners.

Alterations will also be made to the existing car park, to allow for 116 spaces.

The newly proposed building will be linked to the existing structure with a single-storey building that will house the entrance and reception area.

The plans are recommended for permission by Mid Sussex District Council's planning committee, which will meet on January 22.

The plans for the hotel come in the wake of Premier Inn's continued expansion across Sussex.

The chain recently announced plans for a second hotel in Chichester and hopes to open a seafront hotel in Bognor Regis in April 2026.

It has also received approval to build a 130-bedroom hotel in Littlehampton on the site of a former supermarket, with construction set to begin in February.

Construction of a 187-bedroom hotel in Brighton is hoped to be completed by 2028.

The chain's expansion plans are despite Whitbread recently announcing it expects to see a £35 million hit from reforms to business rates that were announced in last year's Budget.