PLANS for a new hotel and apartments development in Oldham Town Centre were approved by planning committee.

Applicant SCA Limited proposed to demolish the existing buildings on land bounded by Rock Street, Bradshaw Street and Hopkin Street in order to create a 70-bedroom hotel with associated restaurant, cafe, function room and roof terrace, up to five storeys in height along with a residential development of 42 apartments.

The site, which currently contains a function suite, former nightclub, restaurant and storage space, stands in a U-shape, with informal car parking within.

The outline application proposes to retain the U-shape layout, with under and above ground car parking - 70 spaces for the hotel, 42 for the apartments, 12 visitor for apartments and 13 unallocated.

The apartments would be a mix of 16 one-bedroom, 20 two-bedroom and 6 three-bedroom, all with open plan living accommodation.

The apartments and hotel would also have shared access to an internal, landscaped courtyard area.

The application's planning statement said: "Overall, the site's surrounding area has been, and continues to be, the subject of economic regeneration and growth, and it is hoped that the proposals subject to this application can further strengthen the local economy and complement surrounding land uses."

Businesses which would be affected by the development include the Cotton Rooms event hire space, Romano's Restaurant, Age UK storage and Jaymar Dance Centre.

The application adds: "The works would result in the re-use and redevelopment of a degraded brownfield site, with the obvious benefits to the locality that this would bring, namely by way of a significant contribution to the mix of Oldham's housing stock and also through a significant boost to the local economy via the increase in job opportunities (hotel), which should bothebe considered major, material gains in the overall planning balance."

The application was approved unanimously by planning committee members.