by Andrew Milford

CONFIRMATION that a new hotel and leisure complex is planned for Farnborough has been welcomed as a boost for the local economy.

Village Hotels & Leisure Clubs, one of the brands operated by De Vere Plc, is putting together a planning application for a site within the new business park development.

Contracts have been exchanged with Slough Estates, with completion dependent on the scheme being approved by Rushmoor Borough Council.

The application is due to be submitted in the next four to six weeks and, if successful, Village Farnborough, as the complex would be called, would be scheduled to open in 2008.

According to a spokeswoman for Village Hotels and Leisure Clubs, Farnborough has been chosen because it is a prime location.

“Obviously, it will have implications in terms of employment because it would be looking to employ about 250 members of staff,” she added.

“One of the things about Village Hotels is that they are very much into recruiting locally and this will give people opportunities. I think that is very important.

“It is not just an opportunity in Farnborough, but with this being a national chain, and as it rolls out across the UK, there are opportunities within the group.

“One of the key things is that people don’t have to have training in hospitality or the leisure industry.”

Village Hotels & Leisure Clubs is a national hotel chain, with the company planning to roll out two to three new hotels every year for the next decade.

Traditionally based in the north and the Midlands, the company has expanded into the south over the past two years. Village Maidstone opened in 2004 and Village Bournemouth at the end of last year.

All Village Hotels are purpose-built and include extensive leisure clubs with the latest fitness equipment, a 25-metre swimming pool, sauna, steam-room and a range of classes to suit all fitness levels.

Each hotel also has three dining options — one serving untraditional British cuisine, another selling pub grub, and there is a café. There is free parking for up to 300 cars.

Lib Dem councillor Craig Card said: “This does sound very interesting and we would need to see some details of what exactly is being proposed.

“If the company’s policy is to recruit locally it could be very interesting because Farnborough currently has people coming into the area to work and then going out again and is not supplying jobs for local people.”

He said Farnborough and Aldershot need more hotels. “When it comes to the time of the airshow, you notice just how poorly represented Farnborough is with hotel accommodation.

“I would like to see more in the borough but I would also like to see more of the right type of housing and companies employing people locally.”

Cllr Charlie Fraser-Fleming added: “I have always felt that the business park would take a long time to develop, but if we can get a hotel which is close to the TAG terminal I think it will be an absolutely brilliant idea.

“I think it would help TAG, the local economy, Slough Estates and the airshow.”

The News reported In February last year that TAG, the operators of Farnborough Airport, was looking to build a new 150-room hotel on site.

A TAG spokesman said on Wednesday that they were unconcerned with the possibility of a rival hotel being built.

A statement read: “TAG Aviation has acquired a site for the future development of a hotel.

“TAG believes there is sufficient business and space for more than one new hotel in the Farnborough area, particularly with the business being generated by the airport.”