BURY Council has lost its fight to prevent a luxury hotel from being built on its doorstep.

Local planning chiefs objected to a multi-million pound 98-bedroom hotel and conference centre at Heap Bridge. The land is on the Bury side of the M66 but is in Heywood and controlled by Rochdale Council.

It was felt town centre locations should be sought to accommodate the luxury hotel rather than sites on the outskirts.

The location also contravened Rochdale Council's unitary development plan which identified the area for industrial rather than leisure use. However, Heywood's planning committee approved the scheme and referred the matter to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Mr John Prescott, who has given the job-creating project his full blessing and will not be calling for a public inquiry into the project.

Greenalls Hotel and Leisure are behind the new hotel which will have conference facilities and a leisure suite and will provide 59 full-time and 134 part-time jobs in a high unemployment area.

As well as the accommodation suites, the hotel will include a reception area, bar, restaurant and kitchen, conference and meeting rooms on the ground floor.

The leisure club will feature a 25m swimming pool, two squash courts, fitness and aerobics facilities, nine beauty therapy rooms, a bar and cafe and creche. It would be open to hotel guests and club members.

Bury Council's leader Councillor Derek Boden said: "We have made our objections to the plan in that we felt the development of this kind were better in or near town centres.

"At the end of the day it is a decision for Rochdale Council to make which they have done in favour of the hotel."

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