PLANS have been unveiled for a 40-bedroom hotel in Blackburn.

Marston’s Inns and Taverns wants to build the two-storey hotel on land between Haslingden Road and Fishmoor Reservoir.

If the plans are approved tomorrow night, the hotel would link up with the next-door Willows Pub, which would provide food and drink for residents.

The council’s planning officers have recommended the scheme be approved when Blackburn with Darwen’s planning and highways committee meets tomorrow night.

But some residents have raised concerns the development will exacerbate traffic problems in Haslingden Road.

A new filling station including East Lancashire’s first Starbucks has recently been built over the road, and one of the borough’s first ‘superschools’, New East Blackburn, is planned for the site of the driving range, despite fears over traffic levels.

Jack Yates, of the Queen’s Park Supporters’ Group, said: “The traffic up there is an absolute shambles at the moment, and this can only make it worse.

“The other day I had to go to the hospital, and it took me 20 minutes to get out of the hospital to the junction of Shadsworth Road.”

A Guide resident has also written to the planning committee asking for the proposed hotel to be ‘as unobtrusive as possible’.

The council officers believe the design of the hotel is ‘sympathetic’ to its surroundings, the impact on the highways will be ‘acceptable’ and they said they were happy with 47 car parking spaces that are proposed.

Marston’s Inns and Taverns’ agents were unavailable for comment.