PLANS showing how a new 123-bed hotel in Botley may look have been revealed two years after planning permission was granted.

The Premier Inn will form part of the West Way redevelopment which got underway in May this year.

A new planning application for the hotel’s signage has been submitted this month along with an artist’s impression of how the finished building could look.

The hotel will be to the south east of the development, with the main frontage running along Westminster Way and the A34.

The drawings depict the hotel rising to eight storeys at its highest point, with the image above showing the view as it would look from the east.

A Premier Inn spokesman said the artist’s impression of the building had been drawn to the specifications of the plans which had already gained planning consent.

Though they said the image should only act as a guide to what the hotel will look like with the possibility that the final design may change.

Chris Church of Botley Community Association said: “We always knew this would be one of the big buildings in the redevelopment, and the signage seems to be aimed at drivers on the A34.

“The building may shield the rest of the new development from some of the noise and pollution from the A34.”

Referencing community fears that Botley could find itself in the thick of further development for the Oxford Cambridge Expressway he added: “I hope that people staying there don’t end up looking out at an eight lane Expressway.”

The regeneration of the heart of Botley has seen the old 1960s shopping arcade flattened to be replaced with a new 425,000 sq ft mixed-use development.

As well as the hotel the new complex will be home to shops, 140 flats and 261 units for student accommodation.

Premier Inn confirmed its involvement in the multi-million pound development project in November 2016.

Developer Mace was granted planning permission by Vale of White Horse District Council earlier that summer.

However, delays stemming from landownership meant that the site remained in limbo until the land sale from Vale of White Horse to the Botley Development Company went through in January this year.

Work eventually started on demolishing the old West Way shopping centre in May with the site now ready for construction of the new development.

Mr Church said: "After many years of delay it's good to see progress.

"We've never been against redevelopment full stop, and to some extent what people want now is a redevelopment with as few problems as possible so we can get our shopping centre back."

This month has seen a tower crane erected on the site, with a second due to be put up in November.