The mayor of Wantage has backed a suggestion that a hotel could be built on a former primary school site.

Grove 2000, the company which runs Grove Technology Park, claims the local economy has suffered because of a shortage of places for business people to stay.

The company has called on the Vale of White Horse District Council to earmark sites where a new hotel and conference centre could be built and include them in its Local Plan.

Wantage mayor Jenny Hannaby said: "Garston Lane is one possible site where a new hotel could be proposed. It's an ideal place for such a development.

"The district council can't use taxpayers' money to build a hotel, but the people who are calling for it are people with the resources and money to build a hotel.

"Perhaps they could consider putting some proposals together, now that we know there's provision in the Local Plan for such a development in the area."

Under the current adopted Local Plan, a hotel could be built in Abingdon, Grove, Wantage or Faringdon as long as the plan met planning and traffic require- ments.

Nick Burroughs, principal planner in the council's planning strategy division, said: "If a reasonable proposal were to be submitted then it could be allowed. It's up to the hotel provider to come forward with a proposal which is commercially viable."

The chairman of Grove 2000, Robert Lamplough, said: "It's all very well the council saying that a hotel may be permitted, but they need to decide where."

He said his company had identified possible sites in Grove Road, near the roundabout, Mably Way and off Ickelton Road.

Wantage and District Chamber of Commerce members have also suggested the Dow site at Letcombe, as well as land off the A338, near the former Wantage Road station and the Yoplait site.