PLANS to build a budget hotel in place of swanky flats on top of the soon-to-be-revamped Crown Centre in Stourbridge will go on display to the public next week.

Premier Inn owners Whitbread Group Plc have this week released the first glimpse of how their proposed new 120-bed hotel will blend in with existing £50m plans to revamp the ailing shopping centre.

And bosses will be on hand to talk more about it to residents, shoppers and town traders at a public exhibition - being held in the former Café Chique (unit 7) and Stourbridge Library on Tuesday September 30 and Wednesday October 1.

Members of the public will be able to speak to the project team between midday and 5pm and leave their comments on the proposals, which Whitbread bosses will be collating before submitting their planning application to Dudley Council in early October.

Stourbridge MP Lynda Waltho said: “I think the Premier Inn’s proposals have the potential to benefit Stourbridge and its town centre.

“I am looking forward to seeing the plans in more detail and I welcome the exhibition next week which will give local people a chance to speak to the project team and let them know what they think .

“This is an important stage in the process and I would encourage people in Stourbridge to get involved and help shape their town.”

Bosses at Whitbread - the UK’s largest budget hotel operator - believe the new hotel could be a real boost to town trade and tourism, increasing consumer spending by £500,000 to £1m.

If it gets the thumbs-up when it goes before Dudley Council’s planners - it will form part of Modus Properties’ scheme to turn the Crown Centre into a state-of-the-art shopping complex with new Tesco superstore, new shops, new market, and 120 parking spaces.

Original plans - that were passed by Dudley Council in March - included a block of swanky new flats, but the idea was scrapped when the UK housing market started to plummet.

The new Premier Inn hotel - which would be located on the corner of Bath Road and New Street on part of the rebuilt Crown Centre multi-storey car park - would also include a restaurant for hotel guests and the general public.

It would also create up to to 50 full and part time jobs.

The hotel plan has already been welcomed by Stourbridge councillor - Malcolm Knowles, Dudley’s cabinet member for economic regeneration; and a number of town traders.

And if it gets the same reception from the public - Whitbread hope to get permission for the new plan before Christmas, with the aim of starting building work next spring.