Investors sought to build Blackpool Winter Gardens hotel

The scheme for a three-to-five storey property on land between Leopold Grove, Adelaide Street and Alfred Street includes a second floor bridge to link the development directly with the conference centre set to open next year.

Tom Cunningham, hotels director at Savills Manchester, said: “Winter Gardens is an iconic destination in Blackpool, with its extensive entertainment facilities and excellent location.

"This is a rare opportunity to acquire an exciting proposed hotel development in the area, at a time when we are seeing the Blackpool hotel sector shift into the modern budget corporate market.”

An order to close off part of Leopold Grove which would be pedestrianised as part of the scheme has also just been published by the Department for Transport.

Outline planning permission was granted last June for the hotel, comprising 203 rooms with gym, spa, restaurant and café facilities.

The development site also includes a car park on the lower ground floor providing capacity for up to 62 vehicles.

A report by planning officers said the scheme would “add to the offer of quality visitor accommodation close to the town centre and is particularly well placed to serve future delegates at the conference centre”.

It is hoped secure attached hotel accommodation could help the council-owned Winter Gardens win back the main party political conferences which it previously hosted.

The site is currently partly occupied by a car park.