Premier Inn fire: Bristol hotel to be rebuilt

Plans to rebuild a Premier Inn hotel which was badly damaged in a fire in July have been given the go-ahead.

The decision by South Gloucestershire Council planners means the site in Bristol can be cleared and a "new and improved" hotel and restaurant built.

The design will follow the same U-shaped building footprint as the previous hotel but with a "simpler and more up-to-date design style".

An investigation into the blaze recorded its cause as "unknown".

Extensive damage and subsequent demolition works to the building on Cribbs Causeway meant investigators could not "accurately determine the origin and cause of ignition", Avon Fire and Rescue Service said.

The hotel's owners, Whitbread, have added six more bedrooms to the plans to create a 183-bedroom hotel.

The section of the building facing on to Cribbs Causeway will be raised by a storey to accommodate a car parking area.

A 150-seat restaurant and meeting rooms are also included in the design.

Building work is likely to start later this summer and the hotel is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.