PETERSFIELD town councillor Hugh Sandeman has welcomed plans for a motel at Buckmore Farm, but said this week he hoped the gateway to the town would not end up "bland and mass produced." Plans were submitted last week for a 51- bedroom Premier Travel Inn on the western side of town next to the BP filling station and McDonald's restaurant. But in a passionate speech at Tuesday's planning committee, Mr Sandeman told his colleagues why any construction on the site should be in keeping with its surroundings. He said: "It is the gateway to the town and as such deserves the very best. "I feel I must take a stand as we need the best hotel with the best materials and best design, with local-looking materials." The hotel chain hopes to include a Brewers Fayre restaurant on the Winchester Road roundabout site. But Mr Sandeman is keen to ensure the builders are sympathetic to the local landscape and architecture. He added: "I am troubled by the bland tiles - we don't want a bland sea of red. It could look cheap and not in keeping with local surroundings. "The hotel should reflect the town's history. Without being pompous it should be reflective of the environment it is set in, and not bland and mass produced." In a planning application to East Hampshire District Council, the Whitbread Group, which owns the hotel chain, said: "The proposals represent a high quality development which respects the character and appearance of the surrounding area." Councillors agreed that they would consult John Parsons, the planning officer for the hotel plan, at the next meeting of the planning committee before submitting their comments.
