A NEW survey has revealed a shortage of hotels in East Hampshire district and pinpointed Petersfield as having a special need.

The survey, carried out by Tourism Solutions and commissioned by Hampshire County Council, will come as no surprise to town or district councillors or traders in Petersfield.

They have highlighted the desperate need for an hotel in the town centre for several years since the closure of PetersfieldÕs only hotel, The Concorde.

There have been no lack of developers interested in providing more beds in the town, but despite the pressing need the three main applications in the past five years have all failed.

Tourism Solutions found that there were 155 hotels in Hampshire of two-star standard or above with more than 7,300 bedrooms on offer.

But it was in the north of the county and in larger towns and cities where hotels were achieving high occupancy rates and turning away business because they were full.

Researchers found that developers were keen to build hotels in the Hampshire area, but some of the suggested sites provided by local authorities were unsuitable for a variety of reasons.

Following publication of the research, the county council organised a seminar attended by planning and tourism officers from East Hampshire and the rest of the county, chamber of commerce representatives and hotel managers.

The county councilÕs executive member for economic development, Michael Woodhall, who chaired the seminar, said an action plan was now being drawn up to help all interested groups to work together more effectively.

ÒWe are delighted that this important research can now move on to the next stage of development.Ó

Plans for a 41-bedroom hotel at the Red Lion in the centre of Petersfield are in the pipeline.

They were submitted by Whitbread in April this year and are due to go before East Hampshire District CouncilÕs planning south committee in February.

A 38-bedroom hotel plan for the Red Lion three years ago failed because Whitbread could not find enough parking spaces. Planning officers estimated it was 44 spaces short.

Petersfield pub landlord John While abandoned his plans to build a £250,000 12- bedroom hotel next to the White Hart in October l999 when he claimed planners placed a set of very costly conditions on planning permission.

When Mr While announced his hotel plans they were widely welcomed by town councillors and traders alike.

But the pub landlord said the hotel was scuppered by unreasonable demands from district council planners..

Earlier this year plans for an 84-bedroom hotel on the edge of Petersfield on land south of Buckmore Farm were withdrawn by the American chain Days Inn.

There has been detailed planning permission for a 40- bedroom hotel on the site since l998.