Whitbread has lodged a planning application for a 104-bedroom Premier Inn on Victoria Viaduct in Carlisle.
The scheme would add to the company’s existing hotels in the city and occupy the former Central Plaza site, acquired freehold from Cumberland Council in May 2025.
The site has been linked to hospitality since 1881 but the former hotel fell into disrepair before being demolished in 2019–20. Whitbread’s plans propose a five-storey building with a mix of ‘Standard’ and ‘Premier Plus’ rooms, alongside a guest restaurant.
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Bedrooms would span the lower ground to fourth floors, with a reception and restaurant accessed from Victoria Viaduct at upper ground level. Public parking at West Walls is a two-minute walk away.
Whitbread estimates that around 30,000 guests will stay at the hotel annually once it reaches maturity. An independent economic impact assessment submitted with the application suggests visitors could spend more than £4m a year in the local economy.
The company anticipates around 25 permanent hospitality roles on opening, with an estimated 45 jobs supported in the construction supply chain during the £12m build. Subject to planning approval, development could begin in 2026 with the hotel targeted to open before the end of 2028.
Whitbread said the proposed building would operate on electricity from renewable sources, with heat-recovery systems and air-source heat pumps incorporated to reduce energy demand.
Jill Anderson, acquisition manager for Whitbread in the north of England, said: “Since announcing our plans in May 2025 people have told us that they wish to see the vacant Central Plaza site brought back into long-term use. They also welcome the new employment opportunities and positive economic benefits the hotel will bring to the city. We’re very grateful for all the support we’ve received so far from stakeholders and representative groups we have spoken to.
“The site on West Walls is not an easy location to redevelop into a hotel and we’ve had to be flexible to create a design that meets our operational requirements and is economically viable. The contemporary design we are proposing responds positively to the historic context and will create an active frontage onto both Victoria Viaduct and West Walls. We’re eager to move the proposal forward, get onto site and deliver the package of benefits the hotel will create.”
