CONSTRUCTION work is starting again on Oxford’s new city centre Premier Inn.

Whitbread, the owner of the Premier Inn chain, is re-starting construction of its flagship Oxford Greyfriars Premier Inn, as the UK’s largest hospitality business focuses on safely continuing to build its latest hotels.

The construction of the 90-bedroom hotel in Paradise Square was temporarily halted on March 23, following the introduction of the nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus.

READ MORE: Anger as wildlife reserves are trashed

During recent weeks, Whitbread’s development team has been working with Carter Lauren, the principal building contractor for the new hotel, to put in place strict new on-site controls and working practices to ensure social distancing and protect site workers and members of the public.

Oxford Mail:

The new measures are in line with the latest Construction Leadership Council and Public Health England guidance.

Richard Aldread, head of construction in the UK regions and Ireland for Premier Inn, said: “The safety of our site teams has always been our number one priority when constructing new Premier Inn hotels, and it is more essential now than ever.

READ AGAIN: Port Meadow visitors told to stop blocking roads

“The Government has been clear that construction activity is vital for the economy to bounce back, so we have been working closely with our contractor Carter Lauren to introduce additional controls and working practices on our Greyfriars development site.

“The measures we’re introducing are in line with the latest guidance from the Construction Leadership Council and will allow us to continue to build our flagship Oxford hotel with social distancing measures in place.”

Oxford Mail:

Whitbread secured planning permission to build the Greyfriars Premier Inn, located opposite the Westgate Centre, in December 2017.

A vacant former office block occupying the site was demolished last year and Carter Lauren was laying the groundwork for the new hotel before the introduction of the nationwide lockdown.

READ MORE: Watership Down author's family wins rights battle

With workers now returning to site, Whitbread is aiming for the new hotel to open in summer 2021, with 35 new staff expected to work at the hotel when it opens.

On completion Oxford Greyfriars Premier Inn will be Whitbread’s first Premier Inn hotel in the city centre.

Oxford Mail:

The business currently operates one hotel at Oxford Business Park and recently opened a new 101 bedroom and Beefeater restaurant at Oxford Airport, Kidlington in March.

The relaunch of construction of the Greyfriars Premier Inn is part of a wider programme of reopening of Whitbread’s construction sites.

Building work is continuing on 35 new Premier Inn hotels across England and Wales.

Oxford Mail:

One of them is a new Premier Inn at the new West Way shopping centre development which can be seen from the A34 close to the Botley Interchange.

READ AGAIN: Six-year-old uses sewing machine to make face masks

The centre is expected to open later this year by The Botley Development Company, a joint venture between Mace Developments and Doric Properties.

As well as new shops there will be the new hotel, postgraduate accommodation, new apartments and offices.