Nando's hit by red tape delay

Town hall officers were this week expected to either grant approval or reject the ambitious plans for a hotel and restaurant development on Robin Park .

The new complex has attracted a great deal of interest in the borough given that it is set to include Wigan’s first Nando’s outlet along with a Bella Italia and the 68-bed budget hotel.

The council had set itself a decision target date of April 4 but his has now been pushed back until later in the month as the developers are understood to have requested an extension to tweak certain aspects of the masterplan.

Although the town hall does have the option to knock back the development, the three storey building should prove to be an attractive proposition given that it will provide dozens of jobs with a £822,000 boost to the local economy in terms of wages.

The Evening Post understands the decision will not go before the town hall’s planning committee and will be delegated to officers as little or no objections have been raised.

The hotel, if approval is granted, will be placed opposite the entrance to the cinema on an area of current car parking space. Increased parking provision will be provided to the rear of the cinema, according to the original planning documents. It will reduce the number of parking spaces at the front of the cinema from 116 to 62, with a further 21 reserved for the hotel.

But this will be offset by parking to the rear of the cinema being increased from 51 to 81.

The two restaurants will occupy the ground floor units alongside the entrance to the hotel with rooms on the first and second floors. The chain is stated to be a “national multiple, budget hotel operator” but is not named in the planning documents.