Hotel a-go-go

Despite the land deal between Kassam and the City Council still outstanding (John Tanner believes it will be settled “in a matter of days”) the Council has granted planning permission for Kassam's 136 bedroom hotel and car park for 197 cars and three coaches. The hotel is to be five storeys high and is intended for use alongside the conference centre which is incorporated into the next door stadium. A proviso of the condition is that the hotel cannot be opened until the ground is completed and in use (although presumably “in use” is more pertinent than “completed” as it is expected that the ground will be in use by the club long before the fourth side is constructed). Kassam said that although this was good news the stadium was more important.