AN APPLICATION for a hotel at the site of a former Woolworths store has been submitted to Anglesey Council planners.

Since the high street giant folded in 2008, the unit on Holyhead’s Market Street has remained largely empty, despite being one of the most prominent spots in the town centre.

But a decade on, Anglesey council’s planning department has received an application to demolish the existing 19th-century building and construct a five-storey, 119-bedroom hotel, which is set to create around 10 new jobs in the town.

According to the applicants, RDVL Developments Ltd, the hotel would enjoy views across Holyhead port and provide a welcome at the key gateway to north Wales.

However, it’s also noted that the site is located within a C2 flood zone which, in Welsh Government planning policy terms, is classed as “highly vulnerable”.

To mitigate this, the developers say the lowest floor will be raised above the predicted flood level.

The design and access statement notes: “In terms of scale, the building comprises of five floors, including the basement and sub-basement floor.

“The building is currently unoccupied and is in a rundown state.

“It is anticipated that the operation of he new hotel would generate additional employment opportunities, directly by those employed by the hotel and indirectly within the supply chain, together with associated induced expenditure.

“The construction phase will support existing employment in the construction sector, which are likely to involve local workforce and firms.”

In addition to the hotel, the proposed development also includes a 150 square metre restaurant and cafe facility on the ground floor.

No on-site parking is included due to the constraints of the site, with visitors to be directed to pay and display car parks in and around the town centre.

The developers, which took ownership of the site in 2016 and plan to work with an unnamed hotel chain, added: “The large vacant unit is a blight on Holyhead High Street and the large floor area lends itself to a budget hotel and associated cafe/restaurant use which would make the development viable.”

This is not the only hotel development currently in the pipeline for the town, however, with construction currently underway on an 80-bedroom Premier Inn hotel at Parc Cybi.

It’s expected that Anglesey Council’s planning committee will discuss the planning application over the coming months.