Permission for the 71-bedroom Premier Inn at High Hill was granted despite opposition from some members of the public
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A controversial Premier Inn in Keswick has started recruiting staff as building work is on track to get the hotel open before Christmas.
The 71-bedroom Premier Inn at High Hill, Keswick is on track to open before Christmas, creating around 25 to 30 permanent and flexible job opportunities with the national hotel brand. Kicking off the recruitment process, a ‘meet the employer day’ is being organised by the team leading the hotel opening on Thursday, August 11 in Keswick, where the new management team will be available to meet the community and talk about the employment opportunities on offer at the new Keswick Premier Inn.
The chain is recruiting a range of positions including front of house, kitchen, night-time, and supervisor roles and is keen for as many Keswick residents to join the business as possible. Building work at the hotel at High Hill near the town centre has been going on for more than nine months.
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The hotel sits on the former Ravensfield Residential Care Home in the town and is within walking distance of the town centre. Permission for the hotel was granted by the Lake District National Park Authority in October 2020 despite a focused public campaign, that was backed by Keswick Town Council against it going ahead.
Karl Hetherington, the manager of Premier Inn Keswick, said: "One of our core values in Premier Inn is that there should be no barriers to entry into our business and no limits to what can be achieved when working for us. My own story shows what is possible as I joined ten years ago as a receptionist and am now taking on responsibility for managing my third Premier Inn hotel in Cumbria.
“I am now looking for a team of hospitality ambassadors to help me launch our brand-new Premier Inn in the heart of the Lakes at Keswick. It’s an amazing opportunity to open one of our new flagship hotels and we’re looking for a team of people who will enjoy meeting our guests and providing them with the warm welcome and excellent customer service Premier Inn is known for.
“Premier Inn provides loads of flexibility as an employer and in Keswick we are offering part-time roles, starting from a few hours a week, to full-time positions. All the new roles are permanent year-round jobs, with great benefits, and we really invest heavily in training and developing our people.
“Our meet the employer day is a chance for us to talk about all the things we do as a business as well as the jobs we are recruiting for.
"Please do pop along on the 11th if you are curious about what working for the UK’s largest hotelier looks like. I’ll be there with my full team as well as representatives of the Job Centre Plus and am looking forward to introducing myself and kicking off our recruitment drive in Keswick.”
The 'meet the employer' day is being held at Keswick Rugby Club, Crow Park Road, Keswick, between 9am and 2pm on Thursday, August 11. Premier Inn’s in-house recruitment team, as well as representatives from the Job Centre Plus, will be attending the day alongside Karl.
Construction of the 71-bedroom Keswick Premier Inn started in October 2021. On opening, the hotel will bring Premier Inn’s very latest format bedrooms including 12 enhanced Premier Plus rooms into the heart of the Lake District National Park.
When plans for the new hotel were first revealed a petition was set up because opposers claimed the new building didn't fit with the theme of the Lake District town. It didn't take long for the petition to collect thousands of signatures.
People who oppose the plans state the following concerns on their petition website:
Changing the heritage of Keswick – a town built on tourism over centuries by hard-working, independent business owners including shops, B&Bs, hotels, hospitality suppliers and other professionals.
Pushing the town's infrastructure to the limits – causing unnecessary congestion through the town, putting strains on the access road and the town's utilities in particular the sewage system.
Lack of car parking spaces – constructing a new building with not enough on-site parking spaces to cover the requirements of hotel and restaurant guests and staff.
Over-development of the site – a construction, which towers above neighbouring buildings and blocking the view of Skiddaw from the famous Cumbrian Way/Howrah's footpath.
Using "30 more jobs" – as an incentive to obtain planning permission, when Keswick has no unemployment and has a problem filling existing jobs.
Darlington-based Premcor is investing £6 million into creating the new Premier Inn which they say will provide a new positive long-term use for the site, as well as creating 30 permanent jobs and contributing to the visitor economy throughout the year.
A list of benefits that investors say the Premier Inn will bring include:
All job vacancies with Premier Inn can be found online at www.whitbread.co.uk/careers. The vacancies at the new Keswick Premier Inn will be listed online in early September.
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