FOR years it has been the iconic power station towers that were the landmark around Didcot.

But a new futuristic-looking hotel planned for Milton Gate has already been noted for its striking appearance.

The four-star 145-bedroom La Tour hotel has been designed by Urban Reef Ltd and will be built on land acquired from MEPC, which runs Milton Park business park.

The plans have been approved via a local development order, which speeds up the planning process in Enterprise Zones, and building work is expected to start later this year.

After seeing the designs, Labour town councillor Margaret Davies said: “The hotel has landed.

“It’s a stunning building and looks like something out of Star Wars.

“The design is remarkable and the winged effect of the roofline makes it look a bit like a spaceship.”

The hotel at Milton Gate, off the A4130 close to the A34 Milton Interchange, will serve the business park and surrounding area.

Earlier this month councillors in Didcot expressed concern the six-storey hotel at Milton Gate could delay proposals for a hotel in the town centre.

Mrs Davies said: “It’s a remarkable building but you won’t be able to get there unless you have a car. I still think there is room for a three-star hotel in Didcot.”

La Tour runs a four-star hotel in Birmingham and plans to develop 10 hotels at cities across the UK including Cambridge, Manchester and Edinburgh.

Philip Campbell, head of asset management at MEPC Milton Park, said: “This will be the first four-star luxury hotel with conference facilities in the area. It will help attract inward investment and be a real benefit to our customers at Milton Park, by providing superb overnight accommodation to meet the needs of their executives, customers and visitors from the UK and across the globe.”

South Oxfordshire District Council also has plans for a new hotel opposite Didcot Parkway railway station and said it would be a key element of proposals to upgrade the area in Station Road, known as Didcot Gateway. The Prince of Wales pub in Station Road would have to be demolished but pub chain Greene King said it had no plans to shut the site.

The La Tour hotel at Milton Gate will have 146 car-parking spaces, a delegate room for 350 people and a restaurant. It will be situated on the opposite side of the A4130 from the Premier Inn. There are also plans for a 6,000 sq ft Harvester restaurant at Milton Gate.

Other businesses at Milton Gate include Costa, Ridgeway Volkswagen, and MM Bellinger and Sons’ Vauxhall dealership.

In July last year SODC and Vale of White Horse District Council commissioned a report entitled Hotel Needs Assessment.

The report identified that, due to the establishment of the Science Vale Enterprise Zone in 2011, there was a need for a “significant increase in hotel supply in the Science Vale area”.