A £5M hotel is planned to accommodate the growing number of visitors to Wantage.

The 46-bedroom hotel, with two restaurants on the ground floor, would be built on an industrial site in Limborough Road.

Wantage Investments submitted an application to Vale of White Horse District Council last week.

The hotel would be opposite the former Focus DIY store in Kings Park and the authority aims to make a decision by June 11.

The firm won permission for a similar scheme in 2009 with 14 apartments above the two restaurants.

Bill Atkinson, managing director for the company’s agents Bushby, said if given permission the hotel could open in 18 months.

He said: “People don’t realise demand for hotels in the area is considerable.

“A lot of people visit Harwell and Culham and the Williams Formula One team. And there are people walking the Ridgeway.”

The company is yet to find a hotel operator.