WORK at the site of a new £15 million hotel in Oxford is still on track.

The easyHotel in Summertown is still looking to open its doors next summer, a spokesperson for the chain told this paper.

Earlier this year, construction ceased when the first coronavirus lockdown was announced by Boris Johnson in March.

However in June, work resumed and now the hotel is taking shape.

Oxford Mail:

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Work on the Banbury Road site began in May last year, with demolition work then following in July.

Plans for the hotel attracted plenty of interest and sparked much debate, with more than 400 objections coming in.

David Faber, the headteacher of nearby Summerfields School, said during consultation on the plans that the lives of people living in nearby streets would be ‘made almost intolerable’ by the new hotel, while another objector said its design was ‘abysmal, like the worst buildings of the 1960s’.

Despite the objections, Oxford City Council gave planning permission for the building in 2018.

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When complete, the 180-bedroom hotel is set to bring 61 new jobs to the city.

The site was previously occupied by a Majestic Wine store and the estate agent Knight Frank.

easyHotel offers budget hotel rooms in 40 locations across the globe, including France, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.

The chain was founded in 2004 and opened its first hotel in 2005.

It is part of the easyGroup, founded in 1998, which has a portfolio of businesses, including the low-cost airline easyJet.