A new Premier Inn on the Elizabeth Hall site would bring a major jobs boost to Exmouth, according to hotel bosses.

Parent company Whitbread is currently seeking planning permission for the hotel, having been named by East Devon District Council as its preferred bidder for the site.

It says the proposed hotel and attached restaurant will create around 50 permanent part-time and full-time jobs, and has insisted it wants to employ local people.

Acquisition manager Richard Pearson said: “We will work with the local Job Centre Plus in Exmouth to ensure that vacancies are advertised in the local area.

“At two of our most recent openings in Dorchester and Weymouth all of the new site staff live close to where they work and we expect the same in Exmouth.”

Mr Pearson also says the hotel will attract new visitors to the town, and will not compete with existing, independently-owned accommodation.

“One of the reasons Premier Inn was selected by EDDC to develop the Elizabeth Hall site is our ability to attract new visitors to Exmouth.

“Premier Inn’s digital marketing and flexible pricing model is very successful at driving visitors to our hotels for leisure breaks.

“For example, our hotels at Weston-super-Mare, Paignton and Torquay received more than 12,000 bookings on our website in the first four months of 2013 (typically the quietest time of the year) and during busier peak holiday periods Premier Inn hotels in traditional seaside resorts are full.

“In total, we expect Premier Inn Exmouth will attract approximately 21,000 new guests to the town each year.

“Our product is very different to that of local independent hotels and B&Bs. The experience from other Premier Inn hotels in traditional tourist destinations across the country is that Premier Inn hotels do not compete directly with established independent operators.”

Premier Inn was chosen as the preferred bidder for the hall site last year, despite a petition of more than 12,000 signatures calling for the hall to be saved.

The planning application was supported by Exmouth Town Council last month after Conservative councillors backed it in a majority vote.

A final decision will be made by councillors on EDDC’s development management committee at a later date.