North West Property

Plans to build a new four-star hotel on the site of the former Employment Exchange on Aytoun Street in Manchester have been backed by councillors.

Manchester City Council's planning and highways committee has given Dominvs Project 2 Ltd the go-ahead for the 300-bedroom, four-star hotel which would be occupied by Holiday Inn.

The site is set to be the brand's flagship location in the UK and create 140 new jobs.

Dominvs, the applicant, is a company run by Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia, the 300th richest man in Britain and the founder of Euro Car Parts.

Planning officers at the council had recommended the scheme for approval prior to the meeting.

The former Employment Exchange site has been vacant for 18 years. In 2005 planning permission was granted for the construction of a 44-storey building of 237 apartments with retail and leisure space on the site but this was never implemented and expired in 2010.