A HOTEL costing £3m could be built on land in the centre of Sunderland.

Rokeby Developments wants to build the four-storey, 60-bedroom hotel on the Low Row car park, Chester Road.

The company, which is in talks with a hotel chain that may operate the hotel, hopes to submit a planning application to Sunderland City Council next month.

The company has been talking to the council's officials about the project for some time.

It is the third hotel plan for the city announced in the last year.

Councillor Colin Anderson, leader of the council, said: "We're very keen to develop this land. We feel it's very necessary to have a city centre hotel, though we'll still pursue the other hotels planned.

"It's good to know we'll get one so central. It's part of a jigsaw we're piecing together and a very important part."

Rokeby Developments director Adrian Goodall said it had been a long time since a hotel was built in the city centre.

"With the success of the incoming industries in the city that creates a great opportunity to build one."

He said that the hotel's city centre location would prove attractive to potential operators, and that the building's design would be sensitive to surrounding buildings, which include Sunderland Minster.

The scheme will entail the loss of 50 parking places at Low Row, but they will be replaced by 1,000 bays at the Green Terrace car park and at the multiplex cinema planned for High Street West next year