A BUDGET hotel chain’s bid to build at the bottom of Abingdon Road in Oxford has been thrown out for the second time.

Travelodge has now twice attempted to get planning permission for an 83-room hotel on the site of the old UK Bathroom Warehouse.

The first plan, for a four-storey building, was refused permission in July last year because it was too large.

And on Wednesday, the city council’s west area planning committee voted unanimously to throw out a second bid, for a three-storey hotel.

Councillors said the 45 parking spaces allotted on the site would not be sufficient.

The developer had argued that many of its customers would arrive in the city by train, and that parking at the Redbridge park and ride could be used as overflow.

But this view was dismissed by councillors, who said the park and ride was not supposed to provide overflow parking for businesses in the city.

Council leader Bob Price said: “It would be very nice to be able to vote for this because we do need accommodation at this end of the market, but the argument about the park and ride does not take account of the fact that as part of the Westgate redevelopment, we’re likely to move coach parking from the city centre to Redbridge.”

He also said he didn’t like the overall scheme because of the materials used, and said it would not fit in.

Carfax Labour councillor Anne-Marie Canning added: “I want to vote for this. I want my family who can’t afford expensive hotels to be able to come and stay in Oxford, so it’s a shame we haven’t had the evidence we need.”

Elise Benjamin, Green councillor for Iffley Fields, added: “I’m worried about the precedent it will set for other developers to say that customers can use the park and ride.”

Councillors agreed that although the bid was an improvement on the last one, their concerns over parking and the visual impact of the plans hadn’t been addressed.

City executive board member for development Colin Cook said: “I think the applicants have a rather flat learning curve. They have seen our reasons for refusal in the past.

“I would say there has been an improvement but it’s marginal.”

Travelodge UK development director Tony O’Brien said: “This site is pretty unique really, being next to the park and ride, and it has such good services to and from the station. the objections raised by the highways department are not something we agree with.”