PROPOSALS for an upmarket hotel linked to sporting facilities in Garon Park will be submitted to Southend Council in the next two months.

The Norman Garon Trust, which owns the Garon Park site, has confirmed it has been talking about the scheme with two big hotel groups for past year.

Garon Park is already home to Essex Golf Club and Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre. Southend Council also plans to build a new swimming and diving centre there.

Trustee Philip Tolhurst said discussions were in the final stages, with a planning application for a hotel of about 100 rooms likely this autumn.

He said: “We are in an excellent position, with the golf course and sporting facilities nearby and the new swimming pool.

“At the moment, these are difficult times and some hotel operators have been pulling out of new developments.

“However, others are keen to expand and develop in suitable places with the right facilities.

“The number of rooms and other facilities in the hotel would be a matter for the group involved, but I would expect between 80 and 120 rooms.

“We have an advantage because the road connections here are better compared to many other sites.”

Anna Waite, Southend councillor responsible for planning and transportation, said: “This is good news. I hope the hotel, with other facilities, is successful as it will help make a great sporting venue at Garon Park.

“With the 2012 Olympics and the increasing interest in sport, this would be an excellent site.

“There are a lot of hotel plans for the area at the moment and some are not going to come to fruition, but I believe this is a really good idea and brilliant for the area.”