The company spearheading the Broadway development has agreed terms with a national hotel chain for a 220-bedroom hotel in the £340 million shopping complex.

Australian shopping centre giant Westfield has submitted a planning application to Bradford Council for permission to reconfigure part of the layout of the proposed centre to include a hotel.

Under the proposal, unveiled today, the new city centre hotel would face onto Hall Ings, with a foyer and reception area at ground level for customers to check in and access lifts to reach bedrooms, which would all be located on the upper floors. If approved, the three-star hotel would include a restaurant, bar and conference facilities.

Neil Maclure, Westfield's development executive, said: "Terms have been agreed with a well-established national hotel chain and solicitors have been instructed to agree the lease, subject to planning approval. Although we can't name the interested party at the moment, bringing a good quality hotel into the scheme will add further to the Westfield offer.

"Westfield is continuing to make progress on the Broadway scheme, and have now invested more than £60 million in Bradford.

"We are moving closer to a start on-site, but this still remains dependent on getting the necessary number of pre-lets in place. In the meantime, Westfield is making all necessary arrangements so that when we do start, we can hit the ground running."

Maud Marshall, chief executive of Bradford Centre Regen-eration, said: "The proposed plans for a new hotel will be a strong addition to the Westfield Bradford development.

"It will boost Bradford's hotel offering further, following the refurbishment of the Great Victoria by the Tomahawk Group, the Hilton Bradford Hotel and the Midland Hotel.

"The new 220-bed hotel will help the city secure increased business and leisure travellers, as the renaissance programme brings more visitors to Bradford."

Head of the district's regeneration, Councillor Andrew Mallinson, said: "This is very positive and exciting news for the Broadway development and underlines that commercial confidence in the city centre remains strong."

Westfield is not the first company to put forward plans for a new hotel since the launch of the city centre regeneration initiative.

Earlier this month, Keyland Developments launched a consultation process to gauge public opinion about proposals to include a hotel in a new mixed-use development on the site of the former Yorkshire Water depot bordering Leeds Road and George Street. Meanwhile, the Citygate scheme, in Manchester Road, will contain a 116-bedroom hotel, and a new hotel is also proposed as part of the Channel Urban Village project near Forster Square.

The New Victoria Place proposal, which won a design competition to develop the former Odeon cinema site, would also contain a 100-bedroom hotel, alongside offices, affordable' studios, apartments and a café.