Work is due to start on a multi-million-pound hotel complex in Workington this summer.

The 78-bedroom four-storey Travelodge hotel and drive-thru Costa Coffee, on land off Church Street, is set to create around 50 jobs.

Hinton Group, the developer behind the plans, said the deal for the site, known as The Green, was completed this month.

It was sold by Allerdale Investment Partnership, created to sell off surplus land owned by Allerdale council.

Planning permission was agreed for the land in September and includes the go-ahead for a family-style pub-cum-restaurant.

It was understood Marston's, which owns local brewery Jennings, would operate the pub. However, Stephen Holland, programme director at Allerdale Investment Partnership, said talks were ongoing about that aspect of the scheme and declined to name the interested parties.

He added: “We’re delighted to complete this sale and look forward to seeing work beginning on site soon. This development is expected to bring significant economic benefits to Allerdale in terms of local jobs and commerce, complementing Workington’s town centre.

"These will be great facilities both visitors to Workington and locals alike and will play their part in a strategic approach to the town’s economic regeneration.”

An area of green space will be preserved at the western end of the site to help retain views of the nearby St Michael’s Church and The Old Rectory.

Allerdale Investment Partnership was behind Maryport's Lidl development, sold land at Workington's Ashfield Road South for housing developments and announced earlier this year that land behind the Tesco supermarket in Workington would be the site of a new Lidl store.

A spokesman for the Hinton Group, which is behind the plans, said: "The site has been secured ahead of work starting in the near future." A timescale for work to be completed as not yet been confirmed.

The land, between William Street and Church Street on which the development will be built was owned by Allerdale Borough Council which sold it to the Allerdale Investment Partnership, a joint venture created to develop council’s surplus land.