Last month Cherwell District Council planners received an application by the owners of the Littlebury Hotel in Kings End to build 25 new rooms.

The family-run hotel has been extended several times since it opened in 1959 and has 36 rooms. It employs up to 30 full-time and temporary workers.

Once extended, the hotel expects to employ up to 45 people.

Some of the additional rooms would be in a two-storey extension to be built above the existing first floor, with the bulk of the new rooms contained within a three-floor extension.

Michael McKeon, a partner in the hotel, said: "The new application is really a renewal of a previous permission we had to extend.

"Some of the rooms we have are a bit smaller than is expected in today's market, so we are improving facilities we have as well as having the extra rooms."

Mr McKeon added: "We have part of the funding in place and it is something we really want to do, but we have to keep our feet on the ground. So we will be watching the economy for the right time before committing to building work."

Bicester town councillor, Dan Sames said: "It is a long-standing independent family-run hotel and it is nice to see them go from strength to strength."

The planning application will be decided by CDC councillors at a future meeting.

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