HOLIDAY Inn and Hollywood Bowl are poised to move into the Middlebrook Sports Village at Horwich.

Negotiations are in the final stages to bring the two leisure giants into the £150 scheme that will also house Bolton Wanderers' new stadium.

The Bass group has confirmed that it hopes to build a hotel, multi-lane bowling centre, pub/restaurant and an American themed diner on the 200-acre site off junction six of the M61.

Mr Ian Connolly, acquisitions and development manager for Bass Taverns in the North-west, Scotland and Northern Ireland, said that the group was in "contractual discussions" which were reaching the final stages.

The total investment in the hotel, pub and diner, will be £5million. The three buildings will be located off a new roundabout close to the Wanderers' stadium.

If it receives the go-ahead it will be built in time for the new football season next August/September. The hotel will be part of Holiday Inn Express, a new concept of up-market budget hotels and initially have 74 rooms with space for expansion.

Mr Connolly said the company has opened a similar hotel in Strathclyde, Scotland which has been very successful since it opened 10 weeks ago.

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