PLANS to develop two international hotels on a business park in the North-East, and create up to 100 jobs, have taken a significant step forward.

Wynyard Park, the consortium behind the development at Wynyard, near Billingham, Teesside, said it was close to signing a deal for a £16m deluxe hotel, plus an £8m three-star hotel and pub, and is preparing to submit outline plans to Stockton Borough Council.

A planning application was submitted to the authority last autumn, but later withdrawn while negotiations with potential partners continued.

Wynyard said yesterday it had since been in "positive talks" with a undisclosed hotel operator.

Chris Musgrave, chief executive of Wynyard Park, said: "Both hotels will add to the other first-rate facilities at Wynyard Park and reflect our aim to become a dynamic, mixed-use site that meets the highest expectations for businesses of any type and size."

Subject to planning approval, work on the three-star hotel, which will have between 80 and 100 bedrooms, as well as a pub, will start later this year.

The deluxe hotel will then be built on the edge of the business park and have up to 140 bedrooms, as well as gym and conferencing facilities.