A �5m pub and hotel complex looks set to be built on a former lorry park on the outskirts of King's Lynn.

Developers say the Kellard Place scheme, on the Nar Ouse Regenration Area near the South Gate, could be open by Christmas 2012 and create up to 50 jobs.

It will include a family-friendly pub run under the banner of brewer Greene King's Hungry Horse chain.

Alastair Thomas, from developer Equity Estates, said: 'We are delighted to have secured this prominent site within NORA and hope our scheme will be well received by the council and community.'

He added the 68-bed hotel planned for the site, on one of the main approaches to King's Lynn, would be a Travelodge.

Matt Brown, Greene King's operations director for the hungry Horse chain, said: 'We would be delighted to support the development of this area bhy building a pub for all the community to enjoy, which would create up to 50 full and part-time jobs for people in the area.'

An artist's impression accompanying the planning application shows the pub alongside Hardwick Road, close to the South gate roundabout. The scheme also includes shopping units alongside Nar Ouse Way.

There is already outline planning permission for a pub and retail development as part of the outline permission granted for the flagship NORA scheme.

But another major element - the proposed new College of West Anglia campus - fell through after the previous government's Learning and Skills Council ran out of money.

With CoWA now building a new teaching block on its existing site off Tennyson Avenue, it remains unclear what could replace it on the NORA.

There was a further blow two weeks ago, when Norfolk County Council said it was putting a �1m contribution towards more than 100 affordable homes on the site on hold.

It said it could not commit to spending the money until the government decided whether of not to approve the �169m private finance initiative deal needed to build the proposed King's Lynn incinerator.

chris.bishop@archant.co.uk