PLANS have been unveiled to create a five-star luxury hotel in North Yorkshire, boasting a restaurant, swimming pool, gym and spa.

If the planning application is approved, Mill House Country Club Hotel, at East Knapton, would become Ryedale’s first five-star rated hotel.

The ten to 12-bedroom boutique hotel would be built at Mill House Farm, which is currently a five-bedroom bed and breakfast guesthouse which recently stopped trading.

The application has been welcomed by tourism chiefs, who hope the hotel would attract even more tourists to the area if given the go-ahead by members of the planning committee at Ryedale District Council.

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “Yorkshire strives to offer top-notch accommodation for tourists coming into the county.

“The addition of five-star accommodation will help to further boost tourism and add to our drive in making Yorkshire the number one holiday destination in the UK.”

Under the plans, the farmhouse would be demolished to make way for the new hotel building and fitness club, while the barns would be transformed into a restaurant and lounge bar.

The fitness club, which would be open to hotel guests and private members, would create 12 new jobs and offer a 20-metre swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi, ice igloo and steam room.

There would also be a state-of-the-art gym and a hair and beauty salon. According to a supporting statement accompanying the application, the hotel would feature ten to 12 “individually designed” en-suite bedrooms with “luxurious bathrooms”.

The 40-seat restaurant would offer fusion food, providing breakfast, lunch and dinner, with an emphasis on healthy eating.

The application has been submitted by the York-based architects, Brierley Groom and Associates, on behalf of the applicant, Sue Spink.

Neither the agent nor applicant wished to comment about the application at this stage.