Ashby de la Zouch Town Council has called for a rethink over the naming of the street name for the new Royal Hotel development.

North West Leicestershire District Council says the applicant, Mr Simon Dawson of Oakland Hotels Ltd, has suggested it should be called 'Adelaide'.

A letter from the District Council was read out at last month's planning committee meeting.

An artist's impression of the planned new Royal Hotel development

It said: "We have received the application for phase one of the Royal Hotel development, and the applicant would like to name the new road 'Adelaide'.

"The reason given is because Queen Adelaide visited the Royal Hotel in the 1800s, and that is why they renamed it the Royal Hotel instead of the Hastings Hotel, as it was at the time."

The Royal has been undergoing extensive renovations over the past few months. Photo: Ashby Nub News

However, Ashby councillors discussed the proposal and suggested that the name should reflect the original site being a spa.

A motion by council leader, Cllr Chris Smith, said the District Council should be contacted to consider that the name should be along the lines of Spa Grove or Spa Way.

The motion added that if 'Adelaide' is used as a street name, ought to have 'Queen' at the beginning - for instance, 'Queen Adelaide Road'.

It was also added that the name had more connections to Australia than Ashby.

Last July, planning permission was finally granted to build 17 town houses on land either side of the Royal.

Not only that, it was a move designed to bring the hotel back into use.

It has lain empty for seven years and is currently undergoing extensive renovation work.

Cllr Smith told the meeting: "The road's name should reflect the Spa Baths that the site is built on.

"We can't use Ivanhoe as that's used in so many places around the town."