Charles Wells hopes to build £13m Bedford brewery

Plans have been submitted to build a brand new £13m brewery by the pub company Charles Wells.

The Bedford business has been looking for a new permanent base since it sold its former home The Eagle Brewery to Marston's in May 2017.

The 30,000 hectolitre brewery would be housed on land at Fairhill, off the A6 by the Western Bypass.

A visitor centre for brewery tours, an on-site pub and a venue for music and events have all been proposed.

The location was chosen because of its "access to major roads in and out of Bedford" and it is above a well the company first made beer from in 1902, the firm said.

Commercial director at Charles Wells, Peter Wells, said: "Building this brewery in our home town maintains our heritage but gives us an opportunity to further develop our story and create exciting, new beers and experiences that will continue to support our loyal Pub Partners and their customers."

Charles Wells currently runs more than 200 pubs across England and France.

The application will be discussed by the Bedford Borough Council planning committee in April.