A Bingley-born businessman is bidding to create a hotel in the heart of Bronte land for those tired of heading for the sun.

Hedley Rhodes, 57, has already built up a substantial timeshare business in Tenerife's Playa de Las Americas, runs the hotel La Finquita a few miles away and is planning a second resort five miles along the coast.

Now he is looking to invest up to £2 million in developing a hotel with a similar atmosphere to the timeshare apartments - without the hassle of travelling.

The timeshare business started in 1986 and is managed from his firm's headquarters in Baptist Place, off Westgate, Bradford. The firm now involves building, finance, import and export and property trading and has operations in Spain, Russia and other parts of Europe.

Over the years Mr Rhodes has built up what he describes as a 'family' of holidaymakers who return year after year for a Club Olympus holiday.

He said: "Now some of the people who have stuck with me for years are a bit older and they no longer want to travel to Tenerife. I am asked, almost on a daily basis, to find somewhere in Britain where they can holiday.

"The Bradford area is central to where my clients come from, which is Cornwall, the north of England and Scotland. Bronteland has national and international appeal. We could buy a substantial mansion house with grounds or an existing hotel and transform it," he added.

Mr Rhodes and his wife, Jane, whose children Ivan, Tony, Peter and Jodie are involved in the company, said the Yorkshire Dales would be another choice if Haworth proved difficult.

"There is so much to do around here. We would want to tie in local attractions such as the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, the Alhambra theatre and Pennington's nightclub," he added.

Club Olympus is a member of Resort Condominiums International, the largest exchange organisation in the world.

A former assistant golf professional at Bingley St Ives, Mr Rhodes was heavily involved in the textile business along with property and direct marketing.

The Civic Trust recently unveiled a plan which suggested the Haworth Primary School building at Butt Lane could be turned into a high class hotel.

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