Premier Inn owner Whitbread has announced plans to cut around 3,800 jobs in the UK and Ireland as part of a new five-year strategy to make £250 million in cost savings and overhaul its restaurants. The hospitality group said it wanted to save money in light of cost pressures coming from business rates and national insurance contributions. Its new five-year plan includes the increased cost-saving target and steps to cut capital spending by more than £1 billion. It will also replace its 197 restaurants with an integrated food and drink model which it said was more efficient and preferred by hotel guests. Whitbread said the plans to reduce its 30,000-strong workforce were subject to employee consultation, and that it expects to retain a significant proportion of those affected through redeployment.…