New Kent Road hotel developer given green light to cram in 30% more rooms
The developers of a proposed hotel in the New Kent Road have been given permission to increase the number of bedrooms from 200 261.
Plans for a nine-storey hotel on the north side of the New Kent Road, between the petrol station and the Bartholomew Street junction, were approved by Southwark councillors in June 2020.
This week Southwark planning officers signed off a variation to the scheme that will see the proposed building slightly increase in height, and the number of hotel bedrooms increased from 200 to 261.
Since the planning permission was granted the site has changed hands and - according to documents lodged with the council - the new owners "concluded that refinements are required to upgrade the employment offer to ensure it meets current market needs and demands, whilst improving the hotel offer to bring it in line with their brand standards for a lifestyle hotel".
The planning statement by consultants DP9 added: "It is important to note that Infinite and Latium Real Estate will be the owners and operators of the development, meaning they will devise and implement the scheme and operate it themselves under an independent hotel brand, bringing in a third party operating partner for the employment space.
"Infinite and LRE’s aspiration is to deliver an exemplar lifestyle hotel and creative employment space for local business that create a destination for the neighbourhood."
Latium Real Estate is owned by Brian Kennedy, who was ranked as Britain's 460th richest man in the 2019 Sunday Times Rich List. He is a former owner of Stockport County Football Club.
The new plans include a basement which it is claimed will "provide a new cultural destination for the neighbourhood providing artists’ studios and gallery space for local creatives to make and display works of art"
"As a result of design development, it has been possible to increase the total guestroom numbers by 61, through minor tweaks to the building footprint only.
"Whilst the number of guestrooms has increased through improved efficiency, this has not been to the detriment of the quality of the accommodation."
