Two office buildings located close to London Bridge and Borough Market could be redeveloped to make way for a new 530-bed hotel complete with a swimming pool, a sky bar and a terrace garden.
The applicants, Latium Real Estate and Infinite Partners, want to partially demolish the office buildings at 22-24 Southwark Bridge Road and build a 17 storey hotel on site.
Southwark Council’s Planning Committee has been recommended to approve the plans at a meeting next week (March 3).
Under the plans, 408 sqm of ground floor space would be used as a cultural venue for a range of different uses including live music, food and drink, pop up retail and the arts.
A public café would also feature on the ground floor.
The hotel would feature a swimming pool and spa, as well as a gym, and a restaurant and bar with a garden terrace looking out to Southwark Bridge Road.
Next to the restaurant, they plan for there to be a small private bar which functions with its own private terrace. On the fourteenth floor, there plans to be a sky bar with a terrace garden and external bar.
Hotel rooms would be located from the mezzanine floor all the way to the fifteenth floor.
Planning officers said that over the past year, the demand for office floorspace in the local area has continued to decline. Though the buildings are currently leased to office occupiers, there has been no viable offers from office occupiers.
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Planning officers went on to say the applicants’ proposals offer “an alternative form of commercial development” which will help to meet a growing demand for visitor accommodation while bringing in economic activity to a currently underutilised site in the Central Activities Zone (CAZ).
Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan was given powers last year to levy a tourist tax on overnight visitors across the capital, which he said would “directly support the capital’s economy and help cement our reputation as a global tourism and business destination”.
Southwark Council has previously spoken out in support of a London-wide tourist tax, stating it would ensure visitors contribute fairly to the borough’s upkeep and to its sustainability, and to better manage the pressures that mass tourism brings.
The plans received 31 objections and 5 responses which were a mix of neutral and supporting comments. Those who had objected to the plans are concerned that the scheme has no public benefits, the hotel is too tall for the area and that there is “no need for another hotel in this location”.
Planning officers responded and said the hotel will create jobs and boost economic activity while meeting a demand for hotel beds. They also said the proposed building height was acceptable and has been fully assessed in terms of quality of design, heritage and any potential harm to residential amenity.
The London LGBTQ+ Community Centre said: “New developments, albeit bringing new people, energy and wealth to the areas they inhabit, can also pose the risk of gentrification –alienating and pushing local communities away.
“The Infinite Partners team have so far shown a genuine commitment to Southwark’s residents through their Community Investment Programme. As beneficiaries and part of this programme, we welcome their plans and approach.”
The group added: “We will also commit to holding Infinite Partners accountable to ensure that their arrival in Southwark indeed brings value and growth for all.”
Planning officers concluded: “The redevelopment of this site will meet the principles of sustainable development by bringing back into use a largely underutilised brownfield site in a highly accessible location.
“The proposed land use would meet an identified need in the borough, and the scheme would deliver several public benefits including the provision of employment opportunities, a cultural facility linked to a Community Investment Programme to ensure it can be accessed by local residents and groups, and contributions towards offsite sustainable transport and public realm improvements.”
