Green light for £4.5m Brixton hotel

PASSED: Plans of the £4.5m hotel to be built above H&M on Brixton Road

A multi-million pound Holiday Inn is to be built in Brixton town centre, after plans were approved by Lambeth council.

Work will begin later this year on the 118-room hotel, costing £4.5m,  on the former Woolworths site on Brixton Road.

The H&M and T-Mobile shops already trading in Brixton Road from the ground floor  will be unaffected by the plan.

Lambeth’s Planning Applications Committee voted unanimously in favour of the scheme on Tuesday last week (July 24).

Cllr Jackie Meldrum, deputy leader of the council, said: “We welcome this investment in Brixton town centre which will bring jobs and boost trade in the area.

“The council is working hard to make Lambeth attractive to businesses, and this is a further sign of the borough’s appeal to businesses of all sizes.”

The main entrance to the hotel would be from Coldharbour Lane via stairs and a lift from street level up to a main lobby.

The application was submitted by Boyes Rees Architects on behalf of Crown Properties Ltd. The architects have said that the design of the hotel manages to “harness the vibrancy” of Brixton and is sympathetic to the Art Deco style of the existing building.

What do you think of the designs? Leave a comment below or email us on newsdesk@brixtonblog.com.

24 COMMENTS

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  2. Nobody mentioned that the JOY store would be closed because of the holiday inn. Well it’s fine now, a real loss of a lovely independent shop that has been in Brixton for 15 years. Thanks a lot, Lambeth Council. We’ve still got 6 mobile phone shops so that is ok I suppose?

  3. It’s excellent that Brixton is experiencing some well-deserved regeneration. Traffic issues aside, this’ll be a bonus. Looks pretty nice, I reckon.

  4. also posted on Urban75

    In the paper work attached to the planning application for this hotel I haven’t come across any connection with the Holiday Inn – The first place I saw the association was via the Brixton Blog where the number of rooms seemed to increase from 118 to 188, these details it seem to have been repeated from there. Perhaps you could comment?

    Holiday Inn looks like a franchise operation and these people run the “Holiday Inn Express” Stratford – http://www.tlc-group.net/ – Truth Love and Compassion Group …… Can’t find any association with the Landlord or Architect or from them back to any other Holiday Inn Franchise.

    The other thing that still seems to be an open question is how come no one seems to have seen the planning notices that apparently were put up in January this year, when they also put a notice in the Lambeth Weekender, does anybody regularly see copies of this?

    I am not in anyway against the idea of a Hotel for Brixton but I am against the idea of poorly concieved project being squeezed into that area to give a huge profit to some developer and a headache for the neighbours.

    • Quite right Ric the application was for 118-room hotel – I have amended the story accordingly.

      Brixton Blog was told by Lambeth council that it was to become an Express by Holiday Inn but I don’t know who owns the franchise.

      The planning app was made by by Boyes Rees Architects on behalf of Crown Properties Ltd.

  5. Great win for Brixton! Desperately need a hotel in the area, there’s no negative impact on the visual landscape and local businesses will benefit. To the nay-sayers – Brixton is changing with the times and this is the right kind of addition to the town. Holding onto a 60s or 70s vision of what Brixton used to be is burying your head in the sand.

  6. Bonz, ‘gentrification’?! It’s a HOLIDAY INN, not the Ritz! It’s for people who want to come to London, but can’t afford the insane prices of central London. You’re a NIMBY, my friend. It’s happening. Get over it.

  7. NIMBYs? The main things I don’t want in my back yard are coloured-vodka-shot-drinking-Clapham types, and kids that think Brixton is cool because they heard it in a Clash song… but they’re already here. Now we need a hotel for when their mummy and daddy come to visit? COLDHARBOUR LANE IS A STUPID PLACE FOR A HOTEL. Vehicle access for one. But I suspect most people championing this idea on here ride bikes – with a copy of the Guardian rammed up their dirtbox

  8. Well, as I don’t think the site is suitable for building social housing and there aren’t any opposing viable community schemes I don’t see the problem here. Obviously going to be a problem for Dex but they’re in breach of their planning regulations already so they might have trouble opposing it.

  9. Great result – some lovely buildings above the shops/markets in Brixton seemingly empty, so great to see brought back to use – brilliant.

  10. this is a great thing for Brixton. many small businesses in the community will benefit from the increased flow of non-residents passing through the area. it’ll be great to finally have somewhere local that visiting friends, family and colleagues can stay.

    the petition is a joke.

  11. In principle this seems fine. That image certainly paints a picture of a very subtle and non-intrusive development.

    The increased footfall might mean increased profits for local businesses, no guarantee, we can only hope.

    On the other hand, imagine the disruption in the narrow lanes caused by the increase in service vehicles. Lots more deliveries, garbage removal and taxis. Surely they have noticed that Coldharbour is a ‘lane’ and not a ‘street’. Its narrow, single lane traffic! I can’t imagine that Holiday Inn is going to purchase all of its food from the markets!

    Can’t say I’m looking forward to the construction period, not difficult to imagine the noise, dirt, skips, scaffolding, trucks, traffic jams, lane closures and dust settling on Windrush Square (and Ritzy/Albert outdoor patrons, and the bus stops etc.). Poor traders in Reliance Arcade, it will be hell for them! (If they are still there, can imagine moves to do something with that as well. The builders better be careful not to damage the Grade II listed structure!)

    Council will have their work cut out making sure businesses, residents and visitors aren’t too adversely affected, I certainly hope they make an effort on our behalf and that there is a lengthy planning and consultation period prior to construction. Sadly, I doubt this will happen and I doubt they will be able to keep everyone happy.

  12. Seems like a good plan. Not taking up valuable retail space and there is no where to stay in Brixton. No to the NIMBYs!

  13. I think this is fantastic news for my community. Great for people wanting to go to the academy for gigs. Plus the jobs and the economic boost will be welcomed.

  14. I agree with Ben. What’s losing out in the area? What’s there at the moment? I can almost guarantee it’ll make little or no difference to the look of the area, so what’s the problem? No business are losing out, nobody’s losing their home, it’ll provide jobs and A BUDGET HOTEL in the area. We really need to get over ourselves, if you ask me.

  15. I am in favour of the plans for numerous reasons.  The building is unused and there are no hotels in Brixton.  When my parents visit they always have to stay elsewhere.  I would understand the opposition, if there were independent hotels affected, however there aren’t.  Plus it will bring more people to the area.

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