Brixton Road hotel approved despite fears of ‘antisocial behaviour’

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

A new Brixton hotel has been approved despite residents’ fears their lives will be made a nightmare by misbehaving guests.

Lambeth councillors waved through the redevelopment of a building currently home to Superdrug in Brixton Road at a meeting yesterday.

The proposed five-storey hotel will have 96 bedrooms. Lambeth council previously approved near-identical plans in 2017, but building work on the project never started and the permission for the project expired.

Speaking at the planning meeting a resident living in nearby Tunstall Road, who gave her first name only, said she feared a surge in antisocial behaviour once the hotel opened.

Caroline, who is co-chairwoman of Tunstall Road Residents’ Group, said: “The proposed hotel will bring more antisocial behaviour to the overloaded infrastructure of Brixton’s night-time economy.

“It will be impossible to avoid traffic congestion adjacent to the site. The construction phase uses narrow Nursery Road, which cannot cope with the existing traffic flow. The rear of the proposed hotel will be metres from people’s homes. The 24-hour hotel will reduce the quality of life of residents.

“There’s no reference to security measures to avoid further overburdening police, council and residents’ efforts for safer neighbourhoods. The proposed hotel will not benefit the local community but will bring a huge amount of additional pressure to an already overloaded area.”

But Gary Rice, the developer’s planning advisor, said the hotel would help the local economy bounce back from the pandemic.

Mr Rice from Interpolitan planning consultants said: “The development would contribute to the local economy and vitality of this part of Brixton town centre.

New shop fronts will be installed as part of the redevelopment plans. A former pub at the back of the property facing Dorrell Place will also be kept. The developer, Miraj Investments, will put aside £80,000 to help Transport for London install rental bikes near the hotel.

Cllr Jessica Leigh, Labour member for Clapham East, expressed concern that the application hadn’t been properly thought through.

She said: “The rigour upon which this application has been brought I’m really struggling to see how I would be happy to vote in favour.”

Under her questioning, Brandan Wilkinson, principal planning officer at Lambeth council, revealed no assessment had been carried out to work out the impact of noise from hotel guests on residents.

A six-person Lambeth Council planning committee went on to pass the plans by a vote of 3-2. One member abstained.

Pictured top: CGI of planned hotel and Superdrug from Atlantic Road (Picture: Lambeth Council planning documents)