City police station recommended to become Premier Inn

Plans to turn an historic former police station in the City of London into a Premier Inn are set to get the green light next week, after officials recommended the scheme’s approval. Whitbread, which owns the hotel chain, wants to redevelop the grade-II listed Snow Hill Police Station into a 219-bedroom hotel, having bought the site just before the pandemic. City Corporation planning officials have advised committee members to give the plan consent, arguing that the hotel would provide “heritage-led and high-quality visitor accommodation” in the Square Mile. Officers wrote: “For the listed building consent, the proposed change of use to hotel is considered appropriate as an adaptation and would enable a continued viable use of the site, securing the long-term conservation of the building.”  They added: “It is acknowledged that the proposals do not preserve the listed building, including some features of historic interest, and special regard has been had to the desirability of preservation. But in the context of the proposals and the evaluation in this report, it is not considered that this should lead to refusal of the application for listed building consent.” The site, at 5 Snow Hill, sits near the former Smithfield Market, which is soon to be transformed into the new Museum of London.  The police station was built in 1926, and contains historic cells and corridors which will be demolished as part of the redevelopment. Other measures will include refurbishing the building’s facade, extending the existing basement, adding cycle storage and extending the building from six to eight storeys high. Seven objections were raised by local businesses and residents, with concerns around whether there was a need for a hotel, preserving the historic facade of the building, and the potential adverse effects on light and noise for locals. Historic England raised no objection. City Corp’s planning committee will vote on the scheme next week. To send feedback, e-mail alex.daniel@eg.co.uk or tweet @alexmdaniel or @EGPropertyNews Image © Axiom Architects