Premier Inn Plans For Wimbledon Town Centre Are Amended

---

Controversial scheme could be determined next month

A controversial plan for a nine-storey Premier Inn in Wimbledon town centre has been amended following complaints from local residents.

Whitbread plan to build a 176-bed Premier Inn hotel at 153-161 The Broadway. They say it would create 50 new jobs and boost the local economy by bringing 80,000 new visitors a year to the town centre.

But plans for the metal clad building in the town centre have raised claims it would not fit in with the Victorian character of the area.

An original plan for a hotel on the site was for 149 rooms, and a 'Save Wimbledon Town' campaign group has also raised fears of increased traffic and noise, as well as potential anti-social behaviour.

The earlier plan, which gained approval on appeal, included 19 car parking places. But the latest version of the new plan now has only four bays for disabled parking.

Following various local consultation meetings, the original design (below left) and has amended to the scheme shown on the top right.

The changes include the back of the hotel facing the Victoria houses in Griffiths Road is now mainly brick mixed with cladding. The side flank with Southey Road is now a brick strip followed by metal.

There is also a strip of brick at the front, with some concrete also replaced by stone. But the facade of the main building is still metal.

There are two new trees shown on the plans and while the number of disabled parking bays have increased to four, the lay-by for servicing the building has been removed.

But Sara Sharp, from Save Wimbledon Town, said: "Whitbread say that they have made “a huge improvement” on the previous scheme whilst trying to balance the views of residents, local stakeholders, council officers and their own design team.

"I acknowledge that they are moving in the right direction with the building, but it is nowhere close to being a finished product acceptable for The Broadway. In my opinion, it remains a half-baked inedible cake."

The earliest the scheme could be debated by the council's planning committee is August 11.

Sara Sharp is enouraging residents to comment on the scheme before July 30. You can email planning.representations@merton.gov.uk with the Ref: 16/P1149 for 153-161 The Broadway SW19 1NE to give your opinion.

What do you think? Why not comment on our forum?

July 21, 2016