Developer still needs final approval from London鈥檚 mayor for 20-storey hotel
British Land has won planning approval for a 20-storey hotel in Paddington.
The 200-room hotel designed by Carmody Groarke is the latest addition to the developer鈥檚 Paddington Central development.
It will replace a two-storey management suite on the Sheldon Square site 鈥� part of a former Great Western Railway Goods Depot 鈥� and also provide conference facilities, a 17th-storey roof terrace and ground-floor retail.
Westminister council鈥檚 planners acknowledged that the designs had generated 鈥渃onsiderable objection鈥� from residents of neighbouring flats, citing both the tower鈥檚 proposed design and the loss of amenity.
But recommending them for councillors鈥� approval, officers said that while assessments indicated that daylight and sunlight losses would be 鈥渟ignificant鈥�, they would not outweigh the economic and employment benefits of the development, particularly as the site is within the Paddington Opportunity Area where denser development was envisaged.
鈥淭he proposed new building will be a prominent introduction into the townscape, but its height and slender form would complement its immediate context and would on the whole have a neutral impact on the wider historic townscape,鈥� they said.
鈥淭he materials, modelling and relief of the design will introduce a crafted and visually stimulating new building of high quality.
鈥淭he design will also utilise large areas of currently underused space beneath the current management office, thus offering the potential to further animate the public realm and contribute to a thriving mixed-use sustainable neighbourhood and destination.鈥�
The scheme will now be passed to London mayor Sadiq Khan for final approval.
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