Controversial plans to turn the former Belgravia Police Station into a luxury hotel and spa are expected to be given the green light next week.
Westminster council has been urged to sign off a 206-bedroom hotel with restaurant, bar and “wellness facilities” at the site in Buckingham Palace Road.
Belgravia Police Station was closed by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in 2022 and the building sold for £75million as part of a reorganisation of the Metropolitan Police.
It is set to become the latest site run by The Other Group, which opened its first hotel in South Kensington in 2022 and opened a second on the Strand earlier this year.
However, the scheme has been controversial with residents who campaigned against the police station closure and complained about the impact the new building with have on their homes.
Westminster planning officers admitted that the new hotel will result in a dozen flats losing daylight, which they described as “highly regrettable”, but added that it was “outweighed” by the regeneration benefits.
“Strong objections have been received from neighbouring residents, predominantly from Fountain Court, immediately adjacent to the site, on land use and amenity grounds,” a report to Westminster council, due to be heard on Tuesday, states.
“The proposed hotel is considered an appropriate use in this central area of Westminster and with the imposition of conditions it is considered that it can operate without causing a significant adverse impact on residential amenity or local environmental quality.
It adds: “The proposal will result in daylight losses to kitchens and living rooms to 12 flats in Fountain Court beyond that recommended in the guidance which is highly regrettable, however, the majority of losses will be minor in nature, and this is considered to be outweighed by the regeneration and growth benefits of the scheme.”
More than 100 police stations that have been closed in London over the past 15 years.
Earlier this year Westminster councillors granted planning permission to demolish a former site in Savile Row, and replace it with a scheme that includes an academy for apprentice tailors.
In 2008, London had 160 open police station counters. The number is now 36, meaning more than 75 per cent have closed and the figure is set to go even lower, with a plan to have only one in each of the 32 boroughs.
The closures began under Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson and have continued under his successor Mr Khan.
Sales of the Met’s property assets have racked up over £1billion for City Hall in recent years.
This includes New Scotland Yard in 2016, which was sold for £370million in 2016 to investors from Abu Dhabi for luxury flats.
