G Gate hotel gets go-ahead
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
09/09/2008
Planning permission has been granted for an Olympia hotel that has been labelled a possible landmark building in the borough.
Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s planning applications committee met on Wednesday, September 3 to discuss the fate of the ‘G Gate’ hotel on the corner of Lyon’s Walk and Hammersmith Road, next to the Olympia Conference Centre.
Applicants Earls Court/Olympia Group and Sunlight Projects plan to turn the underdeveloped marshalling yard for the Olympia Conference Centre, into an apartment-style hotel with 259 rooms and a 69.5 square metre retail unit on the ground floor, which includes a restaurant.
Some local residents expressed concerns that the £12 million modern cube-like hotel – which stands at 10-storeys at its highest point – could create traffic and parking problems, as well as a reduction of light in their homes. But research showed that the development would not significantly affect residents or the area.
The application was deferred on Wednesday, June 18, while officers gathered further information on the amount of traffic coming into the area and the impact the building would have on the amount of daylight being let into neighbouring residential properties.
The findings showed that the increase in traffic in the area would be ‘negligible’ and that the impact for residents would be minimal. Over 230 windows were assessed to see how much light they would receive and only two windows in one property would receive light levels below planning guidelines. No objections were received from residents in this particular property.
Councillor Alex Chalk, chairman of the planning application committee, said: “We listened to residents’ concerns and we wanted to make sure they were addressed before we made our decision. We have looked at all the areas where there were potential problems and we are happy that granting planning permission for the hotel was the correct decision.”
Councillor Nicholas Botterill, deputy leader and cabinet member for environment, said: “The site has been crying out for redevelopment for many years – decades even – and here is the perfect opportunity to bring much needed regeneration to this stretch of road and the area.
“This development will create new jobs for the borough’s residents, and local businesses and shops will ultimately benefit from this hotel, with guests spending their money locally. The hotel will also help Olympia stay on the map as one of the top exhibition centres in London, and continue to attract thousands of people to the borough each year.”
The site will still be used at ground floor level by Olympia as a marshalling yard for vehicles bringing exhibition equipment to and from the centre.
