Five-star fury over hotel plans

by James Edgar, The Hackney Post

PLANS to build Hackney’s first five-star hotel on the site of the former Magistrates Court building on Old Street into are likely to be approved by the council in the coming weeks.

With 128 guestrooms, a restaurant, bars, conference rooms, and a gym, it will largely cater for businessmen visiting the City and the developers hope it will boost the economy in Haggerston.

But the proposals have enraged local residents and workers who argue that the seven-storey modern extension at the back of the old court, a grade two listed property, will dwarf the surrounding homes and offices.

An action group has strongly objected to the plans, raising concerns about the hotel’s size, design, security, and parking problems.

In a letter to Hackney Council, seen by The Hackney Post, Hoxton Street jeweller Lexi Dick wrote: “It is a greedy building, cramming itself into every square inch of space available, regardless of the surrounding buildings. It resembles a stack of shoe boxes.”

She argues that the looming edifice will reduce vital narural light in her studio by up to 30 per cent.

For Edward Woodcock, who lives in an apartment in the Timber Yard, the main concern is privacy. He said: “I will have a window facing right into the flat I own. They are saying my privacy will not be affected, because guests will not be in during the day and will be drawing their curtains by night. What about when guests draw their curtains in the morning? This is so lacking in common sense it’s laughable.”

But time is running out for the campaigners. Hackney Council’s planning sub-committee is scheduled to meet on 12 March to decide whether to grant planning permission to developers Mastcraft, who own and run a similar hotel on Great Marlborough Street in the West End, where rooms cost £250 to £450 a night.

Zsolt Moldan, the architect behind the design of the development, said that the hotel should make Hackney residents proud: “I think it will give enormous benefits to local residents and workers. We’re providing a big health and fitness centre, which will be available for them as well as considerable function and banqueting rooms.

“It will be the first five-star hotel in Hackney, which is quite something. I think people should actually be proud of it.”

Jonathan McShane is the councillor for Haggerston ward. He said: “Most people were quite pleased when they saw that a hotel was being developed there, but it was only when they realised it was going to be such a massive extension at the back of a nice old building that they became less keen.

“The hotel in principle is a good idea but the scale of this development seems out of keeping with the area.”

With approval from English Heritage and the Hackney planning service. it is unlikely the application will be rejected by the sub-committee, Cllr McShane said. “Frankly it’s highly unusual for councillors to turn down an application if officers have suggested it should be approved, especially with a big developer like this,” he explained.