Residents concerned over Premier Inn bar

HAMMERSMITH residents fear that a “late night student drinking destination” looks set to be built metres from their homes.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s licensing committee has given Whitbread a licence to open a bar with 160 covers at their yet-to-be-built Premier Inn in Talgarth Road.

The bar and hotel would be housed in the smaller of two buildings that have planning permission for the site of the former magistrates’ court.

On May 18 the committee gave the company permission to sell alcohol from the new venue until 11.30pm to non-hotel guests, Monday to Sunday.

There were 36 objections from residents who fear it will attract hundreds of students from a 20-storey student halls block that landlord Dominvs Group also hopes to build at the site.

Ludolph Van Hasselt, chairman of Save Our Hammersmith Action Forum, told the committee: “This would be highly disturbing to local residents. A high number of occupants on the site from the hotel and the students together would make this a late night drinking destination. I don’t think that’s how the planning application for the development for this site was conceived.”

Abel Hadden, chairman of the Margravine Gardens and St Dunstan’s Road Residents’ Association, said: “Many of the homes nearest to this proposal have young children. The concern for local residents is for nearly 700 students having a late night drinking opportunity presented to them, who wouldn’t go and enjoy that?”

A spokesperson for Whitbread told the committee a 24/7 off licence already exists at a nearby BP garage.

He stressed the venue, which has won permission to show films until late, will “not be a cinema”.

“We are good neighbours to all of our neighbours in all of our sites and we have never had enforcement action taken against us,” he added.

Councillor PJ Murphy, who is this year’s mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham, also told the committee: “This is the most objected to licensing application I have experienced.”