Hotel plans raise hope for high road (From Streatham Guardian)

Hotel plans raise hope for high road

7:20am Friday 2nd November 2012 in News By Alice Foster, Reporter

Plans to open a hotel in Streatham High Road have raised hopes of a boost for local businesses.

The application for a hotel with 105 rooms and 53 apartments could come before the planning committee as early as November.

Architect MDR Associates, on behalf of Mosser Ltd, has submitted an application to convert the current office block, Norwich House, which has stood empty since 2009.

Town centre manager Angelina Purcell said: "I think it would be absolutely superb for Streatham.

It’s great news for us. "The fact is with so many beds, that is a lot of footfall they could bring into the area."

There are rumours that Travelodge is behind the plans but it denied this saying the company is looking at three sites but a decision is still a long way off.

Speaking on behalf of Travelodge Nick Dines, director of Belgrave, said: "We would like to open a hotel in Streatham.

"There is a lack of hotel rooms in the local area considering the number of people who live there.

"People live in flats and there are no spare rooms for them to put granny and grandad."

James Burgess, from MDR Associates, declined to comment until plans had progressed further.

Lee Alley, chairman of the Streatham Business Board, called the hotel plans ‘absolutely brilliant’ for the area with a booming night time economy.

Mr Alley said: "My parents want to come over from the States and there is nowhere for them to stay."