SHRA meet Premier Inn owner Whitbread about the development of the Premier Inn London Euston Hotel

A plan of the proposed development
Whitbread PLC

Premier Inn want to build two floors of bedrooms along their Euston Road site, with an additional seven floors stretching into the rear car park.

We received a talk and presentation from the team managing the proposed development to the Premier Inn London Euston hotel.

Whitbread, the company that owns Premier Inn, told us:

  • They want another 67 bedrooms, with a 250 seat restaurant.
  • They want to add two floors to the Euston Road side, and build a 7 floor annex in the carpark.
  • They think the development will take 1 year 3 months (65 weeks)
  • Planning applications are imminent to Camden Council. 

We’ve since held an on-site meeting with Whitbread’s project managers in the carpark to raise current on-going concerns over fire safety, health & safety, right of access and logistics.

We said that these issues have been ongoing for several years, and show no signs of abating. We asked why things would be better in the future but did not receive solid answers.

The website created for the development where you can view the proposed plans is available here https://onedukesroadextension.co.uk

If you think the development will affect you, please contact our secretary.

We’ll let everyone know when the full planning application has been submitted.

Premier Inn and Costa Coffee Euston Deliveries

Duke’s Road  London WC1

SHRA met with David McKenna and Alison Forrester from TFL, Louise McBride from Camden Council and the Premier Inn area manager to discuss the dangerous junction at Duke’s Road, Euston and Road and Churchway; and HGV deliveries to the Premier Inn and Costa Coffee Euston.

SHRA had raised concerns about large single crewed HGV’s reversing into and out of Duke’s Road, reversing across a footway on blind corner beside The Place dance school, and making multi point turns across St Pancras Churchyard.

At the meeting on 21/09/2017, held on Duke’s Road, TFL reiterated no unloading at any time on the red route. Camden reiterated no unloading at any time on double yellow lines and kerb markings.
TFL said they are planning to install a pedestrian crossing at the Duke’s Road / Euston Road junction within the next five years.
Camden said they will repaint the double yellow lines and kerb markings and will monitor the situation.

Since the August meeting, Camden Council have repainted one side of Duke’s Road double yellow lines and kerb markings.
Premier Inn and Costa Coffee Euston HGV deliveries continue to needlessly and dangerously reverse in to and out of Duke’s Road.

Fire Safety

Somerton House 32 Camden council flats, above the Premier Travel Inn Euston London hotel
Somerton House flats, above the Premier Travel Inn Euston hotel

Premier Inn’s Chief Operating Officer has told us the cladding on the Euston hotel below Somerton House is not combustible. We also have reassurances that outstanding lighting and stairwell issues raised will be addressed.

Camden Council will be fitting new fire doors in the coming weeks, the contracts manager is aware of outstanding shared lighting and stairwell issues.

UPDATE: 7th JUNE 2019

Camden Council have informed SHRA they are unsure if the cladding attached to Somerton House is fire safe. 

Camden will be inspecting/investigating the external cladding on the 12th of June with a team of abseilers. Waits who are currently carrying out fire safety works on behalf of Camden in the building will be facilitating these inspection works.

SHRA have also contacted Premier Inn’s COO Simon, and Property Management Company Gerald Eve’s Partner James requesting appropriate reassurances/action that the buildings cladding is fire safe.

Residents concerned as Council green-lights beer garden inches from front door

Unlicensed outdoor drinking occurred frequently
Unlicensed outdoor drinking occurred frequently

Camden Council has granted an outdoor drinking licence to the hotel underneath Somerton House.

Somerton House residents fear they will have to walk past drunken revelers to get to their front door up until 10’o’clock every night. They are unhappy that in front of their homes there is now a large beer garden.

Twelve separate objections from local residents were lodged, but the licensing panel were swayed by the professional arguments of Premier Inn’s solicitor.

Two local residents addressed the committee highlighting issues such as:

  • The Premier Inn’s history of unresponsiveness to concerns raised by local residents; they sited an ongoing five-year battle against a noisy air conditioning unit installed without planning permission as evidence.
  • The Premier Inn’s inability to police it’s currently licence arrangements, pointing out that outdoor drinking has been a daily occurrence during the recent hot weather
  • The detrimental effect the noise of outside drinking would have on residents’ wellbeing, adding as it does to the barrage of other noises that the hotel creates.

Residents are disappointed that none of their concerns were taken on board by the Licencing Committee. Many residents of Somerton House are Council tenants with specific health needs that will not be helped by this additional imposition on their lives. We feel the Council is once again failing in it’s duty of care to Safeguard vulnerable residents.

The Premier Inn’s solicitor’s statement centred around the fact that his client’s hotel was a “premium product” and they would not permit anything to damage the brand’s reputation. This assertion was clearly accepted by the Committee despite the fact that residents had highlighted numerous examples of the Travel Inn’s less than premium conduct.

Procedural anomalies

The Committee members were not acquainted with the unique overlapping layouts of Somerton House and the Premier Inn, and all present agreed that the diagram provided was insufficient to accurately convey the full impact their decision will have. Indeed, Travel Inn solicitor John Gaunt himself had to apologise to the committee for mistakenly misrepresenting the layout of the premises.

The Licencing Committee representative seemed unaware of the ongoing investigation underway by his own department into breaches of the current licence, so this fact was disregarded.

Residents believe these two pieces of evidence would have a profound impact on the decision and are of the opinion that the Council should have ensured these points were presented to the committee.

Drinks on pavement

Somerton House Residents’ Association Chair  corrected John Gaunt’s assertion that no open drink containers would be taken onto the public footpath. In fact the largest of the two drinking areas can only be accessed via the public footpath. Residents are very concerned that this fact will inevitably lead to groups of drinkers blocking the pavement and causing a nuisance.

The Chair asked if a site visit was possible. The panel said this was possible under the rules. We have since noted on the Camden Website that adjournments for site visits are possible.

Some minor conditions were added to the license:

  • there is to be absolutely no drinking on the pavement outside
  • there should be frequent litter picks and glass collection.
  • residents will be given a number to call if they have issues (020 7554 3400)
  • a nominated employee will be responsible for policing the outside areas at all times

Residents returning home after the hearing were greeted with the unpleasant site of beer glasses full of cigarette butts uncollected on a table outside the Premier Inn. We remain concerned that this represents the hotel’s real commitment to our local neighbourhood.

We are disappointed that the Council has again chosen to put the financial interests of a large business above the welfare of it’s own residents.

Residents’ Garden reinstated.

Somerton House new planters
Somerton House new planters 2010

Three years after our only green area was removed to make way for Costa Coffee, we claimed a little back.

At the last meeting it was agreed by all present that the committee would reinstate a garden of wooden planters and compost with suitable plants, paid for with TA funds. To return the residents garden albeit on a much smaller scale.

Secretary John was tasked with finding a local independent tradesmen that would make the planters to size and also find a independent garden supplier for the soil, compost and plants.

We then had to work out what plants would live happily in the planters, give us residents the greatest pleasure throughout the year with as little maintenance as possible, just as well John is well versed on plants, flora and all things like that.

GAD [Garden Arrival Day] Friday 28 May 2010.

Planters arrive followed by 30 bags of fantastic garden soil mixed with proper horse muck from Islington, and later plants from a London nursery.  Several hours later the entrance pathway is now a much greener, happier and inviting outside space.

Within the next few Months we should have some blooms! Some names of plant’s: Sage, Rosemary, Jasmine, Lavender, Cornflower, Poppy, Geranium and lots lots more…

A little history of our garden:

The garden area of Somerton House was created by residents gradually since they first moved into Somerton House when it was built in 1963. Some commuters of a certain age may remember the amazing rose displays each summer. This was removed when Premier Travel Inn took over the lower portion of Somerton House.

Somerton House Garden 1980 before premier travel inn euston
Somerton House Garden 1980’s

Premier Travel Inn replaced the garden with a planted display, but then the parent company Whitbread removed this in 2007 to install a Costa Coffee outlet, upsetting and angering some residents, many who have lived in the building since it was built.

Somerton House Garden removal 2007
Somerton House Garden removal 2007 (now Costa Coffee).

Since then garden issue was raised at every TA meeting, on the stairs, in the lift, on the stairs and  even in Waitrose, residents were missing their only green space, and angered that it was lost to a coffee shop chain.

Residents of Somerton House are very happy to have a green area back.

SHTA would like to thank the following people:

John and Simon for all their hard work making the garden happen. Gilmar for his help taking in deliveries, Bob for his donation of plants and helpful advice, Amanda for getting her hands dirty, Mark G for the workers beverages, Rene, Ricky, Steve, James, Dan, Joseph, and Ben for their support, and last but by no means least Akbar for writing the cheque.

Somerton House New Garden Planters
Somerton House New Garden Planters 2012

We have a good few bags of Fed Hollingsworth’s top grade local London garden soil left over for sale. 75-litre bags, buyer collects! (ALL GONE)

The garden project was very much a communal project undertaken and paid for by the TA with the support of residents of Somerton House, to reclaim their lost green outside space.

Somerton House Garden Planters have won two community gardening awards since their creation.

– Best Council Housing Garden. Second Prize, Camden in Bloom 2010

– Best Green Corner. First Prize, Camden in Bloom 2018

Best Green Corner, Camden in Bloom 2018 Somerton House
Best Green Corner, Camden in Bloom 2018

updated 21/11/2019

Local Councillor appointed Mayor of Camden.

Our friendly and hard-working local King’s Cross councillor Jonathan Simpson was appointed Mayor of Camden at the Town Hall on Wednesday night.

Jonathan is a strong supporter of tenants and residents community groups within King’s Cross. He has supported and advised SHTA from our first meeting, standing with us on protest outside Unisons HQ against the building of a new Unison Tower.

SHTA would like to offer our congratulations to Cllr Simpson for his well deserved appointment as The Mayor of Camden.

© 2024 Somerton House Residents Association