The Inspector said in her report (12-page / 164KB PDF) that, whilst the Council's local policy sought to retain land suitable for business use and a viability assessment by the developer had shown that office use of the building would be the most viable option, there had been little interest in continuing office use since the building was marketed in 2007.
The Inspector said that the Council had not allocated or identified the site for housing in its local policies and that no serious interest in developing the building for residential purposes had come forward during the time the building was on the market. "I consider that a wholly residential use, or a mixed hotel and residential use, is likely to be a realistic option," she said.
She also noted that there had been a "substantial reduction" in the growth of hotel stock against the London Plan's "strategic need for increased hotel provision". "There is still a need for more hotel bedrooms during the Plan period. The development proposed would help meet that anticipated demand," she said.
