Hotel operating without permission for over a year in central Woolwich
Plans are in to convert flats to a 24-room hotel at Maritime House in Woolwich, which is the tall block above Wimpy.
Part of the building has been operating as a hotel since 2017 despite permission being refused in a location within sight of Greenwich Council’s Head Office.
In 2016 approval was given to convert from office space to nine flats but the owners then begun operating a hotel. That’s according to the applications own Design and Access Statement.
Not the wisest move. Just last week there was a fire nearby in Woolwich just off the other side of General Gordon Square. The Fire Brigade would lack plans and layouts for a hotel if a blaze should break out.
One reason a hotel was previously refused was due to rooms only having sky lights which could not be opened for ventilation. The applicant now proposes using a stick to allow windows to be pushed open.
Click here to view plans.
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I had to laugh. Wow. The council would be funny were it not so poor at keeping on top of things. Since 2017!
Thanks for these articles by the way I will donate soon as the site is on fire. Great work showing how Greenwich Council are spending income compared to many other boroughs and all the new buildings planned. Great stuff that the local media generally don’t cover anymore (except 853).
Does not sound as if this building is suitable for a hotel with only sky lights in the rooms. Surely this breaks all health and safety rules for a hotel or any building with multiple occupancy.
Although I like seeing empty and other buildings being brought back in to use and occupied. This should not be at the expense of health and safety of the residents or guest staying at hotels.
I personally complained to the council on three occassions about this hotel and the
– privacy issues
– fire safety
– service charges not being alterted for tenants or home owners
– car park and common areas no longer being secure for tenants
But then again Comer Property Management have an awful reputation and the hotel is just the tip of the iceberg with them. How about when Maritime House had a fire a few months ago, and NO central alarms went off. Seems to me that Greenwich Council are WAITING for an accident before getting involved?
I remember studying in that building when it was part of the University campus. Cramped corridors and flimsy partition walls:electric radiators that rarely worked and aluminum frame windows forever covered in condensation. It was so cold we dare not switch the PCs off in case we lost our only source of heat. The skylight issue doesn’t surprise me in the least
This building is in urgent need of a health and safety visit. Then the building needs to be fully refurbished to make this building safe and up to current safety standards.
There appears to be a lot of serious concerns raised about this building which have fallen on deaf hears with the Management Company. Lets hope Greenwich Council acts to make sure the landlord carries out the necessary improvements required to the building.
An illegal hotel operating under the nose of Greenwich council. Who would have thought it. Ha, ha.