Premier Inn scores in Finsbury Park
Planning permission granted by Islington Council for 192-bedroom Premier Inn and Bar + Block restaurant in London Zone 2
Whitbread, working with development partner Tide Construction Ltd, has secured planning permission for a new Premier Inn hotel and Bar + Block restaurant in Finsbury Park, north London.
Adding to its growing portfolio in Zone 2 London, Whitbread will create a 192-bedroom Premier Inn hotel and its latest Bar + Block restaurant format at 240 Seven Sisters Road. The consented hotel will be an eight-storey brick building with the Bar + Block restaurant at ground-floor level.
Whitbread, Premier Inn’s parent company, has taken a 25 year-lease on the site as it continues to grow the Premier Inn and Bar + Block brands across London. Work is expected to start on the cleared site before the end of the year, with a targeted opening date of early 2020.
Louise Woodruff, Acquisition Manager (Outer London) for Whitbread, said:
“Bringing Premier Inn to Finsbury Park is very exciting for us and we are delighted with Islington Council’s positive decision. Working closely with the Council’s planning team we have designed an attractive hotel building that will make a positive contribution to Seven Sisters Road, and the ongoing regeneration of Finsbury Park station, and create many permanent job opportunities – with recruitment focused in the borough.”
More than 80 new jobs are expected to be created on the opening of the Premier Inn and Bar + Block in Finsbury Park, with recruitment focused locally through Job Centre Plus and other employment service providers. As part of the planning consent, Whitbread and Tide Construction will also provide a significant financial contribution to offsite affordable workspace in the borough of Islington.
Ronan Farrell, Design Manager at Tide Construction, added:
“This is an excellent achievement for the whole team who have worked proactively with the council and community over a three-year consultation period. 240 Seven Sisters Road is an excellent site for a hotel, only metres away from Finsbury Park station and excellent transport links to central London, and the brick building and active restaurant frontage will significantly improve the streetscape to the south of the station.”
Planning permission at Finsbury Park was granted by Islington Council’s planning committee on 9 October, with councillors recognising the local economic and employment contributions of the development, as well as the public realm benefits in activating what is currently a derelict site.
For more information, please contact:
James Anderson, Property Communications Manager, Whitbread on james.anderson@whitbread.com / 07850 944798
Emily Barnes / Richard Pia at Camargue on 020 7637 7366 / whitbread@camargue.uk
About Premier Inn
Premier Inn was named the UK’s top-rated hotel chain for 2017 according to Which? With over 750 budget hotels and more than 70,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland, Premier Inn guests are never far from a great night’s sleep at fantastic value rates. Premier Inn hotels are in more locations than any other UK hotel brand for the ease and convenience of leisure and business travellers alike.
All Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, a luxurious Hypnos® bed, a choice of pillows, TV with Freeview and free Wi-Fi. A bar and restaurant is situated either on-site or next door to each hotel, offering a wide range of food and drink including a delicious all-you-can-eat breakfast.
In the past year, over 80% of Premier Inn hotels achieved a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. Premier Inn has also been awarded the Best UK Family Hotel in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards, Best UK Hotel Group in the Silver Travel Awards and the Business In The Community Environmental Leadership Award.
Premier Inn employs over 19,000 team members and is a Whitbread PLC brand. Whitbread PLC achieved 8th place in The Sunday Times Best Big Companies To Work For in 2017, an accolade awarded as the result of direct team member feedback.
Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity is the National Charity partner of Premier Inn and to date team members, guests and suppliers have reached the milestone of £10 million, which formed part of the funding towards the Premier Inn Clinical Building, officially opened by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge in January 2018.
Outside of the UK, Premier Inn’s expansion plans are focused on two key markets; Germany and the Middle East, with plans to expand in Ireland. Premier Inn opened its first hotel in Frankfurt in 2016 and also operates hotels in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.
