Former police station could become boutique hotel

A south London council is considering plans to turn an empty police station into a luxury hotel.

A property developer has applied to Lambeth Council for permission to turn the former station on Streatham High Road into a 57-room boutique establishment.

It closed in 2015 when the police relocated to a building further down the street.

The station, built in 1921, was shut after a review by the Met and the Mayor of London concluded it was no longer meeting the force’s needs.

More than 75% of London’s police stations have closed in the past 15 years, from 160 in 2008 to 36 today.

Many of the buildings have been sold and converted to other uses, while a small number were retained by the Met for operational purposes.

As part of the proposed development, a rear extension would be added to the building, as well as a mansard roof.

According to a planning statement submitted as part of the application, Lambeth has been identified at a regional and national level as an area suitable for more hotels.

“The only existing hotel in the area is the Leigham Court Hotel, an 86-bed hotel close to Streatham Hill Station," the document says.

"As a result, the provision of a new hotel at the application site will not result in an over concentration of hotels within the area."

In June 2023 a 114-bed Travelodge was approved by Lambeth Council on the site of a former jazz club around a seven minutes’ walk from the former police station.

Lambeth Council has yet to make a decision on the planning application.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]