Policy information sourced from Lambeth Local Plan 2020-2035

ED14: Hotels and other visitor accommodation

In accordance with London Plan policy E10:

  • Visitor accommodation (C1) will be supported in town centres, where it does not cause unacceptable harm to local amenity and the balance and mix of local land uses. Outside town centres, proposals for new visitor accommodation will be assessed against the sequential test for main town centre uses in accordance with national planning policy. In all locations, visitor accommodation should be of an appropriate scale for the proposed location and should not unacceptably harm the balance and mix of uses in the area, including services for the local residential community.
  • Additional visitor accommodation (C1) will be supported in Vauxhall outside of wholly residential streets or predominately residential neighbourhoods subject to the following area specific requirements:
    • Strategically important hotels should be located in the parts of the Opportunity Area that are within the CAZ. Strategically important hotels and other forms of visitor accommodation will be supported in this location where they are part of a mixed-use development, do not result in the loss of office space or other strategic functions of the CAZ and do not intensify the provision of serviced accommodation in a way that causes unacceptable harm to local amenity or the balance of local land uses.
    • In the rest of the Opportunity Area and in the parts of the CAZ that are not within the Opportunity Area, visitor accommodation of up to 100 rooms will be supported where they are part of a mixed-use development, do not result in the loss of office space or other strategic functions of the CAZ and do not intensify the provision of serviced accommodation in a way that causes unacceptable harm to local amenity or the balance of local land uses.
  • Additional visitor accommodation (C1) will only be permitted in Waterloo within the boundary of the Central Activities Zone (CAZ) where it does not cause unacceptable harm to local amenity or the balance and mix of local land uses.
  • Proposals to extend existing visitor accommodation will only be supported in the locations set out in clauses a) and b), subject to the other requirements of this policy being met.
  • In all locations set out in clauses a) and b), proposals for visitor accommodation (C1) will be acceptable only where it can be demonstrated that the development does not compromise a site’s capacity to meet the need for conventional dwellings, especially affordable family homes.
  • Proposals for new or extended visitor accommodation should include an assessment of impact on neighbouring residential amenity, including cumulative impact taking account of existing hotels nearby. Where necessary, measures to mitigate harm to residential amenity will be secured through planning obligations.
  • Proposals for new or extended visitor accommodation should include a visitor management plan that assesses the impacts of additional visitor numbers on the local area, such as increased demand on local transport facilities and on public services to manage and maintain the public realm; and sets out how these impacts will be managed. Planning obligations will be sought to mitigate any identified impacts.
  • All new visitor accommodation should meet the highest standards of accessibility and inclusion, in accordance with the requirements set out in London Plan policy E10. Applicants should submit an Inclusive Design Statement with their proposals.
  • All new visitor accommodation should make a positive contribution to townscape, should be of a high quality design and be designed to meet relevant quality standards so that it may be accredited by the National Quality Assessment Scheme.
  • All new hotels will be expected to provide facilities for business visitors, including meeting rooms and workspaces. The potential for business and leisure facilities within hotels to be made available for public use in locations where there is an identified shortage of provision will be explored. Public use of hotel facilities will be secured through planning obligations.
  • Provision of pick-up and set-down points for taxis and coaches should be appropriate to the site and development, as demonstrated through a transport assessment, and preferably be provided on site.
  • Where it is demonstrated, through at least one year’s marketing evidence, that there is no longer demand for existing visitor accommodation, change of use will be supported subject to the requirements of other development plan policies.

For more information please see the Local Plan