Roof terrace for Hoxton Hotel to be decided under new licensing restrictions

Raise the Roof: Artist’s impression of proposed Hoxton plans. Photograph: Ennismore.

The Hoxton Hotel is applying to add a roof garden and terrace to its six floors of rooms on Great Eastern Street.

The application for the seventh floor roof extension will house a bar and restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, but will have to satisfy the licensing conditions laid out by Hackney Council.

Since the introduction of the Shoreditch Special Policy Area (SPA), part of controversial licensing restrictions introduced by Hackney Council earlier this year, businesses must show there will be no ‘cumulative impact’ on an area caused by the granting of a licence.

Developer and owner Ennismore state in their application: “Ennismore is a London-based owner and developer of unique hospitality properties and experiences around the world.

“It currently owns and operates the Hoxton hotel brand in London, Europe and the USA, Gleneagles in Scotland and several standalone restaurant concepts in London.

“Ennismore is committed to ensuring the hotel continues to operate sympathetically alongside the local community, with an emphasis on preventing crime and disorder and any sources of nuisance to local residents.”

The original Hoxton opened its doors in 2006, and has since spread to central London, Amsterdam, New York and Paris.

It quickly became known as an ‘anti-hotel’ brand, with owner Sharan Pasricha stating in a Vogue interview earlier this year that the original concept aimed to ‘foster a sense of community.’

Police state in their representation to the application that the Hoxton’s licence is “out of date considering the area it is situated, and so police are working with the applicant to create a new set of conditions that will ensure the promotion of the licensing objectives in a challenging late night time economy area.”

The application has also attracted objections from neighbouring residents, one of which states: “I strongly oppose this application for the licence on the roof top terrace. The volume of noise cannot be contained and as it is above roof line of many other premises it will impinge on our lives.

“The Hoxton is popular and causes continual problems with the volume of people on the pavement outside of the Great Eastern [Street] entrance and more importantly the chaos of traffic caused by taxis and private hire vehicles which are uncontrolled as they drop [and pick up passengers outside of the venue.”

Hackney Council’s licensing sub-committee will decide the Hoxton’s application on 8 November.