City Corporation approves sale of Snow Hill Police Station to Whitbread
The City of London Corporation has today [15 January 2020] completed the sale of Snow Hill Police Station.
The station, which was previously declared surplus to operational requirements by the City of London Police, has been sold to hotel owner and operator Whitbread Plc on a 151-year lease. The Police will remain in occupation potentially until December 2020 to allow time to decommission the building.
Subject to planning permission, the property will be turned into a hotel, boosting overnight accommodation in the Square Mile and supporting the City Corporation’s City Plan 2036.
The City of London Corporation is working to develop ambitious plans to build a new flagship combined courts facility and state-of-the-art headquarters for the City of London Police at Fleet Street to better serve the needs of a modern, busy city.
Sir Michael Snyder, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Capital Buildings Committee, said:
“The sale of this property brings the possibility of much needed overnight accommodation in the City, while not affecting the Police’s ability to deliver a first class service across the Square Mile.
“As we work towards realising our vision of the City as a 24/7 destination, it is estimated that more than 4,000 hotel rooms will be required to meet demand from workers, tourists and residents.
“Developments like that announced today will be crucial in meeting this target.”
Ian Dyson, Commissioner of the City of London Police said:
“Snow Hill Police Station was underutilised, with low footfall and in need of modernisation. City of London Police is working with the City of London Corporation to progress ambitious plans to build a state-of-the-art police station near to Fleet Street to better serve the needs of a modern, busy city.
“Our community policing teams continue to patrol the City to provide face to face contact with the public and people can still visit our police stations on Bishopsgate and Wood Street. Alternatively, our services can be accessed through the online reporting tool on our website or by dialling 101, or 999 in an emergency.
“These plans will not cause any job losses. Staff and officers are being relocated and the closure of this station will not affect our policing of the City and the way in which we protect the public.”
Jonathan Langdon, Acquisitions Manager for Central London at Whitbread, said:
“Farringdon is one of the most vibrant locations in London, so we’re delighted to have secured a new site on Snow Hill with the intention of delivering a new hub by Premier Inn hotel, subject to obtaining planning permission.
“The site’s close proximity to the City, the Culture Mile initiative and some of London’s most historic attractions, such as St Paul’s Cathedral and Guildhall, makes it a prime location for both business and leisure customers, and with the arrival of Crossrail, the demand for hotel rooms in Farringdon is only set to increase.
“We recently opened a new Premier Inn hotel at Smithfield and are currently building another hub by Premier Inn on Farringdon Road, so the Snow Hill acquisition is a great opportunity for us to grow our hub by Premier Inn portfolio in such an important London catchment.”
The real estate services company Cushman & Wakefield acted on behalf of the City of London Corporation in the sale of the property.
Notes to editors
The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK.www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
ENDS
Media contact
Nathan Rodgers, Financial Services Media Officer, City of London Corporation on Nathan.rodgers@cityoflondon.gov.uk 020 7332 3451
James Anderson, Property Communications Manager, Whitbread on james.anderson@whitbread.com / 07850 944 798
Notes to editors
About the City of London Corporation
The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
About Premier Inn
Premier Inn was named the UK’s top-rated hotel chain for 2018 according to Which? With almost 800 hotels and more than 76,000 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.
Across the estate, the average Trip Advisor score for Premier Inn hotels is 4.2. Premier Inn has 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. In 2018 Premier Inn was also named the UK’s top-rated hotel chain for the fourth year in a row by Which?
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 Germany. Premier Inn opened its first hotel in Frankfurt in 2016 and has more than 8,000 Premier Inn bedrooms in its secured pipeline in Germany.
