A Central London council has approved plans for a 230-bed ‘windowless’ hostel above a famous independent theatre.
Westminster City councillors unanimously backed redeveloping the four storeys above Prince Charles Cinema off Leicester Square during a Planning Committee meeting on Tuesday, September 2.
Supporters of Criterion Capital’s application said the hostel would bring “high quality and reasonably priced” accommodation to the area, added security with 24/7 CCTV, and attract more cinema-goers.
One supporter said: “With a steady flow of cultural tourists and creatives, the hostel will provide essential support to nearby businesses, including the cinema itself.”
They also said construction works would not disrupt the cinema’s operation. A representative for the Soho Society, an amenity group, said Leicester Square would lose important office space.
They said the area was primed with companies linked to the creative and entertainment industry. They also questioned whether the building being vacant for 17 months was a reasonable excuse to see it redeveloped into accommodation.
They said: “We don’t feel that duration alone is the test. Quality and relevance to likely occupiers also is and in a location where small floor plays do casting and post-production, and independence, we should not lose scarce space which underpin the film and screen clusters.”
Supporters and council officers said though the vacant office space did receive interest, issues around accessibility and its location in a tourist-heavy spot made it ultimately unattractive to prospective tenants.
The Prince Charles Cinema, which is located at basement and ground level, will not be impacted by the proposal, the council said.
The hostel will be made up of as many as 230 beds placed separated by “individual privacy capsules” which have been described as an indoor one-person tent. This is a change to the traditional hostel where the beds are open, according to the applicant’s architect Boyle & Summers.
It is also understood there will be little to no windows in the accommodation. The hostel will be made up of unisex washing and toilet facilities and “1 and 2-tier sleeping capsules”. The hostel will not sell any food or beverages.
Criterion Capital, which owns Charles House at 7 Leicester Place, promised to “repurpose and revitalise” the four floors above the theatre.
It also proposed linking the hostel to the Victory House Hotel located two doors down. The hostel will be serviced through the hotel’s delivery hub. Criterion owns both buildings.
Construction work will be restricted to the morning so that afternoon viewings in the cinema can continue undisturbed.
It comes after a similar application was refused in June 2023. At the time, planning permission was refused on land use, amenity and highways grounds.
This included “insufficient” information to justify the loss of office floorspace and a lack of cycle parking spots. It also included fears over antisocial behaviour as visitors congregated on the pavement outside the property due to a lack of internal communal space.
Westminster City Council officers said these issues have been rectified with the new proposal.
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