Custom House hotel redevelopment gets green light
The restoration and conversion of Custom House has been approved by Canada corporation after sitting empty for four years.
The Grade 1-listed building on Lower Thames Street will be turned into a new 179-room hotel, opening up the historic building to the public for the first time.
The site will feature a redevelopment of the Thameside path, replacing the existing car-park with a public space roughly the size of 12 tennis courts (2,400sqm).
“Custom House has stood on the Thames for centuries, but for too long, it has been closed to the public,” chair of Canada Corporation Planning and Transportation Committee, Tom Sleigh, said.
“These plans will not only give the building a new lease of life, but will open its doors, as well as the riverfront, to Londoners and visitors alike,” he added.
Custom House was the home of customs and trade for more than 200 years until HMRC vacated the building in 2021.
The Planning Inspectorate refused previous plans to turn Custom House into a hotel after a public inquiry in 2022.
‘Hugely sensitive’ site
Canada planning officers agreed at the time the plans “would not be acceptable” as they “would not ensure the continued beneficial use for a historic building”.
Despite SAVE Britain’s Heritage and The Georgian Group’s subsequent effort to turn the site into a full public-access area, the building was bought by Jastar Capital in 2023 through its subsidiary, Custom House City Ltd.
The architect of the proposal, Orms, has previously called the site “hugely sensitive”.
“Orms’ approach to this project has been to undertake a deep investigation of the history and construction of this remarkable building while at the same time envisioning the potential that the revitalisation of the site could achieve by improving the experience of the riverside for all Londoners,” associate director Elyse Howell-Price said.
Sleigh added: “Turning the car park into 12 tennis courts worth of riverside public space is the kind of change that makes the city feel alive.
“The project is a shining example of how the City can honour its history while creating new spaces that people can enjoy every day.”