91-92 Dean Street Emerging Proposals Consultation Questions & Answers Hostel Questions Q: There are four new hotels being built in Soho (Wardour Q: How many guests will be resident in the hostel on any given Street, Poland Street, Berwick Street and Broadwick Street) - day? Why do we need another hotel in the area? A: These are emerging proposals but we anticipate that there will be A: It is important to note that we are not proposing a new hotel, or capacity for 750 - 830 sleepers. Based on a projected occupancy a new hostel, but a recasting of the existing facility which is a well- of 90% we will average 650+ guests in residence on a daily basis. established feature of the Soho panorama. Our concept will continue in the tradition of the existing Sohostel, offering a hostel style, shared accommodation experience. However rather than featuring the traditional rooms with bunk Q: The current hostel only has c300 spaces. How will the local beds, we will be featuring pod accommodation. Guests will sleep area cope with you doubling the capacity? in private pods based on single or double occupancy. The pod offers affordable accommodation with heightened security, A: The current hostel has 300 beds, our proposals increase this to hygiene as well as a quieter sleep experience. accommodate 750 - 830 sleepers. We anticipate that our guests will primarily arrive using public transport which we believe will have We believe our improved hostel concept with shared facilities and a positive impact on traffic and the environment. a more communal feel is more in keeping with the nature of Soho. This is not a hotel with facilities (such as a restaurant) and therefore will have limited comings and goings of residents and non- residents. Once people have showered and left for the day, we do not anticipate their coming back, as one might to lounge in one’s Q: What price are you envisioning for a one-night stay? hotel room. There are some shared spaces which single travellers appreciate, but not the usual lobby and bar spaces. Therefore the A: Similar to other hostels our concept sells sleep as a core street outside will not be greatly affected. product, although the pod concept will offer privacy, security and silence. We envision selling a single pod at c£40 - £50 and Sitting on top of the Elizabeth Line, practically on Oxford Street and double pods at c£75 - £100. These are similar to today’s prices almost as close to Fitzrovia as Soho, the guests will be dispersing in for a hostel, but remain significantly lower than a traditional hotel. all directions. These are emerging proposals and so this may change. We also believe that increasing the number of visitors is a delicate balance. Whilst we do not wish to cause disturbance to local residents we believe the increase in potential visitors would be welcomed by local businesses who could benefit from increased footfall. Our proposals strike the right balance between respecting the local community and supporting local businesses. Q: Will the hostel be directed at young people? A: As a general rule, hostels and other shared accommodation concepts are attractive to a younger demographic. However as compared to traditional hostels (such as Meininger and Generator) we will not be targeting school groups, but instead a more mature global traveller, families, commuters and business travellers. Q: No more commercial chains in Soho bring back independents. A: We are not a commercial chain. The ‘Pod Concept’ that we are proposing is unique and is being designed bespoke, it will be the Illustrative image of the 'Pod' Concept first of its kind for London. We have intentionally used Soho as the inspiration for the concept's design, product and service offering. Q: Will you be seeking to amend your alcohol licence with the Q: Can you make the rooftop available for all, ideally with AM increase in guests? If so for what hours? cafe and evening light bar service A: yes, we will be looking to amend the alcohol licence to the A: At this stage we have yet to determine if a roof top offering will requirement for the end operations use - with the most flexible form part of our concept. Should this eventuate, we will be planning options on time. We are not planning for an elaborate food and for how to make this available for outside guests including area beverage offering as Soho has an abundance of excellent residents and businesses. restaurants, bars and cafes which will be the priority for our guests who are there to experience Soho and London. Q: How many single and how many for couples pods? What are the size of each type ? Q: I’m worried the Hostel will be occupied by 18-year olds that will have little respect for the area and cause anti-social A: At this stage we are planning for 80% single and 20% double behaviour. occupancy for the pod configuration. This will allow for individual travellers as well as couples and families. The size of the POD is A: Our guest profile will include young adults, families, business being guided by a popular Japanese version which measures travellers and commuters choosing to stay in London some W:2050cm, D:1050cm and H:1042cm. There is an ongoing design nights rather than commuting. The average age of adults we are process to design and create a bespoke POD for Soho so the expecting is c24. measurements are likely to change. We will be seeking to amend our alcohol licence to reflect the increase in numbers. Our recently appointed CEO and CSO for this new concept, Fredrik Korallus, has previous experience leading Generator Hostels, a concept which shares many similarities, including the target customers we will pursue. His experience with operating the 850 bed Generator in Tavistock Place, Camden was that there were little to no disturbance issues experienced by the local residential community through his tenure (2015 - 2017). We do recognise that Soho is home to a diverse and functioning community with local shops, a primary school and religious/community centres. The Hostel’s management will make it clear to all future visitors at check in that the area has a long- established community that should be respected. Security and privacy are key priorities Building Details Q: What is planned for the lightwell/internal courtyard? Q: Where will the outdoor amenity space be? A: The existing space behind the buildings is occupied by a A: We previously discussed having outdoor space in the lightwell couple of floors of hostel space and a large and loud plant area. but we received comments that this might create noise We have set a daylight/sunlight envelope which in essence gives disturbance to local residents so we are exploring options to a series of stepped terraces up to fifth floor and will host move this to the top of Diadem Court. improved operating plant areas and green and blue roofs. The sound environment for the neighbours will therefore be transformed. Q: What is the timetable and when is a planning application likely to go in? Q: Do you have existing and proposed drawn elevations? A: We have purposefully held this consultation to get feedback which is important to our collaborative approach. A: yes, we are happy to share these but they are very much in development at the moment so may change. The existing Following consideration of the comments we have received we elevations have been added to the consultation website and the will be looking to submit in April. proposed elevations will be added shortly. NHS Questions Q: Will the current medical practice on Great Chapel Street be Q: What happens to the Medical Centre through the protected? How long a lease does the medical centre have? construction process? A: yes, the landlord is in close communication with the NHS to A: This is being discussed currently with the NHS and we are provide an optimal space for their ongoing occupation. We are exploring a number of Soho-based options with them. We are in hoping this will provide an enhanced and more efficient use of talks with them on a regular basis as the NHS examines ways to their facility. We value the Great Chapel Street Medical Practice as manage costs and looks to see if for a period of time they can a key community asset and we want to ensure it has a modern collaborate through their existing portfolio during construction - for and appropriate space to operate from. example through the practice in Soho Square. We are also exploring alternative places to rehouse them during construction. The medical centre currently does not have a lease on the space– it is holding over, and so we are in the process of agreeing their optimal on-going space requirements to best suit their needs. Construction and Development Q: Will the construction and demolition have an impact on the Q: What will the length of time be for the works to be surrounding tenants? completed? A: We recognise that all development comes with an element of A: We expect total construction to last c30 months. This includes: disruption to neighbours but it is our intention to ensure we minimise this. We also understand the Crossrail development has Soft strip – c.2.5 months been ongoing for a considerable amount of time that has affected Demolition package – c.4.5 months. the area. Excavation – c.3 months Basement and substructure works – c.5 months We will be undertaking a number of measures to mitigate against Above ground work, closing out and fitting out – c.15 months disturbance for neighbours.