Unlicensed outdoor drinking was frequent

Camden Council has granted an outdoor drinking licence to the hotel underneath Somerton House.

Somerton House residents fear they will have to walk past drunken revelers to get to their front door up until 10′o’clock every night. They are unhappy that in front of their homes there is now a large beer garden.

Twelve separate objections from local residents were lodged, but the licensing panel were swayed by the professional arguments of Premier Inn’s solicitor.

Two local residents addressed the committee highlighting issues such as:

• The Premier Inn’s history of unresponsiveness to concerns raised by local residents; they sited an ongoing five-year battle against a noisy air conditioning unit installed without planning permission as evidence.
• The Premier Inn’s inability to police it’s currently licence arrangements, pointing out that outdoor drinking has been a daily occurrence during the recent hot weather
• The detrimental effect the noise of outside drinking would have on residents’ wellbeing, adding as it does to the barrage of other noises that the hotel creates.

Residents are disappointed that none of their concerns were taken on board by the Licencing Committee. Many residents of Somerton House are Council tenants with specific health needs that will not be helped by this additional imposition on their lives. We feel the Council is once again failing in it’s duty of care to Safeguard vulnerable residents.

The Premier Inn’s solicitor’s statement centred around the fact that his client’s hotel was a “premium product” and they would not permit anything to damage the brand’s reputation. This assertion was clearly accepted by the Committee despite the fact that residents had highlighted numerous examples of the Travel Inn’s less than premium conduct.

Procedural anomalies

The Committee members were not acquainted with the unique overlapping layouts of Somerton House and the Premier Inn, and all present agreed that the diagram provided was insufficient to accurately convey the full impact their decision will have. Indeed, Travel Inn solicitor John Gaunt himself had to apologise to the committee for mistakenly misrepresenting the layout of the premises.

The Licencing Committee representative seemed unaware of the ongoing investigation underway by his own department into breaches of the current licence, so this fact was disregarded.

Residents believe these two pieces of evidence would have a profound impact on the decision and are of the opinion that the Council should have ensured these points were presented to the committee.

Drinks on pavement

Somerton House Residents’ Association Chair Simon Lamrock, corrected John Gaunt’s assertion that no open drink containers would be taken onto the public footpath. In fact the largest of the two drinking areas can only be accessed via the public footpath. Residents are very concerned that this fact will inevitably lead to groups of drinkers blocking the pavement and causing a nuisance.

Mr Lamrock asked if a site visit was possible. The panel said this was possible under the rules. We have since noted on the Camden Website that adjournments for site visits are possible.

Some minor conditions were added to the license:

• there is to be absolutely no drinking on the pavement outside
• there should be frequent litter picks and glass collection.
• residents will be given a number to call if they have issues (020 7554 3400)
• a nominated employee will be responsible for policing the outside areas at all times

Residents returning home after the hearing were greeted with the unpleasant site of beer glasses full of cigarette butts uncollected on a table outside the Premier Inn. We remain concerned that this represents the hotel’s real commitment to our local neighbourhood.

We are disappointed that the Council has again chosen to put the financial interests of a large business above the welfare of it’s own residents.

The front entrance of Somerton House will be bedecked with plants and flowers along the length of the path thanks to a £100 donation from Camden Council. We’ll be purchasing our plant-life from Camden Garden Centre, to ensure that the money stays local and independent. The Camden Garden Centre works as a community garden centre, and helps vulnerable residents in Camden.

John, secretary, is sourcing suitable hard wood planters, and we will discuss funding these at our next meeting.

Simon, chair, has also arranged for Camden Council to eventually remove the builder’s debris from the fire safety works taken out over a year ago, along with the other accumulated items. Dilip Shah, from Camden’s caretaking services, called Simon yesterday to say it would go, and less than 24 hours later it has!

• Where in London can you find a newly refurbished building – with no fire protection in the risers?
• Where in London can you find a building with a ‘secure intercom’ system – but only on one of the three doors?
• Where in London can you find flats after a £1,000 refurbishment – but nothing touched in over 90% of them!
• Where in London can you find people living whilst breathing in noxious fumes from a top hotel?
• Where in London can you find asbestos left by the builders paid to remove it?
• Where in London can you find wiring left behind by people paid to remove it?
• Where in London is a newly-refurbished building, with the old lighting still in the lobbies?
• Where in London can you find a 7^th floor door handle – meant for a bloody wardrobe?
• Where in London can you find the wiring Thomas-Sinden promised to re-wire into the purpose-made conduit?
• Where in London can you find purpose made conduit – failing after only a few years (and probably out of guarantee)?
• Where in London can you find original 1960’s fixtures and fittings or 1980’s left-overs (or a bodge, possibly by EPS) – still in daily use?
• Where in London can you find brand-new windows (sold by Del-Boy Trotter) that are a safety nightmare, and unsuitable for a high-rise property?
• Where in London can you find lift call buttons which can cut your fingers?
• Where in London can you find London’s oldest, 1960’s classic lift, unmaintained and noisy as hell?
• Where in London can you find communal halls that don’t see hot water?
• Where in London can you find a high-rise building with windows that aren’t cleaned?
• Where in London can you find loyal tenants paying their way, with no attempts at upgrading their ameneties to a modern standard?
• Where in London can you find a Camden Council building where our money isn’t re-invested to improve our dignity?

Welcome to London

Welcome to Somerton House

You can find us above the purple Premier Inn and red Costa Coffee signs – we’ve got a shiny new sign beside the corporate heaven, thanks to BAM and Unison for their help and community spirit in helping to install the new Somerton House sign – Camden were quite happy to let our safety and security go by the by for the sake of the cost of installing it.

Thanks too, hotel – for painting the walls and fences to give the place a spruce up – sorry that Camden couldn’t pay their way.

Where in London can you find a community as diverse and friendly as ours – we’re a small village in the sky, surrounded by other unique villages – each with local people.

Yet around one million people per day pass us by. Look up and wave sometime!
Maybe we should shout louder.

It’s worth bearing in mind that we’re picking up the pieces, and asking for work which we all have paid for, be done. Properly.