Kaz Hotels has been granted permission to redevelop its site at East Acton Arcade into a hotel which may also see London Snooker Acton kept.

The developers, who previously had its plans put on hold in 2022, will allow the snooker hall to exist if an operator is able to agree to terms within nine months.

Ealing Council approved plans yesterday (13 December 2023), that gives London Snooker the first right of refusal to continue running a snooker hall on Old Oak Common Lane.

The proposal said: "If the current snooker operator activates the first right of refusal, a snooker use would be created at -2 basement level. The size of the snooker hall would be 511.37sqm.

"The snooker hall would offer 14 playing tables. The snooker hall would be smaller than the existing snooker hall, resulting in a loss of 180sqm and seven playing tables."

There are currently 21 pool and snooker tables at London Snooker Acton and is open from 10am to 2am 7 days a week.

The site is also home to Al Manara Butchery, King Kebab and Eye Spy Opticians.

If London Snooker is unable to proceed or another operator is not found, the space will be lost for snooker and pool use.

Of the 13 councillors who voted during the Planning Committee, 11 voted for the development.

An artist impression of the proposed hotel on Old Oak Common Lane (credit: Planning application).

Ealing Liberal Democrat Cllr Jon Ball, who voted against the plans, said on X: "I voted against as I wanted to prevent rent becoming unviable for London Snooker."

The developer said: "the proposal has two outcomes following the six-month marketing exercise prior to commencement of development to identify any potential snooker operators who would seek to secure a lease agreement."

It added: "Should a snooker operator not come forward to secure an agreement for lease, the flexible use floorspace would revert to the initially proposed hotel use/layout (resulting in 129 hotel bedrooms)."

Ealing Central & Acton MP, Dr Rupa Huq, took part in the committee meeting and said: "This application was objected by me in August 2022 and with the developer trying to sneak it in with "no change" their words, I can't support it today."

Dr Huq added on X: "Disappointing that a speculative build proposal with so many deficiencies that does nothing for locals with no affordable housing was rubber stamped tonight.

"It's on border of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham who opposed this stinker as did MP Andy Slaughter and but alas we do not decide these things."

The public consultation has over 131 objections to the plans from Kaz Investments Ltd with Ealing Council.

Initial plans from Kaz Investments Ltd, submitted in January 2022, proposed a five storey high hotel with 129 rooms.

On 3 August 2022, Kaz Investments, through its agent submitted a briefing note claiming that more than £500,000 a year in revenue will be generated to local businesses through hotel customers eating, drinking and using services in the area once the hotel is up and running.

Kaz Hotels says the new site will create around 45 new jobs.

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