Workers are back on the scaffold at the hotel corner of Putney High Street and Putney Bridge Road, after a quiet spell that left residents wondering whether something had gone wrong. They were not alone: activity was also visible at the Marlborough block next to Marks and Spencer, making this a notably busy stretch of High Street.
The site foreman for the corner building-to-be, Harry, explained the pause when Putney.news visited. Two things had held up progression: a lengthy series of statutory inspections covering gas, electrical and other requirements before demolition of the three connected buildings could continue, and a lorry access problem that took longer to resolve than hoped.
The lorry problem has been in the background of this project since it was revived last year after years on hold. Construction vehicles can’t stage on Putney Bridge Road because of the cycle and bus lane, a problem dramatically illustrated in December when a scaffolding lorry blocked the junction during a council walkabout.
The developer applied to the council for a dedicated construction lane. After some compromises, that application has now been approved by a planning committee, with a special lane due to be in place soon – potentially from next month.
Work at the hotel corner has resumed ahead of that arrangement, with several workers visible on the scaffold this morning. The buildings are complex structures, Harry explained, requiring careful demolition rather than a straightforward strip-out.
The corner is earmarked for Hub by Premier Inn, a roughly 200-room hotel being developed by Mosser Limited. The most recent update before today reported the top floor nearly demolished; this morning’s resumption picks up from there. Construction is expected to complete in 2028.
At the Marlborough block, workers were also on site this morning. Marlborough Properties began clearing the 55-71 Putney High Street block in January, with activity continuing on both sides of M&S.
The hotel developer also intends to issue a construction newsletter to local residents. Putney.news will share sign-up details when they become available.
Harry’s verdict on the hotel corner: it’s all go.
