Squire & Partners’ proposals to convert the capital’s grade I-listed Custom House into a 200-room hotel have been formally rejected by the City of London ahead of a planning inquiry that is due to kick off in January.

Members of the City of London’s Planning and Transportation Committee this week voted unanimously to refuse the application, drawn up for Cannon Capital Developments and Globalgem Hotels. 

Officers opposed the scheme on the grounds that Squires’ proposals did not represent a high enough standard of design for the large neo-classical building, which has served as a base for HM Revenue & Customs and its predecessor bodies for 200 years.

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