A developer has won approval for its conversion of ex-student halls in Hampton Wick into flats and a luxury hotel.

Richmond Council has given retrospective consent for plans to convert Kingston Bridge House, in Hampton Wick, into 22 flats and a 90-bed hotel.

Westcombe Group is already carrying out the conversion, after a string of changes to the original plans.

The developer already had permission to convert the former student halls, which belonged to Kingston University, into 70 new flats, after the scheme was approved by the council in 2023.

It submitted plans in 2025 to instead turn the building into 22 flats, including eight affordable homes, and a 90-bed luxury hotel, but withdrew this scheme after saying it had become unviable.

Westcombe Group once again applied to turn the building, which has been empty since 2020, into 22 flats and a 90-bed hotel in February – this time with four affordable homes instead of eight.



These are being delivered despite independent assessors finding it would be unviable to deliver any affordable housing in the scheme.

Richmond's Planning Committee granted the scheme retrospective permission, as work has already begun, on Wednesday night (October 14). The committee heard how most of the flats have already been built, while the four affordable homes will be shared ownership.

Agent Richard Conroy, from Total Planning, said the scheme "makes productive use of an existing building in an accessible location, while improving its appearance and its relationship with Hampton Wick".

He added: "It's going to deliver a range of jobs, huge public benefits – there's going to be an uplift in spending locally, it's going to be a very high-end hotel."

Councillors praised the scheme for bringing the building back into use and its economic benefits, including boosting tourism, although they said they would have liked to see more affordable housing.

Lib Dem Councillor John Coombs said: "It is unfortunate, given the amount of social housing that we need in this borough, that even some luxury housing we're being told is uneconomic to build."

He added: "That is ridiculous, and developers have got to stop overpaying for land because that is what is this issue here."

But Councillor Coombs said the building had been "derelict for far too long" as he praised the scheme overall, including for delivering a good-quality hotel needed in the borough.

The hotel will be run by IHG Hotels and Resorts under its brand Hotel Indigo, with a bar and restaurant for guests.

The committee unanimously approved the scheme at the meeting.