A 140-room, seven storey hotel has been given the go ahead for Wimbledon town centre, despite plans including no car parking.

The Merton planning application committee approved plans to build the hotel on the site of the Slug @ Wimbledon pub on Hartfield Road, on July 14, despite receiving 23 letters of objection.

A spokeswoman for Merton Council said: “There is an identifiable need for hotel accommodation in the town centre to help support business and tourism.”

Citizens and business owners criticized the plans, arguing it would have a negative impact on the town's skyline, effect on wind speeds through Hartfield Road, increased foot traffic and late-night noise, impact on air quality, and lack of sufficient parking.

The plans, submitted by Hermes Investment Management, provide no parking spaces, except four short-term drop-off spaces in the front of the hotel and eight cycle spaces for employees.

The Merton Council spokeswoman said: “Planning officers and committee members always consider issues such as how the development fits in with the character of the area, as well as any parking implications arising from the proposals.

“Its central Wimbledon location means it is a highly accessible site for means of transport other than cars.”

The Merton planning application committee’s report mentions the policy 6.13 of the London Plan, which encourages “car-free developments” in locations with “high public transport accessibility.”

The planning committee report also states that work was conducted to analyse the hotel’s impact on sunlight levels, and found that adjacent residential properties would not be affected by the new building.

The committee found no issue with the height of the building within the context of Wimbledon, as it is lower than the Wimbledon Bridge House and both the current height of the Pinnacle House and the “soon to be extended” Pinnacle House.

As the building will be 27.7 metres, it will fall below the London Plan’s sub-30m building requirement for structures outside London.