Work on Arora hotel at Brit Oval will begin next October

Surrey County Cricket Club today announced that work on a new four-star hotel and stand at its Brit Oval ground in south London will begin next October.

The £35m plan, which is centred on a 168-room Arora International hotel, has been in the pipeline since the beginning of 2007 but has been repeatedly delayed over concerns about its proximity to the Kennington Gasholder Station.

But after lengthy negotiation with Lambeth Council and the Health and Safety Executive, the project was finally given the green light last month.

The development involves the demolition of the existing Lock, Laker and Peter May Stands, the building of a new stand in its place, the construction of the hotel and the creation of a large open square in front of the Pavilion.

Paul Sheldon, chief executive of Surrey, said: "It has taken us almost two years to secure the necessary approvals for this important development, and it is equally important for us to take the time to map out the detail of how we will bring the drawings and plans to life.

"To this end, we believe the best time to commence the demolition and rebuilding works is at the conclusion of the cricket season next year."

Surinder Arora, chairman of Arora, added: "We are committed to delivering a world class stand and hotel that will bring many benefits to the ground and the local area of Kennington, and building a development of this scale takes time and a lot of careful planning."

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Surrey County Cricket gets green light for hotel >>By Daniel ThomasE-mail your comments to Daniel Thomas here.

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