A DERELICT hotel in Hounslow where squatters are believed to have started a number of fires is set to be demolished within weeks.
The old Granada Hotel, on the corner of Lampton and Bulstrode Road, near Hounslow Central tube station, closed in 2008 but had become a popular refuge for homeless people.
A serious blaze last month, which took firefighters nearly three hours to bring under control, is thought to have been started by squatters.
It is the latest in a series of fires at the building, which had left neighbouring residents fearing for their safety and for the lives of those inside.
Planning permission for two hotels on the site, with a total of 188 rooms, was refused in February 2009, only for the decision to be overturned in January this year.
Joint owners and brothers Jasbir and Satbir Khangura this week said demolition work is set to begin in mid to late November, with building due to get underway in January.
If all goes to plan, Satbir Khangura told the Chronicle, the 128-bed Travelodge hotel should open next December, after which work will begin on the neighbouring 60-bed four-star hotel.
"It's taken three years to get planning permission and financing the project's taken longer than expected because of the economic climate. We understand it's been hard for people living near the building but we're confident work can begin soon," he said.
"The property was boarded up but because it backed onto residential gardens it was easy for squatters to gain access. It's not safe for people who break in and I can understand the concerns of neighbouring residents but unfortunately it's something that was beyond our control."
