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New faces on the block: Redbridge Council to buy Gants Hill nightclub Faces
Faces and St Georgio hotel in Gants Hill. Picture: Ken Mears. - Credit: Archant
Redbridge Council is buying popular Gants Hill nightclub Faces, the Recorder can reveal.
Faces nightclub in Gants Hill. Picture Steve Poston - Credit: Archant
The local authority is purchasing a strip of properties along Cranbrook Road, which includes the late night haunt, St Georgio Hotel and Italian restaurant Don Pietro amongst others.
The council hopes this will generate income and help them fund affordable housing.
A spokesman insisted Faces will continue to run as normal when it takes over as landlord.
“There should not be any conflict of interest, as the council in its statutory licensing role, would treat any licence application for this property in the same way as all other applications,” a council spokesman said.
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Faces co-owner, Tony Bee said the landlords might have changed but nothing else is set to.
“This is good news for customers and staff as we have been an active employer for the last 24 years,” he said.
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“We have brought notoriety to the area, lots of celebs have visited, and put Gants Hill on the map as a go to entertainment area.”
It is anticipated the contract will be completed on October 17.
Speaking about St Georgio Hotel, the council spokesman said: “Redbridge like much like the rest of London is witnessing rising pressure with the local housing market due to lack of available new housing.
“We have a statutory duty to house homeless households.
“The acquisition will provide better standard temporary accommodation and will also make a saving against the cost of privately sourced accommodation, particularly bed and breakfast accommodation which is often a considerable distance from Redbridge.
“This will give the added benefit of being much less disruptive to the lives of the families who will live there as their children can continue their education in Redbridge and they will remain closer to their family and other support.”
The local authority said only a limited number of properties with such requirements come to market and so chose to seize the opportunity in Gants Hill.
“We will receive rent from the tenants, (currently this is paid to and the B&B providers) and it is estimated that the rents will cover the costs of providing the accommodation,” the spokesman added.
