A six-storey hotel with 95 bedrooms is to be built in Seven Kings on the site of a demolished pub.

Ilford Recorder: The Joker pub in Seven KingsThe Joker pub in Seven Kings (Image: Archant)

The Joker, in Cameron Road, will be demolished for the scheme that was approved by Redbridge Council last week.

A retail unit on the ground floor of the complex could be the pub’s new home.

The hotel, which varies between four and six floors, will be metres from Seven Kings station when Crossrail opens and speeds up journeys to central London.

It replaces previous plans for a flat block containing 19 apartments.

Demolition was originally due to begin in 2015 and the council ruled that building work must start within three years.

A petition signed by 45 residents and nearby businesses was submitted to planning officers supporting the hotel.

The accompanying letter said it would be “an asset to the community”, creating jobs and boosting trade in the High Road.

Letters from other residents raised concerns about congestion and noise.

John Cassidy argued it was “totally inappropriate” for the area and pointed out bedrooms would overlook a school playground.

The Joker’s licence was suspended for three months after about 250 cannabis plants were discovered in a police raid in October.

What do you think about a hotel coming to Seven Kings? Let us know by emailing lizzie.dearden@archant.co.uk or calling 020 8477 3821.