Arora Group to convert pier into restaurant and cafe

The Arora Group, which runs luxury hotel InterContinental London - The O2, has got the green light to convert and extend Ordnance Pier adjacent to the hotel in London's Greenwich into a new restaurant and cafe.

According to planning documents filed with Royal Borough of Greenwich Council, the plans include transforming the previously brownfield land into a "vibrant, mixed use location". It is intended that the facilities on the pier would be operated by the hotel, with funding and management overseen by Arora.

Ordnance Wharf Pier, believed to have been constructed in the late 19th century and rebuilt in the 1950s, will be altered and extended to construct a single-storey grab-and-go café and a restaurant and bar.

The application also included alterations for riverboat passenger services with an additional link bridge connecting the existing pier to a new pontoon capable of providing berthing facilities for a Thames Clipper boat, a hotel ferry and private motor boat.

As well as making recommendations, the Port of London Authority (PLA) supported the plans stating: "The Ferry berth and Thames Clipper berth would help to meet the Thames Vision goal of doubling the number of people travelling on the river – reaching 20 million commuter and tourist trips every year."

The 453-bedroom Intercontinental London - The O2 features a dedicated conference centre, a luxury spa with indoor pool, an all-day dining restaurant and a Sky Bar called Eighteen which offers 360-degree views of the City of London. Holiday Inn London Heathrow T5 was the first Arora hotel to have partnered with the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).

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