Residents oppose Ruth Rogers' plans for Mayfair restaurant

Residents in sheltered housing blocks in Mayfair are preparing to oppose Ruth Rogers' plans to open a sister restaurant to River Cafe in their "special enclave".

Rogers hopes to open the Italian restaurant on Grosvenor Hill next year, but the locals are concerned by late-night noise and disruption.

According to London's Evening Standard, meetings between residents and property company Grosvenor have failed to settle the dispute over the development, which includes the conversion of listed garages into a retail unit on Bourdon Street.

A letter the paper has seen from resident Clive Jones to Grosvenor's Mayfair boss Haydn Cooper said locals were "deeply worried and upset at the negative impact of a large seven-day-a-week restaurant, close to where their bedrooms are, and of developing retail operations."

It added: "It grieves me to say it, but it does seem Grosvenor have not been at all mindful of the fact our residential community… includes a number of disabled and vulnerable people living in our two sheltered housing blocks."

In response Cooper said the letters had "clearly conveyed to us the weight of local feeling towards the proposals. Our job… is to balance the needs of those living in, working in and visiting this mixed-use estate".

Craig McWilliam, executive director of London estate at Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, said: "We are listening carefully to residents. Through consultation with them and other stakeholders we are working to find the right way forward."

A full application for the restaurant is expected to be made with Westminster Council later this year.