Kent Town Hotel’s 75-bed, three-storey accommodation building approved despite concerns

An $8m revamp of the Kent Town Hotel – including a three-storey, 75-room accommodation building – is likely to spell the end of the ‘Jungle’ restaurant.

A $8m redevelopment of the Kent Town Hotel has been approved. Picture: Kent Town Hotel

Plans for an $8m, three-storey tourist accommodation building at a revamped Kent Town Hotel has been approved despite concerns from local residents.

Hotel owner Tom Hannah’s application for 72-76 Rundle Street, which includes 25 bedrooms on each of the first, second and third floors, was rubber-stamped by the State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP) on March 10.

However, the hotel’s Jungle restaurant is expected to make way for the development.

The existing pub on the northeast corner, listed as a local heritage place, will be retained.

Residents raised concerns the 75-bedroom, three-storey tourist accommodation building will create anti-social behaviour. Picture: Kent Town Hotel

The roof-top entertainment bar, located in the northwest section of the site, was approved to be removed from Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council last year, according to a panel report.

Mr Hannah previously told The Messenger the new building – incorporating the right-hand side of the heritage-listed pub when facing from Rundle Street – would cater for up to 150 people and take approximately 18 months to build.

Local residents had issues with a loss of privacy and noise from balconies, overshadowing, and loss of sunlight and “a breeze”.

The Jungle restaurant at the Kent Town Hotel. Picture: Noelle Bobrige

They were also concerned smoking on balconies could lead to littering, a potential fire risk and “disruptive behaviour of guests”.

In an official submission to the panel, Ben Maliszewski said having balconies “will inevitably lead to noise and nuisance complaints from nearby residents”.

He said the proposal would increase the “scale and intensity of what is already a problematic pub” that had affected his sleep.

Mr Hannah wrote to neighbours in October, 2019 after a meeting with residents concerned with noisy patrons.

The Kent Town Hotel – formerly known as the The Tap Inn – pictured in 2010.

He said the 18 rooms facing neighbours would “never be allocated to customers who are perceived as less likely to turn in early”.

An additional six rooms – three at both the north and south ends of the building – would be also be off-limits to rowdy patrons, he said.

“The last thing we want is idiots staying here,” Mr Hannah told The Messenger at the time.

However, Mr Maliszewski said Mr Hannah would not be able to “contain the behaviour and actions of hotel patrons and guests”.

The development will cater for up to 150 people. Picture: Kent Town Hotel

Jane and John Garbutt were concerned issues of the past with unruly behaviour “would rear their ugly heads again”.

Wayne Carvasso said the venue had become a “nightclub” with “many, many episodes of drunken behaviour”.

However, Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council submitted the balconies would be “small and unlikely to be used for large, noisy gatherings”, the panel report read.

Mr Hannah declined to provide further comment when contacted.