A new hotel and office complex made of shipping containers is to be built in Haggerston following a temporary five-year permission given by councillors.

The new Snoozebox development, a scheme aimed at “millennials, cost conscious business professionals and tourists”, will made out of prefabricated containers with an outdoor terrace.

Planning officers for the scheme moved to assuage concerns over the site becoming permanent, after quizzing from planning committee councillor Katie Hanson over a report in which the Hackney Society voiced concerns over the potential for the plan to stifle a permanent development on the land.

Cllr Hanson said: “I’m not opposed to the principle of this, but worried about whether we are setting precedents. It’s a fine use of the site in the meantime, but it’s what happens in five years and what might happen."

The Snoozebox is set to be put together on land on Ormsby and Pearson Streets, near Randall Cremer primary school, which developers said had welcomed the proposals due to fly tipping problems on the currently vacant land.

It will feature 79 office units and 44 hotel rooms, with 10 per cent of the office units classified as ‘affordable’ with rates set at 60 per cent of local market rent.

Responding to Cllr Hanson, planning officer Nick Bovaird said: “One of the reasons that you might have seen Boxpark last quite a long time is that there was always going to be a development there, but it kept getting refused, so it was still needed as a temporary use.

“Here we have been quite strong on the condition that requires dismantling at the end of the five year period. It’s clear to everybody what they are getting into. We have stated we think the development would not be suitable as a permanent because of its design, a permanent fixture in this location. Everybody is going into this with their eyes open.

“In five years time, if we decide that we have completely changed our minds, then that is one thing, we get another application to consider it, but at the moment this is a five year project, so in five years we are expecting it to come down.”