GPE prepares third attempt at St Thomas Yard redevelopment

Great Portland Estates has started a planning application for the redevelopment of St Thomas Yard, near London Bridge, after two previous applications were rejected by the secretary of state on heritage grounds in 2023. Similar to previous applications submitted in 2018 and 2021, the proposals would involve the partial demolition, extension and renewal of the buildings onsite to provide additional office space to the site, also known as New City Court, 4-26 St Thomas Street, SE1. The new proposals would, according to a request for an environmental impact assessment filed with Southwark Council, result in the addition of five storeys to create a 10-storey building, rather than the 37-storey and 26-storey buildings proposed in 2018 and 2021 respectively. This would create an additional 134,979 sq ft of office space onsite, less than half what was proposed in the 2018 application. The new application does not provide retail space, where 16,000 sq ft was originally proposed. If approved, the plans would also redevelop Keats House, located at 24-26 St Thomas Street, and restore and refurbish the listed Georgian terrace at 4-16 St Thomas Street. GPE acquired the site for £43.15m in 2006 and carried out an earlier refurbishment of the building and façade work, which completed in 2012.