No final fling for Fino’s
A case of a mistaken Fino’s identity last week. Diary heard that the basement watering hole on Mount Street, W1, was either going to be sold, or that landlord Grosvenor might go for a change of use. With Savills – known to be home to many a loyal Fino’s customer – relocating its West End HQ from Mayfair to Great Portland Estates’ redeveloped of Marcol House, north of Oxford Street, the rumour mill went into overdrive. Was it that the agents haunt couldn’t survive without their regular custom post-move? Turns out, it can and it will. Sources have since clarified that Fino’s will stay put and rather its sister, restaurant, Serafino, also on Mount Street, is in advanced negotiations to assign its lease to a third party. Once again booze triumphs over cuisine.
Welcome. Now get out
Speaking of the Savills relocation, Diary understands that some employees have been voicing anger at the disruption the move will cause. Agents have been warned there will not be enough dedicated desks for everyone to have their own fixed space, and lockers will be provided to store belongings. This is, apparently, all part of a strategy to encourage workers to be more flexible and get out and about more. Having already rubbed numerous staff up the wrong way, we wish them the best of luck implementing this ambitious strategy
Introducing B&B FC
Most of Britain’s football stadiums are located in residential areas, but clubs and local residents haven’t always made ideal bedfellows. Lynn Tolmon, who lives in Anfield opposite Liverpool Football Club’s stadium, has made it her goal to change that. She is offering empty bedrooms in homes around the area to provide bed & breakfast accommodation for fans visiting the ground as a kind of “virtual” hotel. If it catches on, she plans to expand into neighbouring Everton around Goodison Park. With pop-up shops and restaurants having already proved a winner, who would bet against B&Bs joining the list…
Boris and the Delighted Dozen
Property spinners are notorious for weasling meaningless quotes into press releases which usually offer such radical insights as someone being “delighted” to have been instructed to sell a building. But even Diary was taken aback by a release this week which offered – count ’em – 13 “insightful” comments. Hats off to the Southbank Centre for really pushing the boat out and making sure no one could be in any doubt about the truly delightful news that it had unveiled plans for an overhaul. As well as hearing that London mayor Boris Johnson was “delighted” at the plans, journalists were offered the views of no fewer than 12 other thrilled parties. For a full list see www.estatesgazette.com/blogs/diary.
This wasn’t planned for
It is approaching a year since the government unveiled its National Planning Policy Framework. So it will no doubt irk Whitehall officials to learn that elected representatives clearly still have no idea what the NPPF is all about. A survey of 400 councillors by political consultancy Development Intelligence revealed that 66% do not understand the new powers that have been created. Just 30% understand that they can now say what they want whenever they want during a planning application’s gestation. And amazingly, a third still wrongly believe they should not speak to developers prior to a planning committee decision. So much for simplifying the system…
