A bumper round of new West End developments, totalling 1.2m sq ft, are on track to be approved by Westminster city council next week.
Ahead of a planning committee meeting on 21 January, where 14 applications will be heard, there are four major schemes totalling 1.2m sq ft that have been recommended for approval. Consent is subject to councillors being satisfied regarding affordable housing offerings, and other requirements.
A spokesman for Westminster city council said: “By creating over 3% of the country’s GDP, Westminster is undoubtedly the cradle of growth for London, and we are continuing to see investment and job creation in the city. We are processing almost 50% more planning applications than just four years ago and the total is likely to hit 13,000 this year, more than any other location in the UK.”
The recommended major schemes are:
• plans by Berkeley Group’s and M&G Real Estate’s joint venture St Edward Homes for an eight-storey, 161-flat tower and retail at Ergon House and 9 Millbank, SW1(pictured);
• Clivedale Properties’ plans to convert Colliers International’s former HQ at 9 Marylebone Lane , W1, into 21 luxury flats, which include £1.2m to be paid towards affordable housing;
• proposals by Edwardian Group London to demolish the Odeon site in Leicester Square, WC2, and redevelop it into a 360-bedroom hotel and new 407-seat Odeon cinema. It has offered a £3m payment towards the council’s affordable housing fund ;
• previously provisionally approved plans for Great Portland Estates’ planned 414,000 sq ft redevelopment of the former Fitzrovia Royal Mail sorting office, W1, have to be heard again, owing to three objections from local residents since the committee approved the scheme in October 2013.
The council sub-committee report said: “In the officers’ opinion, the objections do not alter the position that planning application should be granted.”
joanna.bourke@estatesgazette.com
