£1.5bn plans for St John’s Wood Barracks to be converted into luxury homes have been approved more than three years after the site was bought by a Malaysian billionaire.
Westminster city council last night approved Squire and Partners-designed plans to demolish the existing barracks at Ordnance Hill, NW8, and replace them with 163 flats.
Consent is also for the use of the listed riding school as private ancillary leisure facility and shops at 1-7 Queen’s Terrace.
The 5.5-acre site was at the centre of a competitive bidding war in 2011, and sold to Asian business tycoon Ananda Krishnan’s Usaha Tegas Group for £250m. It was bought from the Eyre family with consent for a 133-home John McAslan-designed scheme. Krishnan tore up the plans and appointed Squire and Partners to draw up a new scheme that increased the number of flats.
A team that included Minerva’s ex-chief Salmaan Hasan was also drafted in to advise.
Dubbed St John’s Wood Square, the latest plans aim to create one of the most lucrative residential developments in central London.
According to communications company Belgrave, more than 150 people attended the committee meeting last night.
DP9 advised on planning.
