New plans submitted for Chelsea Barracks

  Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company has submitted an outline “hybrid” planning application for its proposed development of the former Chelsea Barracks to Westminster City Council.   The 12.8 acre site was first occupied as a military barracks in the mid-19th century and has been closed to the public for more than 150 years.   The new plans will reconnect the site to the surrounding areas of Belgravia and Chelsea, featuring a residential neighbourhood in a garden setting, combining houses and apartments with local convenience shops, a boutique hotel, a multi-purpose community centre, a public sports facility and a medical centre.   The masterplan will create a community linked by five acres of new public squares, streets and gardens, to provide a walkable, non-gated and sustainable environment. The new public garden squares will be among the first to have been developed in central London for more than a century.   The new planning application follows the appointment of Squire and Partners, Dixon Jones and Kim Wilkie at the end of 2009 to take a fresh approach to the development, which responds to extensive public consultation.   A spokesman for Qatari Diar said: “The sensitive regeneration of this site will deliver an authentic and sustainable new neighbourhood for London, reflecting the traditions, culture and diversity of this historic area of the capital, and providing both public and private spaces to be enjoyed for many generations to come.   “Qatari Diar has a long-term commitment to London and, in particular, to the redevelopment and management of this site, despite very challenging current economic conditions.”   james.buckley@estatesgazette.com   To access all EGi news stories and commercial property data sign up for a free trial today, or visit the subscription options page to find out more.