Westminster City Council has approved a major development on Soho Square, including new office space, an archway onto the square and retail space. The scheme, submitted by Royal London UK Real Estate Fund, was approved at a Planning Sub-Committee on Tuesday, October 27.
The development covers four buildings, including the former home to 20th Century Fox, and totals almost 9,000 square metres. The main eight-storey building will comprise what is now 31-32 Soho Square and 65-66 Frith Street, retaining and restoring the neo-Georgian front elevation of 31-32 Soho Square up to the fourth floor.
What the development includes
Two further buildings, 22-25 Dean Street and 10 Chapone Place, will be refurbished as part of the scheme. Residential flats already located in one of the existing buildings will also form part of the new development. Overall, the scheme will deliver a net expansion of 2,477 square metres of internal space.
An enclosed service yard at Chapone Place will become a new landscaped public courtyard, including a new archway entrance on Soho Square which will form a pedestrian route to Dean Street. The scheme will also provide 150 long-stay cycle spaces, seven of which will be for residents, and an affordable workspace for the community at the Dean Street building.
Opposition from the Soho Society
The Soho Society opposed the creation of the archway onto Soho Square, arguing that it should be protected as a space for "rest and recreation" and that it would disrupt the symmetry of the green space. Tim Lord, Chair of the Soho Society, said: "The purpose and role of Soho Square is respite. Soho Square is a protected square under the London Squares Preservation Act 1931, limited to garden, rest and recreation use. City Plan 24D says the function of Soho Square is a green space and it will be protected and enhanced and its scale and setting protected."
Residents of Townsend House asked for the applicant to include acoustic glazing for their rear windows and to look into installing heat pumps for them. This was added to the application as an informative.
Developer's response
Alistair Martin, from Simten Developments, said: "At its heart, this application is about giving a long, underused part of Soho a sustainable future, one that represents the very best of Soho. Our aim has therefore been to find the right balance for this site, one that reflects the best of the past, whilst giving these buildings the best chance of a successful long-term future."
The approved scheme will now proceed, with the development set to transform the underused part of Soho while incorporating the new public courtyard and pedestrian route.
