Takeaway taken away from TikTok HQ plans

If modern office occupiers are clamouring for amenities in the workplace, someone forgot to tell the developers behind TikTok’s new UK headquarters, which are scrapping a planned café in the building. The Chinese social media group signed a prelet for the entirety of Topland Group and Beltane Asset Management’s Verdant building at 150 Aldersgate Street in Farringdon, EC1, in early 2023. Now Topland and Beltane have received permission from the City of London Corporation to change part of the ground floor of Verdant from the café approved in their planning application to more office space for TikTok. Approving the change of use, planning officers said: “When the original planning permission was granted, it was unsure as to whether the building would be multi-let or let to a single occupier. As such, the original planning permission included a café unit on the ground floor. This was considered to be a feasible venture had the building been let to multiple occupiers. “Now a sole occupier has been confirmed, the applicant considers that the function of a standalone café would be challenging and proposes that this small area of class A1 floorspace change to office use and be used as part of the wider ancillary office amenity space.” The 140,000 sq ft Verdant is running behind its construction schedule, and TikTok earlier this year took temporary space in CIT Group’s nearby Hylo Building, EC1.  Image courtesy of Citypress View more office deals in EC1 >>See which agents are doing the most office deals in the London submarket >>