Portman Estate’s Edgware Road scheme gets go-ahead
Portman Estate’s major office scheme on Edgware Road has received planning permission from the City of Westminster.
In a meeting last night, Westminster City Council’s major planning applications sub-committee voted unanimously in favour of the land swap and refit scheme at Garfield House, 86-110 Edgware Road, W2, and Bernard House, 163-169 George Street, W1. Portman Estate, which owns 110 acres in central London, submitted original applications to redevelop the properties as a single, seven-storey building this summer.
Councillors at the meeting agreed that the existing building was “outdated”, “poor in design”, and “in need of regeneration”.
Portman Estate’s major office scheme on Edgware Road has received planning permission from the City of Westminster.
In a meeting last night, Westminster City Council’s major planning applications sub-committee voted unanimously in favour of the land swap and refit scheme at Garfield House, 86-110 Edgware Road, W2, and Bernard House, 163-169 George Street, W1. Portman Estate, which owns 110 acres in central London, submitted original applications to redevelop the properties as a single, seven-storey building this summer.
Councillors at the meeting agreed that the existing building was “outdated”, “poor in design”, and “in need of regeneration”.
They also praised The Hub concept advanced by Portman Estate and welcomed the mixed-used scheme.
The new building is set to offer close to 82,000 sq ft of grade-A office space. It will also have 13,000 sq ft of retail, food and beverage, leisure, and community space.
Kay Buxton, chief executive of Marble Arch Business Improvement District, spoke at the meeting, where she highlighted the economic benefits of the proposals in support of the application.
To make up for the loss of homes in Bernard House, the estate made an additional planning application for a change of use at its townhouses on 57-59 Gloucester Place, W1. The buildings, which have recently been used as office space, will be converted back into five residential units ranging from two- to three-bedrooms.
Simon Loomes, strategic projects director at the Portman Estate, said the project marked a “milestone” for the estate as its third direct development in the last 10 years.
He added: “The building will be the estate’s first net zero carbon development, free from fossil fuels and exceeding GLA greening targets.
“It is also a cornerstone of the ongoing regeneration of Edgware Road and aligns with both the estate’s recent B Corp certification and its commitment to be operationally carbon neutral by 2025.”
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Image © Hopkins Architects
