Camden Council has given permission for a major redevelopment of a mixed-use building on Tottenham Court Road, despite opposition from conservationists and local residents.
The redevelopment, which involves completely demolishing and rebuilding a block containing homes, offices and retail at 247 Tottenham Court Road, received objections from the Bloomsbury Association, Bloomsbury Conservation Advisory Committee, Charlotte Street Association, Ecole Jeannine Manuel, Georgian Group, Bedford Estates, and Bedford Court Mansions.
The objectors criticised the proposed development because of its design and bulk for damaging the setting of the conservation area and the Grade 1 listed buildings of Bedford Square. There were also objections to the proposed construction management plan which would route heavy lorries through narrow residential streets and past listed buildings instead of along the wider Tottenham Court Road.
A previous construction management plan which proposed using Tottenham Court Road as a route for the demolition and construction traffic was vetoed by the Council’s own West End Project team as they said it would harm their precious £35m vanity project to transform the shopping street.
A deputation (made by myself and Stephen Heath) to the planning committee on behalf of the Bloomsbury Association and the Charlotte Street Association called for the application to be rejected, or for any heavy vehicles to use Tottenham Court Road rather than through the side streets past the homes of local residents and a primary school.
Daniel Campbell of Stiff and Trevillion, architects for the scheme, made a deputation speaking in favour of the planning application saying their design would produce a high quality, sustainable building.
The application, as recommended by planning officers, was approved after a majority vote of the 11 member planning committee on 28 January 2021.
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