View of curved telephone exchange at North Crescent, Fitzrovia.
The former Telephone Exchange at North Crescent. Photo: Fitzrovia News.

A decision on plans to redevelop a site at North Crescent off Chenies Street in Fitzrovia has been delayed until after an application to list a building as a heritage asset has been resolved.

Camden Council’s planning committee were due to hear an application to redevelop Minerva House and the neighbouring Telephone Exchange building. Minerva House is a Grade II listed building and the Telephone Exchange is an “unlisted building of merit”.

Planning officers were recommending that the application to redevelop the site — including part demolition, altering and extending both buildings — be approved subject to a s106 agreement.

But at a planning meeting on 3 August chair of the committee Councillor Heather Johnson announced that the application had been withdrawn by officers because an application to Historic England to list the Telephone Exchange had been made and was still pending.

“We were informed very, very late on this afternoon or early evening that an application has been made to have Telephone Exchange building listed.

“As is our custom and practice — when this has happened before — we will not hear this application until we hear the outcome of that application,” she said.

A decision on the listing is likely to be made over the next few months and the planning committee will then hear the application before the end of the year.

Camden Council Planning Committee 7pm Thursday 4 August 2022: 2021/3704/P and 2021/4679/L, Minerva House and Telephone Exchange, 1-4 North Crescent and 5 North Crescent.