Major redevelopment planned for former college and offices on Oxford Street

A former college campus and offices occupying a whole city block on Oxford Street could undergo a major redevelopment if Westminster Council approves the plans this month.

Berkeley Estate Asset Management, acting on behalf of long-term site owner Oxford and City Holdings Ltd, proposes a “deep retrofit” and extension of the block which is bounded by Cavendish Square, Holles Street and John Prince’s Street.

It was originally built in the early years of the 1960s to designs by TP Bennett, and Douglas Rogers Stark of the London County Council Architect’s Department.

The new plans include refurbishing the site’s three towers and removing their core to create a more open-space plan.

The owners want to demolish all low-rise buildings surrounding the towers, known as a podium, and replace them with modern retail space, according to a planning application due to come before Westminster Council’s strategic planning committee.

The proposals include tearing down the former College of Fashion campus and replacing it with an eight-storey block and a deeper basement.

The towers will remain as office space with floors between the 17th and 19th storeys possibly being turned into a viewing gallery and bar and food area. The newly built blocks will include a mix of office space, “cultural and creative” floorspace, restaurants, a pub and food hall.

The site is currently home to three 1960s towers varying in height from 21 to nine storeys, a mini-golf leisure centre and gym as well as a pub and food hall. It also includes empty teaching space last occupied by the University of Arts, which the College of Fashion belongs to, before it relocated to a new campus in Stratford.

Local community groups largely support the scheme but fear its height and massing will make it “overbearing”.

The existing building has a gross internal area of 60,499 square metres. After demolition and reconstruction the new city block will be 88,787 sqm gia — an increase of nearly 50 percent.

They said the proposed frontage undermines the “rhythm” of Oxford Street.

One objector said the proposed demolition “is not justified”, saying:

“The South Podium is a cultural asset, having housed the London College of Fashion for over half a century. Removing this building would sever a key part of that history and diminish Oxford Street’s unique identity.”

Matt Brown, writing in Londonist, questions the loss of the distinctive building and reveals that former fashion students have started a petition calling for a conservation-led redevelopment of the site.

But Westminster City planning officers are recommending it for approval, saying the scheme is “highly commendable” and will deliver hundreds of local jobs. They said the plans retain more than 50 per cent of the original floorspace and result in townscape and design improvements.

However, the plans would see a loss of 6,500 sqm gia of retail space, a complete removal of educational space, the mini-gulf facility and gym. It will lead to a 35,000 sqm gia increase in office space which is expected to bring an extra 1,875 employees and a further 335 local jobs in supporting services, according to the planning report.

The new builds would also be more energy efficient. Council officers wrote: “Overall, the proposals will create more, and provide higher quality offices and thereby will improve the office offer in the West End International Centre. This in turn will have economic benefits and benefits to the community.”

The council said the loss of retail space was due to “deep, and poorly configured space” in the original building and that the new plans would provide high-quality space for retailers and “revitalise” a key area on Oxford Street.

The plans also include adding greening to terraces and roofs, which the current site lacks.

Westminster Council’s planning committee will meet on Tuesday 9 December to consider the application.

Westminster Council, strategic planning committee, Tuesday 9 December 2025: 33 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0PS. Agenda (pdf). Planning application: 25/05480/FULL. NB: Due to the recent cyber attack the council has had to list committee agendas and webcasts taking place after 24 November on a temporary section of its website until further notice.

Additional reporting by Linus Rees.

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