The Crown Estate and Oxford Properties have gained approval for a major new development at St James’s Market which will redesign a 0.45 hectare site in the heart of central London.
This second phase of development reflects the partnership’s ongoing commitment to London’s West End and their shared vision for playing an active role in shaping the future of the city.
The new scheme will build on the success of the first phase of St James’s Market, which launched in late 2016 and created a new destination for business, dining and retail within the West End. The second phase will deliver c.200,000 sq ft of mixed-use commercial space, bringing the total redeveloped space delivered across both phases of St James’s Market to 430,000 sq ft.
Make Architects, the practice behind the first phase of St James’s Market, were reappointed to design the new scheme, bringing expertise and continuity that will successfully deliver the partnership’s long-term vision for the area.
Make’s plans support the ongoing regeneration of the Haymarket, St James’s and Regent Street conservation areas, transforming a series of outdated 1960s buildings into a single high-quality building with modern architecture designed to be sensitive to its historic surroundings.
The approved scheme will also deliver wide-ranging enhancements to the neighbourhood’s public realm, creating new green and public spaces, enhancing air quality and biodiversity and improving the accessibility of the area.
The approval also enables the delivery of new affordable homes at 33 Vauxhall Bridge Road, approved in a linked planning application. As part of this, The Crown Estate will be creating 30 new affordable homes by sensitively converting a former office building in the heart of Pimlico to residential use, in support of Westminster City Council’s ambitions for more affordable housing.
Matthew Giles, Head of Development and Project Management at The Crown Estate, said, “We are delighted to have secured approval for this significant new scheme at St James’s Market which will enable us to build on the success of phase one.
'This new development gives us the opportunity to deliver the next generation of flexible space, achieving a new standard for sustainable placemaking and delivering positive impact for the local area and local people.”
Henry Shearer, Head of UK, Head of Office & Retail - Europe at Oxford Properties Group, added, “Westminster City Council’s approval to grant planning consent for this this significant regeneration project in St James’s is an important step forward towards unlocking the potential of this currently underutilised but world famous area of London’s West End.
'The development will deliver high quality modern space which provides the opportunity for occupiers from a wide range of sectors to grow in St James’s. In addition to the employment spaces within the finished development, hundreds of construction jobs will be created when building gets underway, further benefitting local businesses in the area.
'We now look forward to working with Westminster City Council and our partners at The Crown Estate to bring this fantastic development forward.”