Westminster councillors fly in face of planning officers鈥� advice to approve redevelopment of 1930s landmark
Eric Parry Architects鈥� proposals to add 230 new homes to Pimlico鈥檚 Dolphin Square development have been unanimously rejected by Westminster city council鈥檚 planning committee 鈥� flying in the face of advice from the authority鈥檚 planning officers.
The practice鈥檚 plans for the 1930s quadrangle development 鈥� long a favourite of MPs, peers, and society figures 鈥� would have seen the demolition of its northernmost block, Rodney House, for replacement with a new 10-storey building.
Proposals for the landmark also involved the addition of an extra storey to the remaining blocks, the creation of 16 new townhouses, and the reconfiguration of existing apartments to boost the number of overall units from 1,225 to 1,455 homes.
Planning officers accepted that there were 鈥渘umerous and wide-reaching objections鈥� to the scheme 鈥� not least form conservation group the Twentieth Century Society. But they .
However councillors disagreed, and took particular exception to the proposed increase in the number of serviced apartments at the development, which would have risen from 143 to 160 as part of the proposals. They also voiced concern about the disruption that the necessary construction work would have brought to the local area 鈥� a theme among objections lodged with the council.
Planning committee chair Gotz Mohindra said that despite officers鈥� advice, the scheme was at odds with core council objectives.
鈥淒olphin Square clearly needs refurbishment but this scheme provides too much temporary lettable accommodation at the expense of permanent housing, especially for families, or wider public benefit to justify the harm that the extensive works would do to the conservation area,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he increase in short term let properties, which the council and residents fiercely oppose, left us with little choice but to refuse the application.鈥�
Eric Parry declined to comment on the committee decision.
Dolphin Square was designed by Gordon Jeeves and completed in 1938. Despite being acknowledged as a groundbreaking building and forming the centrepiece of the Dolphin Square Conservation Area, it has been rejected for listing on three occasions and currently has immunity from listing for the next four years.
The C20 Society has been a vocal critic of the Parry proposals, arguing that they will 鈥渋rrevocably damage鈥� the heritage significance of a pioneering development 鈥渨ithout any corresponding public benefit鈥�. It was joined by Dolphin Square Preservation Society and the Blue Dolphin Tenants Association in opposing the plans.
C20 Society head of casework Clare Price said the planning committee鈥檚 decision was testament to campaigners鈥� efforts and warned that any future redevelopment proposals would meet similarly stiff opposition.
鈥淐onservation areas are really important and they need to be respected,鈥� she said.
鈥淭his scheme effectively involved the demolition of 20% of the conservation area, the focus of which was all built at the same time.
鈥淒olphin Square is one of the great buildings of the period and it should be afforded the respect it deserves.鈥�
Westbrook bought Dolphin Square a decade ago and said it picked Parry because of the practice鈥檚 鈥渃onsidered, artistic approach to creating beautiful buildings in sensitive historic environments鈥�.
It singled out as examples the restoration of St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square and the extension to Bath鈥檚 Holburne Museum of Art.
No comments yet