Published: Friday 19 November 2021
An application to redevelop South Kensington Station and the surrounding area has been rejected by Kensington and Chelsea Council’s planning committee.
The planning committee voted unanimously to reject the application made by Native Land Ltd., South Kensington Properties Ltd. and London Underground following a four-hour discussion on Thursday 18 November.
The proposals are for a mixed-use development in a series of new buildings up to five stories high providing office and retail floor space and 50 homes, 17 of which affordable. They also include step-free access from street level to the district and circle lines of the London Underground at South Kensington Station.
The application was rejected on the grounds that:
- The public benefits did not overcome the impacts of the height, massing and architectural design of some elements of the proposed development, failing to preserve the character and appearance of the conservation area and the special architectural and historical interest of the listed station building.
- The height, massing and architectural design of parts of the scheme fail to respect the existing heritage context, character and appearance.
- A legal agreement had not been provided to secure the mitigation measures and associated infrastructure required for the proposed development.
Chairman of Kensington and Chelsea’s Planning Committee, Cllr James Husband, said:
“We have given this application detailed consideration and rejected the scheme based on significant concerns about the impact of the architectural design, height and massing of the proposals on the Conservation area and listed buildings. Councillors agreed that step-free access to the Circle and District lines would be a benefit, but does not, on balance, outweigh the harm done by the design.
“South Kensington is an important international destination and any application needs to be in keeping with the unique character of the local area which unfortunately this application does not do.”
The Lead Member for Environment, Planning and Place, Cllr Johnny Thalassites, does not sit on the planning committee, but has expressed a desire from the Council’s leadership team to support Transport for London to achieve step-free access at the station. He said:
“This area of London is a world-class destination. I agree with the committee that any development needs to be in keeping with the character of the area.
“I do want the station to be step-free and so do my colleagues, it makes sense for one of the busiest tube stations in London, near some of the city’s best attractions.
“I know how expensive this can be without a development supporting the funding so we’re looking at our Council budget to see if we can offer a financial contribution to Transport for London to make step-free access a reality.”
Read the full report to the committee and watch the meeting on YouTube.