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Developers set their sights lower with new Victoria scheme
Evening Standard23.09.08
A scaled-back plan to transform the area around the station has been unveiled.
Last year developer Land Securities was sent back to the drawing board after proposals for three skyscrapers were rejected because they would loom over Buckingham Palace.
The new vision, by architects KPF, scraps plans for 134-metre-high towers and limits the tallest building in the Victoria development to 90 metres.
In total, the new plans would regenerate a six-acre site bounded by Bressenden Place, Victoria Street and Buckingham Palace Road. This is less than half the 13.3 acres proposed originally for redevelopment.
Under the improvement there will be 800,000 sq ft of offices in three buildings, one private block of flats and two buildings containing 35 affordable homes and a library.
There will be no money for the earlier proposed £250million contribution to the improvement of the Underground interchange and Terminus Place.
The latest application is the third to be submitted to Westminster since 2006. The more ambitious plans were opposed by council officers, resident groups and design watchdog CABE.
Reader views (3)
After Stag Place setting a precedent for higher towers hereabouts, discussion was a bit late in the day. But the latest scheme does look much better for this site.
- Peter Seekings-Foster, Muildenhall, Suffolk
Surprise! Money for more empty office space, and the public transport part loses out again. Anyone who has to brave Victoria tube every working day knows how desperate the sitation is - we really needed those extra interchanges on the Bressenden Place side.
- David, North London
well theres no £250m fixing of the station now due to these oh so precious views that need to be protected. disappointing short term vision from Westminster planning and EH
- Aesir, London
