Afternoon:
7°c
£50m plan to demolish eight West End buildings is agreed
Ruth Bloomfield7 Aug 2009
A £50million scheme to revamp a swathe of the West End has been approved.
Westminster council has granted permission for the 150,000 square foot redevelopment around Piccadilly and Jermyn Street. The Crown Estate, which owns the site, says its "striking" plans will smarten up the area, improve views to Piccadilly Circus and reinvigorate shopping in Jermyn Street.
However, the project involves the demolition of eight historic buildings and the future of a string of long established independent shops, including Trumpers, Herbie Frogg and hat makers Bates, in Jermyn Street, is in doubt.
The scheme, known as St James's Gateway, involves a new frontage for Piccadilly and improvements to Eagle Place, plus the demolition of 212-214 Piccadilly - site of London's first Lyons tearoom which opened in 1894; 21a, 22 and 23 Jermyn Street; and 3-4 Eagle Place. A Grade-II listed building at 27 Regent Street will be refurbished to create nine homes and shops.
Westminster made the decision despite objections from the Victorian Society, which says the buildings could be renovated and even extended. Mayor Boris Johnson has indicated that he will not overrule the council's decision.
The Crown Estate said all displaced businesses will be invited to return once work is complete. But Tim Boucher, the owner of Bates, said he believed the shop would have to close, as it would not be possible to move elsewhere while the work was ongoing.
Reader views (9)
I'm disgusted. It was bad enough they demolish the Astoria for another pointless tube station, but what is the reason for this?! I agree with Phil, I am also amazed anybody is still bothering, I know I won't be in the future. Especially since all the good places are being demolished. Boris Johnson needs a good kick for letting all of this happen!
- Sarah Day, UK, 09/01/2010 19:52
Report abuse
This just makes me so sad, I did create an online petition on the governments official petition homepage but they refused to put my petition on their website essentially saying that what happens to Jermyn street and any other part of historic/listed London is none of their business and that I should be petitioning Boris Johnson; so then lets all get writing to him and start a new petition, not that it`ll make a figs difference of course but one has to try. I trust you all know about tyhe astoria, borough market, plans for london bridge etc etc? Ghastly!
- Terry Carter, London, UK, 25/11/2009 01:42
Report abuse
What exactly is the point of Piccadilly Circus? I used to work there: it was a nightmare crossing the road and it was even more of a nightmare trying to emerge from the correct part of the Undground walk-ways to where you actually wanted to go. If it is a major turning point for traffic, why encourage more shoppers?
What, for that matter, is the point of London? Do people fly in from around the world to go shopping in the nasty shops full of tat, luggage and fake pashminas with hideous plastic signage and neon lighting which lead up from Piccadilly via Regent Street to Oxford Street, or do they come to see the wonderfully historic architecture, eclectic detailing and rich culture which is different to wherever they came from? Gone slightly mad with my rhetorical questions, but one last one: what's the point of building huge out-of-town shopping centres if the rest of London is also to be full of boring British High Street type shops? The whole joy of Jermyn Street is the refreshing uniqueness of its little shops: when the area is redeveloped the rents will go up and they will be forced out and replaced with plastic phone-box key-ring vendors.
- Roz, France, 25/11/2009 00:42
Report abuse
Dave, Madrid: you appear to be violently agreeing with me. I used to live in London and worked all over the West End and the City - if you read my comments about the shops in Jermyn Street which will be specifically affected, I really think it would be a shame to drag them down to the level of Oxford Street, which is what this development will join them to. The shops outside Oxford Street are unique: it is a real pleasure to wander down a little side-street and find odd little bookshops, milliners and shirt-makers - and London's historic architectural heritage is unique too: I am sure it is part of the allure for visitors so it seems illogical to knock it all down for more tat. Go and have a look at Britain's High Streets: every one has the same shops on it - individual traders and small businesses are forced out by the high rents.
- Roz, France, 25/11/2009 00:42
Report abuse
I'm amazed that tourists are still bothering to come to historic London, given that more and more of it is being destroyed. A concrete behemoth going up at the NW corner of Leicester Square, and a sister to follow it at the SW corner shortly. Why are tourists from foreign cities with concrete towers going to bother coming to London to see more concrete towers? The craftsmanship that went into a building built in 1900 is a tiny fraction of that put into a building built in 2000, and it shows. Tourism is the U.K.'s biggest money-maker. So, Westminster Council, just keep hammering away at the goose that has laid the golden eggs -- and the result is predictable.
- Phil Jones, London UK, 25/11/2009 00:42
Report abuse
Shame on yet another Westminster decision to tear down our heritage - how dare they play fast and loose with our inheritance? If they get a kick out of knocking down perfectly good buildings they should be banished to Croydon or Wood Green where their wanton trail of destruction won't matter so much.
- Thomas, London, 25/11/2009 00:42
Report abuse
Roz France you clearly dont shop much in London. I have never found anywhere (including Paris) with the variety of shops London has and I love returning to London to shop there are some fantastic areas to wander around. I suggest you get of Oxford St and try experiencing London.
- Dave, Madrid, 25/11/2009 00:42
Report abuse
We have to keep building things to keep people working. Thta is why we got the Olympics, that is why we are building more runways that no one wants. Crossrail etc etc. Knock it down build it up is the mantra
- Grim Reaper, Hell, 25/11/2009 00:42
Report abuse
Its clear there needs to be a much definition of what constitutes "historic." Simply being old just doesn't cut the mustard.
- Trunk, US, 25/11/2009 00:42
Report abuse
