A major office block next to Harrods in Knightsbridge has been approved despite concerns workers could be able to peer into residents’ bedrooms.
Westminster City Council said the 11-storey development at 1 Knightsbridge Green will offer Grade A office space to just under 2,000 workers and bring in millions of pounds worth of footfall to the area.
The scheme, brought forward by Berkeley Estate Asset Management (BEAM), was narrowly approved in a two to three result after councillors on the planning committee voted along party lines. Conservative councillors Rachael Robathan and Jim Glen opposed the scheme over concerns people could peer into residents’ homes along Brompton Road and Raphael Street.
Labour’s Paul Fisher, Patrick Lilley and chair of the committee, Jason Williams, all voted to approve it. Cllr Fisher said the need for high-quality office space in Knightsbridge trumped his concerns about the development, saying: “[The area] is not just important to Westminster, it is important to the development of the country given the amount of contribution to GDP that Westminster makes through its economic activities.
“We are, as councillors, stewards of one of the most important boroughs in the country and we must be mindful of both residential concerns but also the need to continue to promote economic growth and that is a legitimate concern.”
Cllr Robathan praised the design but said residents along Raphael Street would be severely impacted by noise and a loss of privacy. She said: “I think the sense of enclosure from the massing is significant and the bulk and massing, particularly on that frontage, as opposed to Brompton Road, is, to me, unacceptable.”
Cllr Glen said he was concerned about employees could use the terraces to look into homes on the opposite side of Brompton Road. BEAM has agreed to demolish the largely vacant Caltex House and replace it with a modern block offering an extra 12,400 sqm of office space while retaining a pub, restaurant and post office at ground level.
The project is expected to cost more than £100m to complete, according to BEAM’s application, and will consist of a plush ‘pocket’ garden, terraced office space and underground cycle parking. BEAM has also proposed off-site carbon savings at four schools in Westminster to mitigate the development’s own emissions.
The site will also consist of two entrances along Raphael Street and Brompton Road. Objectors warned the bulked-up development, which will shrink pavement space along Raphael Street, will also block sunlight entering neighbouring residential properties. One objector claimed some properties faced a 90per cent loss of sunlight.
Cllr Elizabeth Hitchcock warned it would “canyonise” Raphael Street and led to an “overbearing” feeling along Brompton Road. Westminster City said the development would not lead to “undue” harm or loss of privacy.
The council agreed to reeded glassing along sections of the development after cllrs Glen and Robathan claimed workers could easily peer into people’s homes from the windows or terraces.
A representative for BEAM said the current building was “exceptionally poor” quality and was servicing around 200 people despite having space for hundreds more. Knightsbridge’s Business Improvement District said the current building was “unattractive”. They said: “The design of the existing building is unattractive, poor air quality, and [there are] safety issues in the public realm.”
BEAM is also proposed £2m in public realm improvements. Caltex House was built in the 1950s. The site was home to Tattersalls, a renowned horse and bloodstock auction house which existed from 1865 until it was damaged in World War II.
