Client: Alpha Plus and The Portman Estate
Gerald Eve LLP advised the Alpha Plus Group Limited and The Portman Estate in securing planning permission and listed building consent for the change of use of 48 Bryanston Square, London W1 from office (Class B1) use to a school (Class D1).
The grade II listed building, which is owned by The Portman Estate, occupies a prominent position in the heart of the Portman Estate Conservation Area on the corner of Bryanston Square. The building had been vacant for a significant period of time since it was vacated by its previous tenant, had fallen into disrepair and it was necessary to secure an appropriate and commercially viable long-term new use for the building. The style of the building and the historic proportions of the rooms and spaces made it ideal for school (Class D1) use.
Gerald Eve LLP worked closely with the Alpha Plus Group Ltd and The Portman Estate to secure the new school (Class D1) use and to assist The Alpha Plus Group Ltd in meeting their acute need for additional school places in central London.
The building was fully refurbished as part of the scheme and now provides circa 2,370 sq m (GEA) of high quality education accommodation. The building is capable of accommodating up to 300 pupils and is the new home of the Wetherby School Westminster.
The proposal was locally contentious and there were a number of challenging planning issues to overcome. These included the need for robust and innovative transport and plant strategies. All of these planning issues were co-ordinated by Gerald Eve LLP and we worked closely with the client and Westminster City Council to secure planning permission and listed building consent in November 2008.
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