Client: Land Securities, The Strand
Arundel Great Court is a 1.22 hectare site located at the eastern end of the Strand close to the Aldwych. The site represents an entire city block bounded by the Strand, Surrey Street, Arundel Street and Temple Place and occupies an extraordinary position fronting onto the River Thames close to Somerset House.
Gerald Eve submitted full planning and conservation area consent applications for the demolition of the existing monolithic 1970’s block on site and a replacement comprehensive redevelopment to provide two new distinct buildings designed by leading Architects, Wilkinson Eyre and Horden Cherry Lee within a site-wide Masterplan.
Overall, the development comprises some 93,000 sq m of gross floorspace including nearly 55,000 sq m (GEA) of offices, circa 3,000 sq m GEA of shops, restaurants and cafes, a new 98 bedroom hotel and 18 serviced suites as well as 151 private homes. The development also included the reinstatement of an historic east west pedestrian route and re-alignment of the processional route on the Strand. Affordable housing provisions was resolved by the innovative off-site credit solution created by Gerald Eve on a site in Victoria. The application included major improvements to the public realm including a new public square within the heart of the scheme.
Gerald Eve LLP provided planning and development advice to Land Securities and led negotiations with Westminster City Council, the Greater London Authority (GLA) and other key community stakeholders. Key planning issues included the need for the regeneration of the site, the design of the new buildings, local and strategic views, especially those from the River Thames and the setting of Grade I listed buildings including Somerset House.
The applications were submitted to Westminster City Council in September 2008. The Planning Applications Sub-Committee refused permission in February 2009 upon design grounds including the relationship with Somerset House. Land Securities appealed against this decision and in October 2009, Hugh Bullock gave evidence in respect of planning at the Public Inquiry. Planning permission and conservation area consent were granted by the Secretary of State in November 2009 following the Inquiry.
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