Charlotte Street redevelopment gets second chance

Boris Johnson this week wrote to Camden’s Development Control Planning Service, informing them that he will be reviewing the Council’s earlier refusal of planning permission for the area.

The Charlotte Street site, he argued, is so important to the city economy that he decided to exercise his legal right to take over planning applications considered to be of wider strategic importance to the whole capital.

Restaurant space​

Should planning permission proceed for the proposed location, the development would include around 4,500 square metres of commercial space, which could include potential sites for restaurants or cafes, confirmed a spokesperson for the Mayor.

Overall, the redevelopment of the site located at 80 Charlotte Street and 65 Whitfield Street, would provide a mix of office (35,567 sq.m.), commercial (4,487 sq.m.) and residential (55 units) space.

Camden Council refused planning permission to the applicant (West London Suburban Property Investments) on the grounds that it would constitute “overdevelopment” of the area.

New business​

However, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson argued that the development would create jobs and support new business, so has decided to re-evaluate the proposals.

“Redeveloping this prime location will contribute to the competitiveness of London’s wider economy bringing with it new jobs and business,” he said.

“This proposal clearly meets the test of a planning application of major significance to London and I therefore believe it is right that I scrutinise it in greater detail.”

The re-evaluation is likely to take several months, which will include a public enquiry into the various aspects of the application.