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South Kensington Station Development News

19 November 2021

South Kensington Underground Development Rejected

Location: South Kensington, West London, England, UK

RBKC Rejects Development Plans for South Kensington Station Area

South Kensington Station with the Protected View of the Natural History Museum:

image courtesy of Save Our South Kensington Campaign

Last night the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s Planning Committee voted unanimously, by five votes to zero, to refuse planning permission to the Around Station Development in South Kensington.

The application by Transport for London and Native Lands was submitted in 2020 and received over 2,900 objections, which is believed to be a record number of objections to a RBKC development proposal. Residents argue that TfL and Native Lands did not take their concerns into account on the far-reaching proposals which would have transformed the area beyond recognition and would not result in step-free access to the underground station.

A spokesperson for the Save our South Kensington Working Group say “This is a victory for the more than 2,900 people who objected to the planning application and for the local community who defended the soul of the neighbourhood. Local residents and business owners are not against development and have been urging TfL to improve South Kensington, not destroy its village like atmosphere by overdeveloping the area. South Kensington, with its iconic buildings and millions of visitors each year, deserves better.”

Residents and local businesses now urge TfL and Native Lands to consult them. They thank everyone who voiced their concerns to the Council, the local councillors led by Greg Hammond, and the local MP Felicity Buchan for their help.

For more information visit: www.SaveOurSouthKensington.com
Twitter @SaveSouthKen Instagram @savesouthken Facebook @SaveOurSouthKen

Previously on e-architect:

21 July 2020

Around Station Development at South Kensington

Location: South Kensington, West London, England, UK

Save Our South Kensington Campaign – July 2020.pdf

Rory Stewart and Julian Lloyd Webber

join the ‘Save Our South Kensington’ SOS Campaign

The station entrance as seen from the northeast side of Onslow Square with the Natural History Museum in the background and the view which will be blocked by the new buildings:

image courtesy of Save Our South Kensington Campaign

A planning application from Transport for London (TfL) and its development partner Native Land (NL) has been submitted for its ‘Around Station Development’ at South Kensington, but local residents and businesses are united in their opposition to the redevelopment scheme. They are urging TfL to improve South Kensington, not destroy its unique village-like atmosphere by overdeveloping the area and believe ‘South Kensington Deserves Better’.

Former mayoral candidate Rory Stewart, who was raised in one of the streets near the station, says “I think this is a terrible example of development. We should be working much more closely with communities and respecting the surrounding built environment, and the heritage and context of the area. A community-led approach would deliver more affordable housing, more quickly, without having a negative impact on the surrounding area.”

Julian Lloyd Webber who is the President of the nearby Onslow Neighbourhood Association says “TfL’s appalling proposals for the redevelopment of the South Kensington Station fly in the face of everything that was previously promised and, if passed, would result in yet another bland, commercial development which would destroy South Kensington’s unique character forever.”

Local businesses and residents are angry and argue that the proposed development is too intensive and is on too large a scale. This is RBKC’s oldest conservation area, and the new buildings would overshadow the original 1868 Grade 2 listed tube station and the other Grade 2 and Grade 2* listed buildings in the area. The new buildings will also block the protected views of the national museums. At present the station and the buildings in the neighbourhood are of a relatively low scale, giving the area a light-filled village-like atmosphere, with stunning views of the museums, which are beloved by London’s visitors and residents alike.

The construction of these new, tall, bland buildings, residents argue, will give the area a more impersonal and anonymous feel, and the buildings are out of keeping with the neighbourhood and are of a style that completely ignores the local heritage. Also by constructing such tall buildings on Pelham Street an urban canyon will be formed causing pollution levels on this narrow street to increase by 10%.

Local businesses and residents know the station needs renovating to reduce overcrowding in the ticket hall and to provide step-free access to the Circle and District Lines, but point out that delivering step-free access is independent of this proposed commercial development. They argue that the cost to provide step free access could be met without the area needing to be subjected to over development on this scale from which TfL and the majority partner for this development, Qatari-backed Native Land, are set to profit.

Unique independent businesses along Thurloe Street will be adversely affected by the development. Café Daquise, which has been on Thurloe Street since 1947 and has had many notable diners including Christine Keeler, and The Medici Gallery, which won the award for Best Independent Card Retailer in Central London, are being made homeless during the two and a half year construction period and may struggle to pay the rents once the construction has been completed.

Apart from the façade, the buildings on Thurloe Street are being destroyed and the new ones which are being built are being designed so that they can link together at both ground floor and basement levels to create larger units, perhaps heralding the arrival of more chain stores in the area in the future.

In 2016 TfL, local businesses and residents agreed a Development Brief with RBKC which they had spent several years drafting and which reflected the area’s unique setting. Local businesses and residents are angry that this Development Brief which they spent so much time and energy working on has been largely ignored.

Residents argue that as people emerge from the tube station on the way to well-known, iconic buildings which include the Victoria & Albert, the Natural History and the Science Museums; the Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace and the Albert Memorial; Imperial College, the Royal Colleges of Art and Music, and the Royal Geographical Society; they should be welcomed by well-designed and thought-through buildings which are not overly tall.

South Kensington deserves a better scheme with buildings which we can all be proud of in the centuries to come.

For more information visit: www.SaveOurSouthKensington.com
Twitter @SaveSouthKen Instagram @savesouthken Facebook @SaveOurSouthKen

Save Our South Kensington Campaign

Background

The ‘Save Our South Kensington’ Campaign is an initiative of local residents, businesses and resident associations including TOLA (Thurloe Owners and Leaseholders Association), ONA (Onslow Neighbourhood Association) and Pelham Residents’ Association (PR).

South Kensington tube station is one of the busiest stations on the TfL network with over 34 million residents, workers and visitors using it each year to gain access to some of London’s most loved and visited buildings. It is the gateway to the three great museums of Albertopolis (the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum); to the grand promenade leading to Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, the Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace and the Albert Memorial; to religious centres including the Brompton Oratory, the Mormon church and the Ismaili Centre; and to institutions including Imperial College, the Royal Colleges of Art and Music, and the Royal Geographical Society.

Development Plans

Local businesses and residents are not against development and in 2016 agreed to the smaller development set out in the TFL 2016 Development Brief, which reflected the area’s unique setting and has now been largely discarded by TfL.

Existing view of the bullnose and station entrance with the Natural History Museum in the background:

image courtesy of Save Our South Kensington Campaign

The proposed new, tall bullnose building on the left, the back of the new taller buildings on Thurloe Street behind the station entrance and to the right the higher buildings on Pelham Street:

image courtesy of Save Our South Kensington Campaign

The Bullnose, which gets its name from the unique shape curving around the tube station, is currently a low building with just a ground floor and a mezzanine above. Residents agreed with TfL in the 2016 Development Brief that this building would include a ground floor plus one storey above and are dismayed that this building is going to be demolished and replaced with a looming, 20 metre plus, building. It will be visible from every vantage point in South Ken, destroying the station’s open and airy atmosphere, and blocking the protected views of the national museums.

Pelham Street

Cottages along the south side of Pelham Street:

image courtesy of Save Our South Kensington Campaign

The proposed new 4 and 5 storey tall buildings on the north side of Pelham Street creating an urban canyon:

image courtesy of TfL/Native Land Image

Pelham Street has had no buildings on its north side since the 1970’s when they were ground floor plus one storey high. In the 2016 Development Brief residents and TfL agreed the buildings would be ground floor plus 2 storeys high with the second storey set back from the road.

Residents are dismayed that the proposed buildings will be between 4 and 5 storeys high and will overshadow the existing cottages, turning Pelham Street into an urban canyon. The creation of this canyon will trap pollution on this narrow street causing levels to rise by 10% on a street that already exceeds World Health Organisation, EU and UK NO2 targets.

Thurloe Bridge, South Kensington

Thurloe Bridge shown as now on the left and with the proposed new building on the right which will block light from entering Thurloe Square:

image courtesy of Save Our South Kensington Campaign

The new buildings planned for Thurloe Bridge adjoining the existing buildings in Thurloe Square:

image courtesy of TfL/Native Land Image

Thurloe Bridge has had no building on it since the tube was built in 1868. In the 2016 Development Brief, TfL agreed with residents to not develop this land, but the new scheme includes a 5 storey apartment block which is completely out of keeping with, the existing buildings in Thurloe Square. It also dwarfs the neighbouring cottages and low buildings on Pelham Place and Pelham Street, blocking protected views to the Museum of Natural History.

Thurloe Street, South Kensington

Planned development of Thurloe Street, and on the right, the The Medici Gallery:

image on left courtesy of TfL/Native Land Image

Thurloe Street has remained substantially unchanged since it was constructed in the 1890s with a row of shops on the ground floor and 3 storeys of apartments above them. In the 2016 Development Brief TfL proposed no changes to these buildings but now residents are alarmed to see that it proposes to destroy the whole block behind the façade and replace it with a modern building with an extra storey on the roof and the potential for joined basements below. Residents are worried that this will facilitate the future introduction of large chain shops which would replace the smaller independent existing retailers such as the Medici Gallery.

South Kensington Station Development images / information received 210720

Location: Cromwell Road, Kensington, London, UK