Consultation and responding to feedback
Following a first phase of public consultation with the local community in 2021, the previous owner of the site Labtech made a series of substantial changes to the proposals in response to feedback. These changes, which were submitted as amendments to the existing planning application in September 2022 by Simten on behalf of BC Partners, are summarised below.
Since acquiring the site in June 2022, Simten and BC Partners have carried out further public engagement with local stakeholders, and made changes to the scheme following feedback from Historic England. These changes have now been submitted in a new planning application in June 2023, more details of which are available here.
A REDUCTION IN THE PROPOSED HEIGHT OF ONE MUSEUM STREET
The vacant Travelodge site is 17 storeys and 53.5m high.
In 2020 and 2021 we consulted on proposals for a new 21 storey building, which would increase the height by 26.5m. We heard feedback about the impact of this proposed tower on key townscape and local views and lowered the overall height.
In response, our architects DSDHA and wider team have spent the last six months reconsidering the height and shape of One Museum Street and how to deliver the benefits across the scheme, including residential and public realm improvements along with a new pedestrian route while ensuring that it is also viable.
Having taken on board feedback, we are now proposing a new 19 storey building, which would increase the height by 20.41 metres as opposed to 26.5 metres. A reduction of 6.09 metres against our previous scheme. This is a notable reduction of two storeys and reduces the impact of the tower on key London skyline views. These updated proposals include a far more efficient scheme in terms of space, and an overall increase area increase in One Museum Street floorspace.
The images below show the previously submitted scheme against the new proposals, with the existing outline shown in a red dotted line.
Use the slider on each image to move between the submitted scheme on the left of the screen and the new proposals on the right of the screen.
Bedford Square North View
View from the British Museum
Endell Street / High Holborn View
A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF NEW HOMES, WITH HALF OF THE NEW HOMES NOW AFFORDABLE BY FLOORSPACE
The previous Labtech proposals in 2021 included 29 homes, provided with a mix of one, two, three and five bedrooms. We heard from local residents and Camden that they would like to see a greater number of homes delivered here, particularly in light of London’s current housing shortage.
The amended proposals in 2022 convert the entire Vine Lane block from office to residential, re-providing the lost residential floorspace from Selkirk House as well as providing additional homes on site.
This will allow us to provide 44 homes overall in the latest proposals submitted in 2023. Of these, 19 will be affordable amounting to 50% of the overall residential floorspace uplift being delivered by the development.
The affordable housing in our proposals will be provided as two different types:
- Low Cost Rent (Social housing): 12 homes
- Intermediate housing: 7 homes
West Central Street building residential courtyard
Improved Public Spaces
Since our last consultation, we have also worked hard to further improve the pedestrian experience along Museum Street with a more generous colonnade to the One Museum Street building together with existing and proposed tree canopies, seating and a café spill out area.
Curved recessed entrances and projecting bays along Museum Street and High Holborn will further improve the experience for those walking around the One Museum Street building.
Proposals for Vine Lane
Vine Lane Building Improvements
These updated proposals include a change in the Vine Lane building to residential to replace the previously lost market housing in Selkirk House. To accommodate the new residential use, the massing is mostly amended with semi-enclosed courtyard access.
The proposed residential building on High Holborn.
CREATING MUCH NEEDED HOMES IN A RESTORED WEST CENTRAL STREET
Our proposals for the West Central Street buildings seek to:
1. Create much-needed new homes in Holborn
2. Reinstate the historical courtyard to provide amenity space for all
3. Create dual aspect living spaces for all
4. Restore the historical façade, currently in poor condition
Current condition of the façade on the West Central Street block
Proposals for Vine Lane looking north
RESTORING THE HISTORIC FRONTAGES ON NEW OXFORD STREET AND MUSEUM STREET
The proposals viewed from St George’s Church on Bloomsbury Way
The historic buildings on New Oxford Street and Museum Street will be sensitively restored to create new high quality homes and shops for the community. These buildings are now vacant and have fallen into a poor state of repair, both inside and out.
Our proposals include:
- Repairing and restoring historic facades of 10 – 12 Museum Street and 35 – 41 New Oxford Street.
- Restoring three of the listed buildings to their original townhouse use and layout with shops on ground floor.
- Removing years of unsympathetic modern alterations and false finishes internally.
- Retaining and restoring heritage features and fabric throughout including cornicing, fireplaces and banisters.
- Reusing historic elements of 16a – 18 West Central Street including the crane and stable partitions and integrating these into the design for the new buildings and spaces.