Planning
Worth A Pont: Planners mull Knightsbridge/Holland Park ‘land use swap’
The owner of three Knightsbridge apartments has come up with an inventive sweetener for his ambitious amalgamation plans - offering to divvy up a house in Holland Park to balance out the resulting loss…
Developer digs deep to keep unauthorised basement
A Hampstead man has apparently had to shell out a whopping £180k to keep a two-storey basement he knocked up without planning permission.
Norrice Lea
Resi plans go in for Edinburgh’s ‘truly magnificent’ Donaldson’s site
Detailed plans have gone in for the conversion and development of the Donaldson's College site in Edinburgh, which the developer has called "one of the most important buildings in Scotland" and Savills…
Rare £10m ‘super-villa’ scheme comes up for sale in St John’s Wood
Something pretty extraordinary has just hit the open market in St John's Wood; a £10m period villa that comes complete with planning permission to double its size.
Cutting affordable housing exemptions for small developments “will heighten the housing crisis”
The High Court's decision this week to strike down exemptions from affordable housing contributions for small developments will heighten the housing crisis, says the Federation of Master Builders...
In Recent Proposals: Notable small to medium scale residential planning applications
A whistle-stop tour through some of the more interesting proposals and projects in the planning pipeline…
North Bank Show: Millbank Tower poised for resi transformation
Plans for an ambitious reimagining of London's iconic Millbank Tower have been unveiled, involving 200 apartments, a 200-room luxury hotel and a public arts and cultural centre.
Westminster moves to halt mega-basement ‘epidemic’
Just a few months after RBKC claimed victory in its long-running war on mega-basements, Westminster has announced plans to tackle a so-called “underground epidemic” across central London.
Fashion Faux Pas: Savile Row case highlights perils and pitfalls of listed buildings
A recent case involving the Abercrombie & Fitch store in Mayfair serves as a useful reminder for all those looking to alter or buy a listed building, says Edward Burton...
Developer ordered to rebuild demolished Victorian pub ‘brick-by-brick’
A developer has been ordered to rebuild a Victorian pub in Battersea "brick-by-brick" after it was knocked down to make way for an apartment scheme.
Yard Bargaining: Primrose Hill garden goes for £1.26m
A patch of lawn in Primrose Hill listed with a guide price of £100k-£150k has just been sold for £1.26m.
The rectangular 0.
Setbacks for Galliard and British Land as Tower Hamlets planners make surprise calls
It sounds like it was a tough night for developers in Tower Hamlets last night, as planners delivered surprise verdicts on two chunky schemes by British Land and Galliard.
Galliard's 1.