South Kensington Station & 20-48 (Even) & 36-46 (Odd) Thurloe St, & & 20-48 (Even) and 36-46 (Odd) Thurloe St; 1-9 (Odd) Pelham St; , 20-34 Thurloe Square London, SW7 2NA

Planning appeal 3300872 at South Kensington Station & 20-48 (Even) & 36-46 (Odd) Thurloe St, & & 20-48 (Even) and 36-46 (Odd) Thurloe St; 1-9 (Odd) Pelham St; , 20-34 Thurloe Square London, SW7 2NA (Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea) was allowed in part (a split decision) on 12 December 2023 by Inspector Hill Z, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether or not the proposed development/works would preserve the listed buildings identified as: South Kensington Station, South Kensington Station Subway, nos. 1-29 Pelham Place, nos. 45-51 and 52 Thurloe Square and nos. 6-12 Thurloe Square, or their setting or any special architectural or historic interest which they possess; and, the effect on the non-designated heritage asset 20-34 Thurloe Street.

restoration and refurbishment of the retail facades within the Arcade, alterations to the Ticket Hall within the South Kensington Station to provide for step-free access, construction of a fire escape stairwell, construction of two retail facades within the Subway, demolition of the brick wall along Pelham Street and other associated works. Appeal

Authority: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Appeal type: other · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Inquiry
Development: other · Unknown
Inspector: Hill Z
Postcode: SW7 2NA

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether or not the proposed development/works would preserve the listed buildings identified as: South Kensington Station, South Kensington Station Subway, nos. 1-29 Pelham Place, nos. 45-51 and 52 Thurloe Square and nos. 6-12 Thurloe Square, or their setting or any special architectural or historic interest which they possess; and, the effect on the non-designated heritage asset 20-34 Thurloe Street
whether or not the proposed development/works would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Thurloe Estate and Smith Charity Conservation Area
the effect of the noise of construction works on living conditions for occupiers of nearby dwellings during the development phase
whether or not the scheme provides a policy compliant amount of affordable housing having in mind economic viability
whether there are any other matters against the proposal which should be considered in the planning balance
the benefits arising from the works and development that should be weighed in the overall heritage and planning balances including the weight to be attached to those benefits

What decided it

The substantial public benefit of finally delivering Step Free Access to the District and Circle lines, secured through the s.106 Agreement, outweighed the less-than-substantial heritage harms identified.

The substantial benefits of Step Free Access, station capacity upgrade delivery, housing (including affordable housing) and economic benefits outweighed the less than substantial heritage harm (at the lower end of that spectrum) to listed buildings and the Conservation Area, so the appeals (save for the Subway shopfronts) were allowed.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Policy CL1Policy CL2Policy CL3Policy CL4Policy CL5Policy CL7Policy CL8Policy CL10Policy CL11Policy CL12Policy CE1Policy CE2Policy CE3Policy CE4Policy CE5Policy CE6Policy CE7Policy CT1Policy CH2Policy CF1Policy CF2Policy CF5Policy CP1Policy CO5Policy CR6Policy CR7London Plan Policy H4London Plan Policy D3London Plan Policy D7London Plan Policy D11London Plan Policy D14London Plan Policy G1London Plan Policy G5London Plan Policy GG2London Plan Policy SI1London Plan Policy SI2London Plan Policy SI4London Plan Policy SI5London Plan Policy HC1
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 11Paragraph 202Paragraph 206
Judgments: East Northamptonshire DC & Barnwell Manor Wind Energy Ltd v SoS [2015] 1 WLR 45; Newcastle City Council v SoS for LUCH(2022] EWHC 27521 November 2022)

How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.

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The decision letter

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More decisions in Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023

Allowed19 May 20266002487
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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.