Redevelopment plans for the previous Fenwick division retailer on Bond Road to show it into workplaces, retailers and a rooftop backyard have been accepted by Westminster Council.
In December 2022, the family-owned division retailer introduced the sale of its well-known New Bond Road location, which opened in 1891, to Lazari Investments in a deal price round £430 million.
The transaction, which was accomplished final yr 2023, ensured Fenwick will proceed to commerce from the shop till 2024. The shop closed earlier this yr.
New proprietor Len Lazari instructed Westminster Council the prevailing constructing was not appropriate for modern-day retailing, in line with the BBC. He mentioned: “Over 100 years, Fenwick’s natural growth throughout six buildings resulted within the division retailer with 37 completely different ranges.”
Its planning committee voted in favour of a plan to partially demolish and redevelop the outdated retailer. Nonetheless, because of the massive scale of the plans, the proposal will want approval from the mayor of London, who has beforehand expressed considerations concerning the top and design of the plans.
If the brand new plans go forward, the location’s decrease two ranges will grow to be retailers, whereas the second to ninth flooring will grow to be workplace areas with the roof backyard because the cherry on prime.
Councillors confirmed concern concerning the dimensions of the event proposals however praised Lazari for planning to maintain a lot of the historic constructing and façade intact. In a council planning report, officers wrote: “The proposal will present an acceptable mixture of recent retail and workplace lodging that accords with the related London Plan and Metropolis Plan insurance policies, and is due to this fact thought of to be acceptable.”
