Developers have scrapped controversial but twice-approved SimpsonHaugh plans to replace a 28-story Richard Seifert hotel in west London with an even taller building
Clients Rockwell Property and Queensgate Investment withdrew the Kensington Forum application, which had been granted consent by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on two occasions but was then called in by the government.
The withdrawal marks the latest chapter in a long saga for SimpsonHaugh’s bid to replace Seifert’s 1970s hotel at 97-109 Cromwell Road with a stepped building rising to 30 floors.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea rejected the proposals in September 2018 before Khan called in the application and gave the go-ahead in June 2019.
A legal challenge was launched by the council and the mayor’s approval was quashed by the High Court last March. A fresh consultation period was held, along with another site visit and a second public hearing, before Khan again approved the scheme last October.
But the council didn’t give up. It wrote to communities secretary Robert Jenrick insisting it had “lost confidence in Sadiq Khan’s ability to fairly weigh up the benefits and harms of the scheme.”
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government last month called-in the application, giving Jenrick the power to make the final decision on it following an inquiry by the planning inspectorate.
Now the developers have confirmed they have withdrawn the proposals, without giving any further detail.
Kensington and Chelsea planning lead Johnny Thalassites – a long-time opponent of the plans – said on social media that the withdrawal represented “a victory for Kensington’s skyline.”
Hundreds of letters of objection to the plans were sent over the years, including from several councillors and local resident associations. The height and scale of the proposals were key complaints. Kensington and Chelsea council has previously described the scheme as “monstrous.”
But Greater London Authority planning officers said last year that the existence of the 1970s Holiday Inn on the site meant the principle of a tall building had already been established. They added that the SimpsonHaugh scheme was ‘of a high-quality design’ and represented ‘a significant enhancement compared to the existing building’ while provision of affordable housing was a “significant public benefit.”
The plans featured a 749-bed hotel as well as 340 serviced apartments, restaurants, bars, conferencing and leisure facilities and 62 homes.
Following the mayor’s initial intervention, the number of homes in the development was increased and all of them designated for London Affordable Rent. The height of the part of the building containing the residential accommodation was increased from seven to nine storeys.
SimpsonHaugh has been contacted for comment.
For more on this story, go to Architects’ Journal.