A weekly round up of the latest planning and property news from the central London boroughs

Camden

The Camden New Journal reports that a MULTI-million-pound development in the heart of Camden Town is on the drawing board following the sale of a bin depot in a prime spot. Now neighbours have called on the new owners of the site in Jamestown Road to lay out their ideas before they start pre-planning discussions with Camden Council. The depot was previously used for council bin staff and also hosted office space. In 2012, the site was put up for sale with services moving to Holmes Road in Kentish Town. The Jamestown Road land includes a 50-place underground car park, an open yard and cabins. Previously the NHS Tavistock and Portman Trust, in Belsize Park, hoped to use the site for a new unit. But before the deal was completed, the Trust withdrew in March. The land is now back on the market for £11m and the New Journal has learned a sale is imminent.

Southwark

Southwark News reports that Southwark Council spent nearly £4 million on nine rooftop homes schemes that have since been abandoned. The council, which has an ambitious programme to create 11,000 new social rent homes by 2043, indefinitely paused its controversial plans to build on the roofs of existing estates in July. Southwark said it paused the programme “after listening to residents’ views, and taking into consideration new building regulations and rising construction costs.”

Tower Hamlets

Building reports that a mixed-use scheme has been rejected at 60-70 & 100 The Highway and 110 Pennington Street because of fears about rowdy behaviour spilling out from a kinky nightclub which formed part of the plans. Tower Hamlets councillors said “disturbance and anti-social behaviour” outside the basement venue at the development in Wapping would cause serious harm to the living conditions and wellbeing of the scheme’s residents. The planning application, for the erection of a part five and part eight story building containing 114 homes with 44 affordable, was refused despite the planning officer’s recommendation to approve it.

Westminster

Property Week reports that Town Centre Securities (TCS) has announced the acquisition of a new London head office on Weymouth Street. The acquisition gives TCS a new London base following the sale of its previous headquarters on Duke Street in 2021. The 4,760 sq ft grade 2 listed property has recently been refurbished and provides office and residential use.

Property Week reports that Howard de Walden Estates has returned to a pre-tax profit as a result of a strong post-pandemic recovery, but the difficult national economic outlook has dampened its ambitions for the year ahead. The company, which has a £4.6bn portfolio across 92 acres of London’s Marylebone, said rental income for the year ended 31 March 2022 grew by 2.7% from £131.8m to £135.4m. Howard de Walden also reported that after a fall of 29% in the previous year, retail income increased by 19.1% as activity in Marylebone recovered rapidly once lockdown restrictions were lifted. Residential income increased by a more modest 0.7%, while healthcare income rose 7.9% and now represents over 40% of total income.