City of London

Londonist reports that the post-modern gothic Minster Court is set for a partial demolition and redevelopment with the aim of improving the public realm and providing more office space for the City, with a new cultural venue and rooftop terrace. The building is famous for featuring in Disney’s 1991 ‘101 Dalmatians’ film and for housing three bronze horse statues at the entrance.

Timeout magazine also reports that the Sculpture in The City exhibition is returning for the 13th time, bringing ten new sculpture displays to the Square Mile.

City of Westminster

Property Week reports that London-based developer Vabel has secured a £30.8m loan from OakNorth and ASK Partners to acquire a 1950s office asset in Queensway, central London. Property week also reports that Shaftesbury Capital has reported a half-year rise in NTA. Net tangible assets came in at 193.4p at the end of the period, up 1.6 % on the December 2023 figure.

Property week also reports that Fenwick chair, Sian Westerman, is to join the Shaftesbury Capital board and will also have responsibilities on the audit, remuneration and nomination committees.

Lambeth

Building Magazine reports that Transport for London says HB Reavis has “paused” one of London’s largest office schemes following a disagreement over a lift shaft. The 31-storey Elizabeth House scheme would stretch for more than 200m along the side of Waterloo station and contain 155,000 sq m of floorspace, more than 22 Bishopsgate or the proposed 1 Undershaft. Valued at £600m in 2017, it was given final sign off by Lambeth council in 2021 following the conclusion of a section 106 agreement requiring its developer HB Reavis to contribute £1.8m towards a lift shaft which would allow the future construction of step free access to the Northern line, which runs underneath the site.

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Building magazine reports that Transport for London and Native Land are looking for ways to “value engineer” the design of RSHP’s redevelopment at South Kensington tube station. The transport body and the developer are assessing options to reduce construction costs on the mixed-use scheme, which was approved at appeal in December last year two years after being rejected by councillors amid a storm of local opposition.