Finefair Ltd is a team that has built working relationships with local councils all over London. Our goal is to ensure we can give our clients the widest range of letting services. Thanks to our work with the local authorities, we can arrange the best council leasing Kensington has to offer and provide similar services in other parts of the capital. It can be a great option for people who don’t want to let privately.
South Kensington station development
For several years Transport for London (TfL) and their development partner Native Land (NL) have been planning a redevelopment in South Kensington. They want to improve the local station to ease congestion in the ticketing hall and to create step free access. Plus, they want to develop the area around the station.
Plans for the site were set to be heard by the Kensington and Chelsea Planning Committee last week. However, in a big twist, the meeting was called off a day before it was to take place. TfL and NL said they had chosen to do this so they could make amendments to the proposals. This came after a huge wave of opposition. That included a record number of objections for the Borough with over 2,300. Most of these were from local residents and businesses.
Insensitive over-development
The main point of opposition is to the design and scale of the new buildings that will appear around the station. This part of Kensington and Chelsea is home to some of the most stunning Victorian architecture in the city. In fact, the station itself is Grade II listed and several other properties have this kind of protection.
Many locals and businesses have concerns that the new buildings will not fit in with the traditional architecture. They feel that modern designs could harm the character of the area.
There is also a big worry about the impact on the views. Currently the properties in the area are relatively low so people can enjoy views of iconic buildings such as the Natural History Museum and the VA. However, the proposal is for taller buildings. These would hide many of these landmarks from view.
There are concerns about the impact on local businesses too. The area is home to a number of small independent shops. However, the redevelopment would displace many of them for up to two years. This would make it difficult for them to survive. The plan to build larger properties also suggests plans to attract large chain stores. This could hurt the current businesses even more.
What will happen now?
TfL and NL will now take the time to amend their proposals for the area. Strangely, they already spent years consulting with locals prior to creating them. However, the plans they had largely ignored much of this. Now they will have to take the objections on board and adjust the designs. They may resubmit the plans in the autumn.
Choosing council leasing in Kensington
Finefair Ltd is a team that is always happy to encourage people to look at letting with the local council. It can be a really great option depending on what you want to achieve with your assets. Plus it can offer less responsibility and guarantees on rent.
So, if you are thinking about council leasing Kensington and Chelsea has nobody better to speak to. We can answer all of your questions and provide useful advice. This will put you in the best position to decide what to do.
