Consent granted for Crossrail’s central London residential scheme
Plans by Crossrail – the body creating the huge rail infrastructure project across London – to develop 30,000ft2 of residential space in Holborn have been approved by Camden Council. The development will sit above the Fisher Street shaft, a single-storey structure that provides access and ventilation to the tunnels excavated below ground.
The eight-storey building, designed by world-leading architects HOK, will comprise 22 one, two and three-bedroom apartments. It sits close to the West End and the British Museum, between the conservation areas of Bloomsbury and Kingsway, and borders an eight-storey, Grade Two-listed building on Southampton Row.
Crossrail also announced that it will seek a development partner for the site in the first half of next year.
The architecture of the building has been carefully designed in close consultation with Camden Council and English Heritage to ensure the upper levels are set back, leaving space between the new development and the existing listed building. The design creates a unique exterior that offers different views of the building from each angle.
Ian Lindsay, Crossrail’s land and property director, said: “We are very pleased to gain planning consent to develop this much needed residential space. Building above the Fisher Street site is part of our strategy to regenerate areas all along the line and capture the value presented by the creation of Crossrail. It should be an attractive site for developers and ultimately a very attractive place to live, in the middle of one of the world’s greatest cities.”
The Fisher Street scheme is one of a number of over-site developments Crossrail is delivering. A total of 3Mft2 of high-quality office, retail and residential space is planned above new Crossrail stations and sites, helping create business space, jobs and new homes for Londoners on top of the world-class new transport links being delivered.
Planning permission has been secured for over 1Mft2 of development space so far, with schemes approved at Bond Street West (Davies Street), 101 Moorgate and a number of developments above Crossrail Tottenham Court Road station.