Policy information sourced from the Fitzrovia West Neighbourhood Plan

PR1: Promoting Regeneration

  • The redevelopment, refurbishment or extension of existing buildings in the designated area will be expected to meet the highest quality design standards, achieve the highest levels of environmental sustainability, and makes a positive contribution to the public realm in the light of local conditions and circumstances.
  • Developments involving the replacement of office floorspace will generally be resisted except in areas with a majority of residential uses where the reinstatement of a housing use will be permitted. A loss of office floor space to hotel uses will only be supported where there is evidence of vacancy for at least 12 months.
  • Development proposals will be supported which preserve or enhance listed buildings and their settings;
  • There are many unlisted buildings of merit (as listed in Appendix 1) which add to the character of the area. Applications for the demolition of an unlisted building of merit will be opposed and applications for refurbishment will be supported where, on the basis of a balanced judgment, the loss of such a building in this category is deemed to result in significant harm to the local area. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, a building in this category should be retained, the most appropriate uses (i.e. in accordance with other adopted plan policies) reinstated, and architectural features should be preserved;
  • All applications for redevelopment, refurbishment and extension, whether within or outside a Conservation Area, will be expected to meet the following criteria:
    • Additional floorspace, for example additional storeys or mansard roofs will be supported where it respects the character of the existing and adjoining buildings, avoids adverse visual and amenity impacts and does not obscure important architectural features or adversely affect the uniformity, patterns, rhythms or groupings of buildings that contribute positively to the area’s character. Special attention should be paid to guidance in the Conservation Area Audits covering parts of the designated area;
    • Because of the prevalence of mechanical ventilation in the designated area, ducting, air-filtration, heating and air-cooling plant should be fully integrated in the fabric of new development and should not directly or indirectly diminish the amenity of adjoining occupants;
    • The demolition and replacement of a building will only be supported where the sustainable refurbishment and reuse of the building to be demolished has been fully considered;
    • All approved housing tenures are provided on site in the development according to Westminster City Council and London Plan policies. Departures from this principle will only be accepted where there are exceptional and unavoidable legal or technical reasons not to do so. In the case of the latter, affordable housing should be located within the designated area. Viability statements should be made public with the planning application;
    • All non-residential development of 500 sqm. of floorspace or above should achieve BREEAM ‘excellent’ or equivalent standard. All residential developments of 500 sqm. or above should achieve ‘excellent’ in BREEAM domestic refurbishment;
    • Where a mix of uses are proposed a high priority should be the provision of landscaped open space including children’s play space as a planning obligation;
    • Developments should achieve or exceed prevailing national and local sustainability standards as well as not increase the heat island effect or worsen air quality and keep energy use and greenhouse gas emissions to an absolute minimum;
    • Applications should aim to limit to a minimum the loss of daylight and sunlight to adjoining occupants, increases in ambient noise levels or other adverse environmental impacts;
    • The scale and massing of adjoining buildings is fully respected. Tall buildings (see Glossary) are unlikely to be supported. They will be carefully assessed in relation to the likely impact on the distinctive character of the area particularly where they may have an adverse impact on the setting of a listed building, views to or from Conservation Areas (within Westminster or the adjoining borough), or impact on a strategic viewing corridor (see Figure 2);
    • Special attention should be paid to the use of materials and the design of street frontages and points of access to ensure that these provide visual interest and are in keeping with the area as a whole;
    • The character, layout and appearance of courtyards, passageways and mews should be protected as important contributions to the historic character of the area. Redevelopment should fully respect the scale, use, appearance and materials of the original built form.

For more information please see the Neighbourhood Plan