In this feature twelve months ago I reported on the imminent completion of the restoration of Bedford Square, the granting of planning permission for the major Kings Cross Central Development and the progress of the refurbishment of The Brunswick Centre by Allied London Properties. One year on, the work in Bedford Square has settled in well and this project is widely acknowledged as being a great improvement to the area, enhancing its reputation as an exemplar of an original and intact Georgian square. At King’s Cross, although the regeneration scheme was approved by Camden Council, this is now subject to judicial review proceedings brought by the King’s Cross Railway Lands Group. It is likely to be some time yet before this process is concluded.
On the other hand, Allied London’s refurbishment of The Brunswick Centre (rebranded simply as The Brunswick) was completed last autumn and was officially opened with the launch of the Bloomsbury Festival. The revitalised shopping centre is now fully let with some forty shops, restaurants and cafes, including the largest Waitrose in London with direct lift access from the car park below. The developers have successfully turned round the formerly rundown and windswept centre into a vibrant high street for Bloomsbury.
Activity on the Estate continues apace and we are moving into another phase of considerable refurbishment activity. At the end of April we will be completing our conversion and refurbishment of 38 Bedford Place to provide four stunning new apartments to let and a further eight are under construction at 26 and 27 Bloomsbury Square, due for completion towards the end of the year. Eight more flats in Gower Street are in for planning permission and this is all an indicator of the Estate’s confidence in the attraction of Bloomsbury as a central London residential location.
Neither are we neglecting the commercial property market, and during the course of this year we will be getting under way with two major office refurbishment schemes to provide approximately 25,000 sq. ft. in total. These projects will provide thoroughly modern office accommodation in elegantly refurbished period buildings.
The Estate’s interests are not however solely confined to the properties we own. As with the regeneration of Bedford Square, the Estate takes a keen interest in the streetscape, the open spaces and the urban fabric of Bloomsbury. We continue to work closely with Camden Council and other major landowners in the area to facilitate such improvements. The urban realm study “Bloomsbury – a strategic vision” produced by Farrell Associates and reported in the Winter Issue of Bloomsbury News, is now out for consultation. It presents a long term vision for drawing together Bloomsbury’s open spaces and integrating the mix of uses within the area. This initiative is to be welcomed and I hope that as many people as possible involved in the area will participate in the consultation process.
The Duke of Bedford
