UPDATED EVERY
FRIDAY
Last Update:
Friday 9th December, 2005
 
PUBLICATION
By JOEL TAYLOR
  
ISLINGTON
WEST END EXTRA
 
SECTIONS
MUSIC - CLASSICAL
MUSIC - GROOVES
THEATRE
RESTAURANTS
HEALTH
 
NAVIGATION


With Google
 
 
 
Brothels to become luxury flats

A HOME to prostitutes and sex shops for at least 50 years could be replaced by a multi-million pound development of shops and luxury apartments.
Berwick Street Properties Ltd has applied to knock down the buildings on the corner of Berwick Street and Peter Street.
It is the first development for the notorious block, bounded by Peter Street, Berwick Street, Broadwick Street and Wardour Street, that houses dozens of brothels, illegal sex shops and has long been seen as an area that was ripe for development. But the plan does not abide by the Mayor of London’s guidelines that 50 per cent of all new properties should be affordable accommodation.
John Dingle, from agents The London Planning Practice, said last night (Thursday): “The plan is to demolish the buildings and have shops in the basement and ground floor and 16 flats on the open market. No affordable housing is envisaged.”
If it gets the go-ahead from Westminster Council it will reach four stories on the corner of Peter Street and Berwick Street.
Mr Dingle said the buildings, which date from 1828, were dilapidated. He said: “I have been to part of one building in the daytime and it was very grotty.” The architects behind the scheme are Squire and Partners.
Bryan Burrough, the president of the Soho Society, gave a cautious welcome to the proposals. He said: “Obviously we welcome any new shops in the West End, but we would expect it to offer some affordable housing. It is against Westminster’s Unitary Development Plan and our planning guidelines.”
Developers hope work on the scheme can begin next year.
 



Paris is still No.1 in the wine world

PARIS, sera toujours Paris, sang the French singer and Hollywood star of the 1940s Maurice Chevalier.
FULL STORY




Give our school kids a sporting chance

DON’T know about you but I hated sport at school. It was all that prancing around in your knickers...
FULL STORY
   
   
 
All content © New Journal Enterprises, 2005