Selkirk House

A HIGH Court judge is set to run the rule over plans to demolish a former hotel and office complex in Bloomsbury and replace it with a new tower – after objectors raised the cash for legal proceedings.

The plans for Selkirk House, on the corner of Museum Street and New Oxford Street, were passed by the Town Hall’s planning committee in November despite a swathe of objections and a campaign from more than 20 civic associations and conservation groups.

The 74-high metre office block scheme would damage the Bloomsbury and Covent Garden conservation areas, according to objectors from the Save Museum Street group, and also affect the setting of the Grade I-listed Nicholas Hawksmoor-designed St George’s Church.

The plans would also see other Grade II-listed buildings demolished. Campaigners also say the new development goes against the council’s environmental net zero targets.

Architect James Monahan, a founding member of the Covent Garden Community Association (CGCA), has applied for the judicial review on the grounds that the Town Hall failed to follow the correct legal process.

How the new tower in Museum Street will look

The hugely expensive court action is the last chance to stop the new tower, after the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Communities minister Michael Gove declined to overturn Camden’s decision.

The Borough Solicitor has until May 18 to respond. If the judicial review finds in the campaigners’ favour, developers Simten, working for owners BC partners, would have their permission rescinded.

Mr Monahan said: “The decision to grant permission for a monstrous, speculative office tower is one of the worst examples of a fawning attitude of the planners towards developers and it sets a precedent for similar or even taller towers that will soon obliterate the historic character of central London.”

The Save Museum Street campaign was backed by actor-turned-conservationist Griff Rhys-Jones, and film director Mile Leigh. Other groups who objected include Historic England, the Georgian Group, the Victorian Society and Save Britain’s Heritage.

Mr Monahan added: “Senior Camden politicians give every indication that they do not care, and are far too busy eying up parliamentary seats, and senior planners just move on to pastures new and leave their mistakes behind.”

Mr Monahan was one of the CGCA members who battled to save the historic market when the Greater London Council sought to redevelop Covent Garden in the 1970s.

At the time of the planning hearing, Simten argued that the current building was no longer fit for purpose and that it would be better for the environment to build something new that could use state of the art green technology and have a long shelf life as it would feature higher ceilings and a more commercially viable lay out.

They added a ground-floor car park made any option to refit the tower almost impossible in engineering terms.