Celebs object to redevelopment of Kings Road
Anthea Turner has called it a 'monstrosity'
A number of celebs have spoken out about the redevelopment of a Marks and Spencer in Chelsea.
Felicity Kendal and Anthea Turner were among the thousand objections raised to plans to demolish a parade of shops in Kings Road and replace it with an office block
Kings Road Property Ltd, which bought the site in 2010, hopes to replace it with a five-storey block centered around an open-air courtyard. It would contain almost double the floor space of the current building, and include a restaurant, shops and leisure facility, as well as offices across its upper floors.
The firm said it is “committed to delivering a positive investment in the site and Chelsea”.
But The Good Life actress Felicity Kendal, 74, said of the plans: “This entire development is over-the-top and all wrong for the area. The King’s Road is all about character and individuality.”
Ms Kendal, who also spoke out against redevelopment of the Sutton Estate and TfL’s plans for a cycle lane through Holland Park, continued: “They cannot just plonk a huge office block on the side of the road. It will look a mess and ruin everything.”
Anthea Turner, 60, a former presenter of Top of the Pops and Blue Peter, said: “I use that M&S every week…
“The whole project is terrible and must be re-considered. The King’s Road deserves better than this monstrosity.”
In its planning application, the developer suggested that M&S supports the scheme and did not wish to renew its lease on the property when it expires in 2023, as it would instead favour a smaller shop space.
But on May 7, M&S joined objectors and wrote to Kensington and Chelsea Council saying its “ongoing successful operation” in King’s Road means it should be protected under planning policies.
The company wrote: “The purpose of this email is to submit a holding objection to the current application pending a full review of the application submission.”
Today (May 18) A spokesperson for King’s Road Properties said: “We are taking the opportunity to review all of the comments that have been submitted and determine how to move forward.
“Feedback from our pre-application consultation demonstrated the importance of featuring a food retailer in the proposed scheme and many residents highlighted their preference for Marks & Spencer.
“We started to consider options for the site after Marks & Spencer informed us of their preference to downsize from the current floorspace once the current lease ends in 2023. With this in mind, we continue to work with Marks & Spencer on options that would meet their needs as a modern retailer and retain a presence on the King’s Road.”
Objections to the redevelopment have been led by the Save King’s Road campaign.
Local writer and supporter of the campaigner, Rob McGibbon, 55, said: “The fact that M&S is objecting to the plans for this site has really escalated the opposition – and that is good news…
“This part of the King’s Road is rich in history and I am certain that better things can be done here than to just build a huge block of offices and apartments, as well as an underground shopping mall that will fail.
“I am hoping that a consortium of local residents and businesses can now pull together and work with the council and the site owners to come up with a bolder vision. They need to be positive, ambitious and creative. I believe that there is a chance here to create something special and different. Seize this chance.”
A date for when the planning application will go before Kensington and Chelsea’s planning committee has yet to be confirmed.