Royal Mail Group has been given the green light for a mixed-use redevelopment of its Paddington sorting and delivery site, W2.
It now has consent for 128 flats at 31 London Street and 128-142 Praed Street, as well as an eight-storey building comprising 107,639 sq ft of offices and shops at ground level. The sorting office will retain its 1907 façade.
The Fletcher Priest Architects-designed scheme includes the “passive provision for the potential future extension of the Bakerloo ticket hall” if needed.
Consent from Westminster city council comes after original plans for 141 flats were subject to objections from Greater London Authority and Transport for London, which claimed that the site – which sits over a network of London Underground and Royal Mail tunnels – offered the only opportunity for improvements to the Bakerloo ticket hall.
Royal Mail will make a £7.9m payment, of which £5m is for affordable housing. There will be no on-site affordable housing.
A spokesman said: “Royal Mail has a clear strategy to ensure we derive maximum value from any property we no longer require. This includes selling the freehold or leases which we hold, and, where appropriate, working with planning authorities to ensure that properties we are selling are attractive to new owners.”
DP9 advised on planning.
joanna.bourke@estatesgazette.com
