Singaporean real estate investor UOL Group is hoping to drum up more interest in an office block in London’s Holborn with a change-of-use application.
The company paid almost £98m to buy the nine-storey 110 High Holborn, WC1 – once home to EG – from UBS’s Central London Office Value Added fund back in 2016. But documents lodged with Camden Council say UOL has struggled to find tenants for the ground, first and second floors in recent years, “despite investing significant time and capital”.
Potential tenants including law firm Winckworth Sherwood, publisher Thames & Hudson and flexible office operator Runway East have all viewed and rejected the space. The first and second floor have not been let to an office operator since November 2021, while the ground floor has not been let since January 2024. A report from Savills – which has marketed the office space alongside Farebrother since flexible office operator Knotel vacated in 2021 – describes the three floors as “problematic” due to factors including low ceilings and window heights.
The owner now wants to change the use of the space – some 8,875 sq ft – from offices to education or medical and health services.
“110 High Holborn is located in a high value area for education providers in close proximity to the knowledge quarter, a number of university campuses and good public transport connectivity,” said UOL in its planning documents.
“The self-contained nature and column grid on the second floor naturally lends itself to classrooms or treatment rooms either side of the column grid which were historically designed for cellular offices. These offices are no longer appropriate for modern, open-plan office space.”
Image © Savills
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