Londoners back developer plan for Smithfields
HENDERSON Global Investors said that over half of Londoners had backed its £160m scheme to redevelop part of Smithfield market, as the developer prepares to battle it out with opponents at a public inquiry today.
A YouGov poll carried out on behalf of the developer found that 54 per cent of the 1,100 people questioned believed that the Smithfield Quarter scheme should go ahead with just 17 per cent against.
“The Victorians were good at change, yet it is striking that there is a tendency for some to represent change as threatening and unacceptable,” development director Geoff Harris said
“By a clear margin most Londoners do not share this view and want to see us improve and regenerate the area as quickly as possible,” he added.
The fund manager wants to redevelop the 150 year-old General Market buildings to the west of the meat market with offices, shops and restaurants and has pledged to retain around 75 per cent of the Victorian buildings.
However, conservation groups SAVE Britain’s Heritage and the Victorian Society are bitterly opposed to the scheme, arguing that more of the original Victorian architecture could be saved and that Henderson’s plans would see the buildings “mutilated”.
Henderson was granted planning approval but the scheme was called in for a public inquiry in September by communities secretary Eric Pickles.
Both sides have submitted evidence to the enquiry, with advisory firm Knight Frank arguing on behalf of Henderson that SAVE’s alternative proposal is “economically unviable”.
However rival developer Cathedral Group has stepped in to support SAVE and will submit evidence this week showing that the case for retaining the original architecture is viable.
HENDERSON VS SAVE BRITAIN’S HERITAGE
■ Henderson Global Investors owns the General Market, the neighbouring Fish market and Red House cold store on behalf of Canadian sovereign wealth fund FREP Holdings Canada.
■ The developer has the backing of London Mayor Boris Johnson, English Heritage, City of London, Smithfield Market Tenants’ Association and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE).
■ The scheme, designed by architect John McAslan, would demolish a quarter of the original buildings to create 5,700m² of shops and 21,220m² of office space .
■ Henderson claims that its scheme will provide space for up to 2,000 jobs.
■ Save Britain’s Heritage and the Victorian Society have described Henderson’s proposed “gutting” of architect Sir Horace Jones’ General Market as “the worst mutilation of a Victorian landmark in 30 years”.
■ The conservation groups are backed by rival developer Cathedral Group and Labour parliamentary candidate for the Cities of London and Westminster Nick Slingsby.