Chelsea Barracks

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Chelsea Barracks
London
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Chelsea Barracks circa 1860
Chelsea Barracks is located in Greater London
Chelsea Barracks
Chelsea Barracks
Location within London
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Type Barracks
Site information
Owner Ministry of Defence
Operator  British Army
Site history
Built 1860s
Built for War Office
In use 1860s-2008

Chelsea Barracks was a British Army barracks located in the City of Westminster, London, adjacent to Chelsea, on Chelsea Bridge Road.

History

Chelsea Barracks, Stanford's Map Of Central London 1897
File:British Army Recruiting Campaign H43064.jpg
Lorries of a mobile recruiting team lined up at Chelsea Barracks during WWII

The barracks was originally built in the 1860s to house two battalions of troops. The original Victorian buildings were a long and monotonous brick structure broken by towers in the centre.[1] These buildings were replaced by two 13-storey concrete tower blocks in the 1960s.[2] The tower blocks were used to accommodate four companies from the Guards Regiments.[2]

A nail-bomb attack on the barracks by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in September 1981 killed two civilians.[3]

Development of the site

File:812114 80db6fa6.jpg
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On 6 September 2005 Secretary of State for Defence, John Reid, announced that Chelsea Barracks would be sold. He described it as needing extensive renovations. The site was vacated in 2008 with the troops transferred to the Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich. The site was part of the Ministry of Defence's Project MoDEL that saw it and five other sites across London sold off, mainly for housing.[4]

Westminster City Council published its draft planning brief for the Chelsea Barracks site in September 2006. It included a commitment to develop 50% of the site with affordable housing. A Community Forum was established by local residents in April 2006 with the support of Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, John Hutton MP, to campaign for greater transparency in the sale of the barracks site and for the 50% affordable homes commitment to be realised.[5]

2007 sale

The barracks is in one of London's most expensive residential areas and was originally expected to sell for £250m.[4] In April 2007 the Ministry of Defence agreed to sell Chelsea Barracks in its 12.8 acres (5.2 ha) site for £959 million to a consortium consisting of Qatari Diar and the CPC Group. The Times reported that "The enclave, between Sloane Square and the River Thames, now has the unofficial title of Britain’s most expensive residential development site at £70.3m per acre."[6] On 1 February 2008, the Joint Venture took possession of the site.[7] Subsequently CPC’s interest in the Joint Venture company, Project Blue Ltd, was acquired by Qatari Diar which now owns 100% of the site.[8][9] Different design proposals for development of the site have been put forward by Richard Rogers and by Charles, Prince of Wales.[10] Westminster City Council claim that the participation by the Prince has encouraged healthy public debate.[11] Squire and Partners, with Dixon Jones and landscape designer Kim Wilkie, have been selected by Qatari Diar to create a master plan for Chelsea Barracks.[12]

2009 withdrawal

In early June 2009, the developers, Qatari Diar withdrew their plan to build 552 flats in 17 blocks.[13] In May 2010 some of the developers made an £81m claim at the High Court, blaming Prince Charles for the withdrawal of a planning application.[14] The claim was later reduced to £68m and the court did not award the money.[15]

2011 approval

Outline planning for nearly 600 luxury residential units on the 12.8-acre site was eventually approved by Westminster Council in the Summer of 2011. Following this approval, the developer did not progress with the development until early 2013, when the whole project was put "under review" by Qatari Diar.[16]

2013 development

In September 2013, The Chelsea Barracks Partnership sent a letter to local residents informing them of plans to demolish all existing buildings on the Barracks site, with foundation works on the new scheme slated to start "in early November [2013]".[17]

2014

Westminster Council granted detailed planning consent for the first phase of the scheme in May 2014. The phase, designed by architects Squire & Partners, will deliver 74 apartments across three eight-storey blocks and includes two new garden squares.[18]

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Arabian Business
  9. ↑ High Beam Business
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Developers withdraw barracks plan, BBC News, 12 June 2009
  14. ↑ Prince blamed in £81m court claim over barracks plans, BBC News, 17 May 2010
  15. ↑ Prince Charles 'voiced local views' on Chelsea Barracks, BBC News, 29 June 2010
  16. ↑ Qatari Diar puts Chelsea Barracks on hold PrimeResi.com
  17. ↑ Forward March: Chelsea Barracks works to start in early November PrimeResi.com
  18. ↑ Green light for Project Blue: Chelsea Barracks’ first phase gets the nod PrimeResi.com

External links

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