In Kensington and Holland Park new development is a rarity, consisting of small luxury developments rather than large scale development found further west, such as Berkeley’s 375 Kensington High Street and Capco’s regeneration scheme at Earl’s Court to the south.
This is partly because there is limited land available and it is relatively difficult to get planning in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC); the challenge for developers is to engage the local community and concentrate on creating genuinely excellent schemes.
The recently completed Holland Green, a 62-unit scheme by Chelsfield, has set the precedent for high quality luxury schemes in the area. There are a handful of schemes which have recently obtained planning permission in early 2016; Allen House (AHL Bidco Sarl, 44 units), Duke’s Lodge (Project Dukes Ltd, 24 units), and The Odeon (Minerva, 63 units). Grainger’s scheme on Young Street and Native Land/ Grosvenor’s Holland Park School are under construction and likely to be the next to complete.
Purchasers in these locations are drawn by the proximity to green spaces and accessibility into central areas. RBKC is the only borough to introduce a basement policy which restricts subterranean developments to a single storey and bans it on listed buildings, pushing buyers towards new build product which can cater for demand for spas, swimming pools and private cinemas.
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