Despite concerns the revised plans to accommodate Facebook at Rathbone Place have been aproved
Westminster council has approved changes to Great Portland Estates鈥� 拢350m redevelopment of the former Royal Mail depot behind Oxford Street.
Revised plans were submitted after GPE signed up social media giant Facebook as sole tenant of the scheme鈥檚 office space.
Rathbone Place originally conceived as a speculative mixed-use scheme on Newman Street in London鈥檚 West End winning planning permission in 2013.
However, the office space at 33,000 sqm was slightly too small for Facebook鈥檚 requirements for its new European headquarters so the architect took it back to the drawing board.
Make鈥檚 revised scheme reconfigures some of the retail space and entrances to create an extra 1,275sq m of offices.
Planning officers had expressed concern about loss of the retail at ground level as this was considered one of the 鈥渕erits鈥� of the approved scheme.
But they recommended the changes for approval because they felt the 鈥減restige and wider economic benefits鈥� of Facebook moving to the area outweighed the loss of lively frontage.
The approval has though cost the developer an extra 拢1m, which goes towards the council鈥檚 鈥渁ffordable鈥� housing fund because of a ratio tied to the increase in office space.
Cllr Robert Davis, Westminster City Council鈥檚 cabinet member for the built environment, said he was delighted the building would now be home to Facebook, adding that he hoped it will 鈥渇ire the imagination of Westminster鈥檚 own young Mark Zuckerbergs鈥�.
Cllr Philippa Roe, leader of Westminster City Council said: 鈥淔acebook鈥檚 new expanded London HQ will bring jobs and help to cement Westminster鈥檚 position as a digital business hub.鈥�
The 0.9ha site in Fitzrovia has frontages on both Rathbone Place and Newman Street and was once overlooked by mural 鈥� until Westminster council ordered its removal in 2008.
A new pedestrian route will lead from both streets into a central, privately managed space containing cafe tables.
It is due for completion in June 2017, in time for the opening of Crossrail.
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