黑洞社区

Woods Bagot has won planning for a contentious scheme at the edge of Leicester Square.

An entire block, including a Victorian pub and the Odeon West End will be replaced by a 10-storey, 400-room hotel and two-screen cinema. Five of the floors will be underground.

Westminster council approved the scheme on the casting vote of the Tory committee chairman, Robert Davis, who said it would provide 鈥渁 new focal point for Leicester Square鈥�.

But English Heritage said demolishing the 鈥渟wathe of buildings which make a vital contribution to the architectural and historic character鈥� of Leicester Square would 鈥渟trike at the heart鈥� of what makes the place special.

Other concerns were raised by the Twentieth Century Society, the Victorian Society, the Ancient Monument Society and the Greater London Authority.

engineer Arup and consultant Jones Lang LaSalle are working alongside Woods Bagot on the 拢150m project for the Edwardian Group.

The site, at the south-west corner of Leicester Square, is currently occupied by the art deco Odeon West End, which hosts the BFI film festival, and the former Hand & Racquet pub, dating from 1865.

The site already has planning permission for a taller hotel scheme designed by Make Architects which is also working on another on the west side of Leicester Square.

The council said much of the existing site was empty or run down and that the development, by hotel chain Edwardian Group, would boost jobs and contribute 拢3 million to Westminster鈥檚 affordable housing fund, in lieu of on-site units.

But Westminster鈥檚 Labour group said the council should have demanded 拢28 million.

The party鈥檚 planning spokeswoman Barbara Grahame said: 鈥淥nce again Westminster Conservatives have gone against their own UDP planning policies and accepted a fraction of what is required to build much-needed affordable homes in Westminster.

鈥淭hese big commercial developments are the only way of financing new affordable homes in Westminster.鈥�