Scheme still needs to signed off by London mayor and communities secretary Michael Gove
Stanhope鈥檚 plans build a huge five-block, life sciences-led mixed-use development close to Waterloo station have been unanimously approved by Lambeth council.
Masterplanned by AHMM, the 5.5 acre Royal Street scheme, which neighbours St Thomas鈥� hospital, will see the creation of a new life sciences district along with residential and office space in buildings ranging from 12 to 16 storeys in height.
Other practices working on sections of the AHMM masterplan include Henley Halebrown, Morris & Co and Piercy & Co.
Another practice working on the job, Feilden Fowles, will see its single-storey base flattened as part of the work.
The practice is part of the wider design team and is behind plans for a sixth plot on the site which will see the railway arches of the 19th century Waterloo viaduct converted into office space.
Other buildings facing demolition include the 1957 Corbusier-inspired Canterbury House, designed by St Thomas鈥� Hospital architect Leslie G Creed.
The 14-storey Stangate House, designed by William Fowler Howitt and built in 1964, will also be flattened while Becket House, a 1974 polished granite-clad office building designed by Yorke, Rosenberg and Mardall, will be substantially expanded under plans by Morris & Co with two trapezoidal wings added to the block鈥檚 east and west sides.
Heritage group C20 unsuccessfully lobbied Historic England to get all three buildings grade II-listed last year, but the latter concluded they were not listable and recommended certificates of immunity.
A grade II-listed sculpture by Bernard Schottlander called 鈥楽outh of the River鈥�, which is currently located next to Becket House, will also be relocated to the corner of Royal Street and Lambeth Palace Road.
The plans will replace the site鈥檚 existing 129 private rented homes with 133 new homes, 50% of which would be affordable, along with 160,000 sq m of office space, around 4,000sq m of retail space and a 650 sqm gym.
The intention is to create a mixed-use development to support a life sciences innovation hub focusing on medical technology, a proposal backed by a partnership between King鈥檚 College London, King鈥檚 Health Partners and Guy鈥檚 and St Thomas鈥� NHS Foundation Trust.
Lambeth鈥檚 planning officer said the scheme had been designed to a 鈥渧ery high standard by leading architects鈥� but admitted it would cause townscape harm to nearby heritage including the Palace of Westminster World Heritage Site, Lambeth Palace and Archbishop鈥檚 Park.
The scheme will now be referred to the Greater London Authority for stage two approval by the London mayor.
But it will also need final sign off from communities secretary Michael Gove, as Historic England has held up an objection over the scheme鈥檚 heritage impact.
Westminster council also said the plans would have an 鈥渦nacceptable鈥� impact on the setting and views of the Palace of Westminster, while the International Council on Monuments and Sites said it would 鈥渃ompromise the stature鈥� of Big Ben by obscuring the sky in views looking south.
In May, Gove鈥檚 predecessor Greg Clark called in Make鈥檚 plans for a huge redevelopment of the former ITV studios on the Southbank, located about 1km north of the Royal Street site. A public inquiry into the scheme overseen by the planning inspectorate is currently ongoing.
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