Planning & Conservation

The Planning committee meets monthly and scrutinises and comments on planning applications and planning appeals in Knightsbridge to Westminster City Council and Kensington and Chelsea. It also responds to consultations on both Councils and the GLA’s planning policy documents.

Rutland Gate

This substantial building on the north west side of Rutland Gate, facing Hyde Park Barracks, (which replaced four houses in the 80s), was purchased by a billionaire earlier in the year for the princely sum of £210million.

The owner’s representatives held an initial zoom meeting with the KA and have written to Rutland Gate residents indicating that the intention is to reinstate and restore the building to be used as a single family residence. Discussions have now commenced with WCC planners on how the building can be restored to beneficial use, and the team will be in again as soon as agreed plans are in place. Further meetings with the KA and local residents will take place as plans develop. It is not anticipated that a planning application will be submitted.

The Knightsbridge Association | KA | Natural History Museum | Urban Nature project | Dippy In The Garden

The proposals for the east garden, with a weather -proof replica of the Museum’s much loved Diplodocus taking centre stage in a ‘Jurassic’ garden. (c) Trustees of the Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum

Urban Nature Project

This project, scaled back from the more ambitious Gardens project, for which they were unable to achieve sufficient funding, was finally granted permission by Kensington and Chelsea council in October. The five acre garden site in South Kensington is to be transformed into a ‘welcoming accessible and biologically diverse green space’.

The Museum tells us ‘Play and wellbeing are key drivers of the garden design and now included the provision of increased seating, secluded spots in which to sit and appreciatethe garden, as well as areas for family use, whilst being sensitive to the neighbouring habitat. The Museum has been working closely with ecology groups., scientists and learning specialists to further develop the detail of the designs.

Sadly, due to Covid-19, the popular Christmas holiday ice rink will not be happening this year.

The Knightsbridge Association | KA | Montpeliano | 13-17 Monteplier Street

13-17 Montpelier Street, formerly Montpeliano

The new owners of n.13-17 Montpelier Street (the former Montpeliano Restaurant) have proposed a gigantic 10/20m advertising on the full height of their hoarding. The proposed advertising would have stretched across the 3 facades of 13-17 Montpelier Street, extending to all four sides of the property.

Usually a contractor's signage on a residential street is about 1m tall on the ground floor of the hoarding, in accord with established WCC policy on this issue. The proposal would have been completely out of scale with the street for the duration of the works, i.e. 2 years or more. Fortunately the council has refused this application.

The previous owner of Montpeliano confirms the new owners are Nammos Restaurants. We fear the new owners wish to transform the site into a lounge/restaurant/nightclub similar to their existing venues in Mykonos and Dubai. The Association should make sure the new owners understand this a residential neighbourhood.

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