ROUND ONE WON BUT LONDON SQUARE IS BACK
London Square’s first set of plans for the St Wilfred’s site was withdrawn after hundreds of people stood up for Tite Street. Friends of Tite Street have now seen London Square’s revised plans. They look different – but is it enough? We say no.
We stopped the first scheme
When London Square submitted its first planning application, residents, heritage groups, councillors and friends of Tite Street came together. Hundreds objected.
In April, London Square withdrew its application. That was a real victory. A major developer was forced to reconsider plans that were simply not good enough for this exceptional street.
Tite Street spoke, and it was heard.
But the withdrawal now looks less like surrender than regrouping. London Square always intended to return. It now has.
Click below to see our old campaign pages and read about the 2025 application London Square was forced to withdraw.
A new look. The same questions
We have seen draft plans: They have a more varied roofline, a more traditional façade and greater architectural detail. These are improvements, and we welcome them.
But these are new clothes. The substance has not changed.
From what we have seen so far, the underlying height, mass and footprint have changed little. The building still appears too large for Tite Street and to intrude into the protected townscape gaps that give the street light, rhythm and space.
The new scheme has learnt some Chelsea manners. We are not yet persuaded it has learnt restraint.
What happens next
London Square intends to submit a new planning application very soon. Until the full documents are published, we are keeping our powder dry.
We will look carefully at the proposals, acknowledge genuine improvements and test whether the central problems of height, massing and loss of protected space have truly been addressed.
If they have not, Tite Street will need to speak again.
Stay informed
Our first victory was possible because hundreds of people stood together. Sign up for campaign updates and we will let you know when the new application appears, what it means and how you can help.
2025 – LONDON SQUARE’S DEFEATED PLANS – View of the old scheme from the Royal Hospital Road corner. (All images in this series: London Square/Assael.)
2026 – LONDON SQUARE’S NEW PLANS – The architecture has changed. But has the scale?
