The London Lounge

It has been widely reported that the Burlington Arcade is now under threat of 'redevelopment' at the hands of a landlord which then wants to throw out some of the exisiting tenants in favour of chains of 'fashion shops'; presumably so that the rents can be increased.

Presumably, those involved in the planning and listed-building status of the arcade will do their duty to protect the fabric of the building. It is true that it is not all original as it was hit by a bomb in WWII - but that is no reason to turn it into a fairground for morons.

I sincerely hope that if there is a petition raised to ensure that the Arcade remains protected, members of the LL will consider signing up.
NJS

Dear NJS,

I read about it - another example of destructive greed probably. But the attempt may fail. This Arcade is such a particular place, you cannot put big brands there who would pay the rents they seem to target. These brands need Bond Street buildings where they have the freedom do run their marketing show. The space for business at the Arcade is tiny - ideal for the small nice shops who are currently there. Perhaps it is just my wishful thinking?

Would certainly sign up if a petition is launched.

cheers, david

davidhuh wrote:Dear NJS,

I read about it - another example of destructive greed probably. But the attempt may fail. This Arcade is such a particular place, you cannot put big brands there who would pay the rents they seem to target. These brands need Bond Street buildings where they have the freedom do run their marketing show. The space for business at the Arcade is tiny - ideal for the small nice shops who are currently there. Perhaps it is just my wishful thinking?

Would certainly sign up if a petition is launched.

cheers, david

Dear David,
I think that the problem is that they are talking of 'redesigning' the shops to accommodate all the fashion bods and I could see them knocking through to make bigger spaces. Another blessed corner is definitely targeted for a b****r-up disguised as a 'makeover'.
NJS

NJS wrote:It has been widely reported that the Burlington Arcade is now under threat of 'redevelopment' at the hands of a landlord which then wants to throw out some of the exisiting tenants in favour of chains of 'fashion shops'; presumably so that the rents can be increased.

Presumably, those involved in the planning and listed-building status of the arcade will do their duty to protect the fabric of the building. It is true that it is not all original as it was hit by a bomb in WWII - but that is no reason to turn it into a fairground for morons.

I sincerely hope that if there is a petition raised to ensure that the Arcade remains protected, members of the LL will consider signing up.
NJS

I will sign anything to keep the Burlington Arcade in its present state. Does not HM 's govt (or the Mayor of London) have the power to stop this nonsense ?

Frog in Suit

I would certainly sign a petition

Frog in Suit wrote:

NJS wrote:It has been widely reported that the Burlington Arcade is now under threat of 'redevelopment' at the hands of a landlord which then wants to throw out some of the exisiting tenants in favour of chains of 'fashion shops'; presumably so that the rents can be increased.

Presumably, those involved in the planning and listed-building status of the arcade will do their duty to protect the fabric of the building. It is true that it is not all original as it was hit by a bomb in WWII - but that is no reason to turn it into a fairground for morons.

I sincerely hope that if there is a petition raised to ensure that the Arcade remains protected, members of the LL will consider signing up.
NJS

I will sign anything to keep the Burlington Arcade in its present state. Does not HM 's govt (or the Mayor of London) have the power to stop this nonsense ?

Frog in Suit

It is Grade II listed, which means that the Government can, through the Courts, stop (or the punish) defacement of the building but there is little that can be done to stop the lawful ending of business leases or lawfully increasing the rents beyond the amount affordable by the current tenants; let's just hope that the tenants enforce the rights that they do have. The only ever makers of the Victoria Cross is in the Arcade; throwing them out would say a lot about this band of goons. It's all a matter of there being a strong avant garde brigade which does not understand: charm, taste, style - and some of them now own the Arcade.
NJS

There was an interesting article on this in the Telegraph yesterday -
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/884 ... rcade.html

Sounds awful.

what a terrible shame this would be

It's not just Burlington Arcade under threat; there's the Marquis of Salisbury attempting to trash the West End gem of Gaby's Deli on the Charing Cross Road, and at the polar opposite of the social scale to the Arcade the redevelopment of Shepherds Bush Market and a wonderful stretch of the Goldhawk Road.

And there's similar stories all across London. It's horrific that so much of what makes London unique is being torn down and replaced and replaced by bland, inane indentikit 'retail units'.

Maybe a little good news... http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... -arcade.do

I am surprised that the Marquess of Salisbury is attempting to trash a gem, from what I know of his stewardship of his estate it is all done very well with the best long term interest the prime concern.

Man at C&A wrote:Maybe a little good news... http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... -arcade.do

Dear Man at C & A,

thank you for this update! Worth a little celebration.. The Arcade has a unique mix of small shops, it must be preserved.

cheers, david