The application for Listed Building Consent made by the retail property investment company London & Associated Properties (LAP), who purchased Antiquarius in 2006, was originally rejected by Kensington and Chelsea council in June. The owners subsequently launched an appeal, later withdrawn, but also resubmitted their first application with some minor changes.
This second attempt to gain consent to split the premises in two and create a single unit, thought to be an attempt to create a new larger single unit for another fashion shop or international chain, has now been rejected on the same grounds as the first.
The council’s planning department stated: “The proposed internal alterations include significant loss of internal walls between the three shop units fronting onto the Kings Road, the former billiard hall and the former garage. These alterations would result in an unacceptable deterioration of the original plan form of the building to the detriment of the listed building.”
Controversially, the LAP began the building work before gaining planning consent, and were told to stop by the council. At the moment, a temporary partition runs through the middle of the centre with one side standing empty and left half renovated.
Dealers at Antiquarius have told ATG that the situation makes trading conditions difficult and that their future at the centre remains unclear.
