Eccleston Place creative and retail hub gets green light

Developer Grosvenor has been given the green light to create a new hub for retailers, designers and makers at Eccleston Place, near London's Victoria station.

Designed by architects BuckleyGrayYeoman, the scheme, which has just been approved by Westminster City Council, will comprise four "sensitively reconfigured and refurbished" buildings proving around 80,000 sq ft of space for shops, co-working space and restaurants.

Highlights of the scheme will include:

• Co-working space for a mix of creative businesses.
• Retail space for ‘up-and-coming’ designers and makers.
• Cafés and restaurants.
• A landscaped, privately managed courtyard with flexible event and community space.
• A boutique fitness space.
• A new pedestrian route from Ebury Street to the courtyard, connecting the scheme with the complementary retail stores on Elizabeth Street.

Grosvenor Britain & Ireland director of London Estate Development Programme Anna Farnes said the scheme was an "exciting opportunity to convert an underused space in South Belgravia into a creative hub for entrepreneurs and independent retailers. This new place - for visitors, workers and residents – will play an important part in contributing to the diverse and creative character of the area.”

Director of architect BuckleyGrayYeoman Paul White added that Eccleston Place would breathe new life into a currently underused area and would be "a tranquil, pleasant place populated by small businesses, start-ups, retailers, cafes, designers and makers.”