WESTBROOK PARTNERS

Dear Residents, Neighbours and Friends, 15 March 2018 Dolphin Square: The Next 100 Years Frequently Asked Questions and Our Responses As you may be aware, we have submitted a Planning Application to City Council setting out how we plan to invest in Dolphin Square to rejuvenate it and to secure its future for The Next 100 Years. This application followed a series of meetings with residents, neighbours and other local stakeholders about our Proposals, together with two public exhibitions, in a process which started back in April 2017. Many of you attended our meetings and exhibitions and we are grateful to everyone who has taken part in our consultation, provided feedback and kept in touch. We very much appreciate the contributions to date which will help to shape the future of Dolphin Square. We want to get in touch again to make sure that the residents and neighbours of Dolphin Square are clear about our Proposals and to reaffi rm our reassurances to you.

We would like to reiterate that all tenants will have the opportunity to remain as residents of Dolphin Square during construction and after completion of the works, if they wish to, but it is likely that they will need to move fl ats for a period of time during the works (see page 8 for further details). If we are successful with our Planning Application, then we do not expect to start moving residents before 2020. Our current view is that the works will take approximately 5 years to complete. Once we have an approval from the Council, which we expect in the third quarter of this year, we will be able to develop detailed construction management and sequencing plans and talk to you about how the project will affect you individually. Although there will inevitably be a period of disruption, our team have given careful consideration to how this will affect existing tenants (Open Market (around 80% of residents) and ‘Option B’ (Protected)) and how to minimise the impact. Our primary focus is to have an ongoing dialogue with all of our tenants at the Square to ensure that disruption and inconvenience are kept to an absolute minimum.

Proposed new Chichester Street entrance

PUBLISHED BY DOLPHIN SQUARE LIMITED, CHICHESTER STREET, SW1V 3LX 1 Starting last month, we have commenced individual discussions with tenants and we are aware that some residents (both Open Market and Option B) have a complex set of needs that will need to be addressed. These ongoing conversations will ensure that we are fully aware of individuals’ circumstances and how we can best assist them throughout the life of the project. We remain committed to continuing to talk to all of you about our plans throughout the planning and construction process and we have set out below our answers to some ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ about our Proposals and a number of matters which have been raised during the planning consultation process so far.

Although we have now formally made the Planning Application, our Proposals remain subject to receiving the consent of Westminster City Council, detailed interior design and construction management planning and all of the conditions which will be imposed by the Council when they grant us Planning Permission. A copy of the full Planning Application (with all supporting documentation) can be found on Westminster’s website www.westminster.gov.uk/planning . The reference for our Planning Application is: 18/01099/FULL. If you would like any further information about the Proposals, please contact us on 020 3900 3676 or via email at [email protected] and we will be happy to discuss with you in further detail. Please also visit our website www.dolphinsquare.co.uk/future-planning

Yours sincerely,

Mark Donnor David Collard Managing Principal, Westbrook Partners Managing Principal, Westbrook Partners

Proposed new Chichester Street entrance

PUBLISHED BY DOLPHIN SQUARE LIMITED, CHICHESTER STREET, LONDON SW1V 3LX 2 Frequently Asked Questions and Our Responses

History of the Estate • Dolphin Square was designed by Gordon Jeeves, built by Costain, and completed in 1938

• It was originally conceived as a novel and inclusive way of living in Central London for people who wanted to live close to their work

• For 80 years, Dolphin Square has attracted a diverse range of residents, from actors, taxi drivers and military personnel to business people, barristers and MPs

• In 2006, investment funds managed by Westbrook Partners acquired a 28-year lease of the Square from Westminster City Council and the Dolphin Square Trust

• £120 million of the sale proceeds were used to establish The Dolphin Square Charitable Foundation, an independent charitable foundation which to date has provided over 600 affordable homes across nine London boroughs, with a further 200 under construction

Dolphin Square Today • Dolphin Square is managed by Dolphin Square Limited’s dedicated on-site team of over 180 people who look after all aspects of the Estate: lettings, serviced apartments, spa, fi tness club and swimming pool, restaurant and shops, as well as providing maintenance and cleaning services for the residents

• Dolphin Square Limited is led by our General Manager, Neil Miller-Chalk, who has been involved with Dolphin Square for over 20 years, fi rstly with the Dolphin Square Trust, and since 2006, with Westbrook Partners

• The Square is consistently 95% occupied with 60% of tenants being singles and sharers and young professionals

• Tenants are attracted by the single ownership, sense of community, 24-hour security, fi nancially accessible rents, the central location and the onsite professional management team

• Of the 1,106 existing residential fl ats, around 80% are rented on AST tenancy agreements on Open Market terms, with the remaining fl ats being let to ‘Option B’ (Protected Tenants), who are entitled to below-market rents on their fl ats until their tenancies expire in 2034

• The rights of the Option B tenants under their tenancies are protected by a charitable company, Dolphin Square 2005 Limited (DS2005), which was set up in 2005 (at the time of the sale of the leasehold to Westbrook) www.dolphinsquare2005.co.uk

• The Blue Dolphin Tenants Association is a tenant-led organisation which represents all residents at the Estate (www.twitter.com/DSTenants?lang=en)

• The average stay at the Square is two years, although some residents have lived here for over 40 years

PUBLISHED BY DOLPHIN SQUARE LIMITED, CHICHESTER STREET, LONDON SW1V 3LX 3 Why does • Since 2006 we have invested over £40 million in a comprehensive Dolphin Square maintenance and improvement programme need refurbishment? • However, at 80 years old, much of the fabric and structure of the building is out of date and in need of significant investment to secure the future of the Estate for the Next 100 Years

• In 2015, we acquired the freehold of the Square from Friends Life, and now that we own the whole Estate we are ready to commit to a further significant capital investment in the fabric of the buildings and Garden

• The required level of further investment is projected to be around £400 million

• The plan is to renew over 7000 windows, the lifts, roofs, pipes and wiring across the Estate

What do your Proposals • In order to partly finance the comprehensive refurbishment of the existing for the Estate involve? Square, we plan to build 189 additional homes, together with 81 additional serviced apartments

• Rodney House (serviced apartments) will be demolished and replaced with a taller building to create an additional 78 residential flats and increasing the serviced apartments from 124 to 201

• The new Rodney House will also contain new and improved retail facilities

• Roof top extensions will be added to the main residential buildings (as a tenth floor) to provide 68 additional flats

• A row of 16 townhouses will be built on the Western Carriageway with landscape improvements

• Rehousing the existing leisure facilities (Swimming Pool and Fitness Club) beneath the new Rodney House to extend the existing Garden

Will the new buildings • We have hired the award-winning architectural practice of be in keeping with Eric Parry Architects to design a beautiful scheme in a similar style and the character of materials to the existing buildings (www.ericparryarchitects.co.uk) Dolphin Square? • Eric Parry has been personally leading the project, alongside Robert Dawson and Guy Parkinson

• We believe that EPA’s designs complete Gordon Jeeves’ original vision for the Square and will radically enhance the aesthetic appearance of the buildings and Garden

• EPA’s other recent projects in Westminster include the restoration of St Martin-in-the-Fields, One Eagle Place, 23 Saville Row, 50 New Bond Street and 7-8 St. James’ Square

Is Dolphin Square a • No - Dolphin Square is not a listed building listed building? • Historic England were approached in 2017 with a request to list the Estate and it was turned down (a similar application in 2005 was also unsuccessful)

• In early 2018, we applied to the Secretary of State for Culture for a Certificate of Immunity from Listing

PUBLISHED BY DOLPHIN SQUARE LIMITED, CHICHESTER STREET, LONDON SW1V 3LX 4 But isn’t Dolphin Square • Yes - Dolphin Square is the main contributor to the Dolphin Square a Conservation Area? Conservation Area and as such, this means that we can make changes, but changes must be made very sensitively

• It does not mean that the buildings and Garden cannot be altered, extended or enhanced

• We believe that Dolphin Square is sufficiently robust to accept change within its well-established character. We believe our Proposals will better reveal the Conservation Area, particularly by increasing visibility and access to the landscaping

• We are being advised on conservation matters by the leading heritage consultant, Richard Coleman, and his team at City Designer (www.citydesigner.com)

• Richard was Deputy Secretary for 13 years of the Royal Fine Art Commission (the precursor to the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) where he developed unique skills in the field of architecture, urban design and conservation.

Assuming the Council • We do not plan to start construction works on site until early 2020 grants Planning • We are currently working on detailed construction plans with our Permission, when will professional team in order to work out the optimum phasing of the the building works building works, but our current view is that the project will not take more start and how long will than 5 years to complete they take?

How will you seek to • A legally binding ‘Construction Management Plan’ will be agreed between minimise noise, dust and us and the Council and we will do everything possible to minimise noise, disruption during the dust and disruption during the works building works? • We will insist that all works are undertaken by our contractors in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, and we will ensure that all of our obligations under tenancy agreements are complied with

• We will appoint experienced contractors who abide by the ‘Considerate Contractors’ scheme and who use experienced sub-contractors within their supply chain

• We intend to ‘wrap’ the scaffolding around the building works with large visualisations of the Dolphin Square elevations in order to make the environment more visually appealing during the works (subject to obtaining the necessary licenses and consents from the Council)

PUBLISHED BY DOLPHIN SQUARE LIMITED, CHICHESTER STREET, LONDON SW1V 3LX 5 How much Affordable • We fully acknowledge the importance of delivering affordable housing Housing will be built as alongside the new accommodation at Dolphin Square part of the Scheme? • The Council have also consistently stated as part of the pre-application process that a robust affordable housing offer will be required that recognises the strategic need for such accommodation in Westminster as a key priority

• As part of the Planning Application process we have provided a Financial Viability Assessment for the Scheme which both the Council and the Greater London Authority will scrutinise with independent expert advice

• This Financial Viability Assessment will inform the maximum reasonable affordable housing solution that can be provided recognising the financial challenges faced by us as we undertake the refurbishment of the entire existing Estate

• We are fully committed to providing the maximum reasonable provision of affordable housing on-site as part of the Scheme – the final number of units will be determined by the Council and the Greater London Authority

Will you be making • Yes. The Scheme is designed to be as inclusive as possible so that it can be Dolphin Square comfortably and independently used by residents, visitors, people working more Accessible? in and visiting the Estate and the wider community, given the constraints of the existing structure

• The Scheme meets the current guidance standards of Building Regulations’ ‘Approved Document M’ and the Access and Inclusive Design Policies of the Greater London Authority

• The key access provisions for the Scheme include:

• Incorporation of the principles for inclusive design wherever possible

• Accessible routes to all connections with local pedestrian routes and public transport

• 5% of total car parking spaces is designed to be suitable for wheelchair users

• Accessible cycle space for residents

• Inclusion of mobility scooter parking

• Wheelchair-accessible sanitary facilities where provided for public use

• Step-free access to all public parts of the building and the Garden

• 88% of new dwellings (166 units) are designed to meet Building Regulation M4(2) Category 2 (Accessible and Adaptable Dwellings)

• 12% of the new dwellings (23 units) are designed to meet Building Regulation M4(3) Category 3 (Wheelchair Users)

PUBLISHED BY DOLPHIN SQUARE LIMITED, CHICHESTER STREET, LONDON SW1V 3LX 6 What will you be doing • The renowned designer Todd Longstaffe-Gowan to the Garden? (www.tlg-landscape.co.uk) has designed the new elements of landscaping to complement the context of the Estate and to build on the legacy of Richard Sudell’s original design for the Garden

• Sudell was the President of the Institute of Landscape Architects (the precursor to the Landscape Institute) when he designed it and worked closely with the architect Gordon Jeeves to create the landscaping as a central feature to the development

• The majority of the proposed new landscaping is to the north of the Square

• By moving the existing leisure facilities underground, there will be level access to all of the Garden for the first time, with the new elements being designed in a sympathetic fashion to Sudell’s original work. Elements from the Spanish gardens will also be incorporated into the new landscaping

• Todd’s other recent projects include gardens at , , Charterhouse Square and the Royal College of Art

Can the general public • Although privately owned, since at least 2006 the Garden has been freely access the Garden? accessible to members of the public and we plan to continue with this policy once the new Garden is completed

• Within the Garden, six new private garden spaces for residents have been designed within the pockets between the projecting internal wings of the building

• We have a significant on-site security personnel and CCTV presence which will be further enhanced by the Scheme

What impact do the • As part of the Planning Application our surveyors have undertaken a new buildings have detailed daylight and sunlight assessment of the impact of the Scheme on on sunlight in the the Garden, flats at Dolphin Square and the neighbouring properties Garden, existing flats • The assessment is currently being reviewed by the Council. We can and neighbouring confirm that fewer than 20 flats across the entire Estate have their daylight properties? impacted beyond suggested guidelines

• If you live in one of the affected flats you will be contacted by us and offered a permanent option to move to a comparable alternative flat

Can current tenants stay • All tenants (Open Market and Option B) will have the opportunity to at the Square during the remain as residents of Dolphin Square during construction and after building works? completion of the works, if they wish to

• Regular communications and forums will be established to keep residents informed about the process and timescales throughout the project

PUBLISHED BY DOLPHIN SQUARE LIMITED, CHICHESTER STREET, LONDON SW1V 3LX 7 What happens to the • Open Market tenants will have the opportunity to take a new assured Open Market (AST) shorthold tenancy agreement for a flat at the Square when their current tenants during and after tenancy agreements expire the building works? • At that point, they will be offered a flat in a part of the Estate that is not under renovation and, if they decide to stay, they will be given a new assured shorthold tenancy agreement

• Open Market tenants will continue to be offered market rents, as per the market rents prevailing at the time

What happens to the • All Option B tenancies remain protected until 2034 as per the existing Option B (Protected) tenancy agreements - There will be no changes to the Option B tenancy tenants during and after agreement terms, and all rights of Option B residents will be fully the building works? preserved

• Option B residents will be moved to a comparable flat on the Estate for the duration of the construction period

• All Option B residents retain their right to return to their original flat at rents stipulated under the existing tenancy agreements

• We will work with DS2005 and individual Option B residents to ensure that the moves will be as stress-free as possible

• Option B residents will be moved at our expense and we will also make all arrangements for removals, insurance, etc.

• We will organise and pay for moving books, furniture, re-hanging pictures etc.

• A 50% rent reduction will be in place for Option B residents during the period of relocation (per the existing terms of their tenancy agreements)

• We will consider requests to up/down size (whilst retaining Option B status) on a case-by-case basis

• There are 7 Option B flats which are being significantly altered by the Scheme, and we (alongside DS2005) are individually consulting with the affected residents

• We understand that some Option B tenants would like to retain separate (rather than galley-style) kitchens and this is something we hope to be able to provide for all tenants who want to keep this configuration

• Hot water and heating will continue to be provided to Option B tenants on an inclusive basis until the end of the tenancy agreements in 2034

• We will be putting in place arrangements to ensure that Option B tenants’ post will be re-directed, and to the extent possible, telephone numbers will remain unchanged

• All arrangements agreed between us, DS2005 and the Option B tenants will be set out in individual legally-binding letter agreements

PUBLISHED BY DOLPHIN SQUARE LIMITED, CHICHESTER STREET, LONDON SW1V 3LX 8 What happens to the • The proposed changes to Dolphin Square include the provision of shopkeepers during and improved retail units in the new Rodney House after the building works? • We are committed to finding a temporary solution to allow current retailers in Dolphin Square to continue trading during the construction period (i.e. a form of pop-up unit or similar) – subject to obtaining temporary planning permission from the Council

• We have been discussing the temporary solution with the existing shopkeepers and will be offering them leases for the period of the works at the same rents they are currently paying

• Individual requirements and terms for the newly-built shops will be discussed with retailers on a case-by-case basis as there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution

How sustainable will the • Our Proposals for upgrading the buildings and modernising the internal new development be? workings include a new, sustainable, approach to heating and cooling the new and refurbished buildings

• Existing boreholes, which currently access the reservoirs beneath Dolphin Square to provide drinking water, will be repurposed to use the groundwater to heat and cool the buildings in a more energy efficient way

Does the Planning • The Planning Application we have made does not include proposals for the Application include development of the riverside Tennis Court site proposals for the development of the Tennis Court site?

Do you have plans to • We have no plans to allow for the proposed Thames bridge to land at allow the proposed Dolphin Square Thames bridge to land at Dolphin Square?

How many spaces for • There are currently 114 spaces for cycles. We propose increasing this bicycles will there be? number of cycle spaces to 450

How many parking • Currently there are 251 parking spaces at the Estate (above and below spaces will there be? ground), but fewer than 50% of the below ground spaces are currently used by residents

• The new Scheme proposes a total of 240 spaces, 167 of which will be below ground. The car park will also include additional EV charging points

PUBLISHED BY DOLPHIN SQUARE LIMITED, CHICHESTER STREET, LONDON SW1V 3LX 9 How will you be • The proposed waste management regime will essentially remain as the collecting waste existing strategy agreed with the Council but will be re-managed on site going forwards? • Waste collection vehicles will retain access on the Eastern Carriageway, collecting from a centralised collection point

• We have proposed that household waste will be taken from individual flats by tenants to refuse chutes located in the reception of each building and will be collected locally in an allocated basement storage room below

• Bins will then be taken by Dolphin Square management to the main refuse store located next to the East Carriageway car park ramp for collection by the Council

• However, we have received a number of comments about these proposals and continue to consult with residents to find the optimal way for waste to be handled once the building work is completed, subject to securing the agreement of the Council

Will you be improving • We already have an extensive on-site security team and CCTV system at security at the Estate? the Estate and we keep crime prevention and detection under constant review

• As part of the Planning Application, we have undertaken a security assessment in consultation with the . The details of the final security arrangements (including card access etc.) are still under development and we will be consulting with residents in due course to ensure both the continued safety combined with the sense of community presently enjoyed by residents

Will the Post Office • This is something that we hope will continue once the refurbishment is continue to bring post complete and we have started discussions with the Post Office to the letter boxes of individual flats?

What will happen while • Unfortunately, we have no room on site to re-provide the Swimming Pool the Swimming Pool and and Fitness Club on a temporary basis during the building works – which Fitness Club are closed? we think will affect the members for around 2 years

• The Tennis Court will continue to be available to members during that period

• We plan to work with other local providers to provide alternative services to our members during that period

Will you be involving • Dolphin Square Limited has a track record of employing modern apprentices in apprentices across its property management and leisure businesses, and it the project? is our aim to ensure that all contractors and sub-contractors working on the building project will be doing the same

Where can I find • On the Council’s Website – www.westminster.gov.uk/planning a copy of your full The reference for our Planning Application is: 18/01099/FULL Planning Application?

PUBLISHED BY DOLPHIN SQUARE LIMITED, CHICHESTER STREET, LONDON SW1V 3LX 10 What is the • The Estate is owned by The Dolphin Square Estate Limited and is relationship between managed by Dolphin Square Limited, which are companies controlled by Dolphin Square and Westbrook Partners (www.westbrookpartners.com) Westbrook Partners? • Founded in 1994, Westbrook Partners is a U.S. real estate investment management company. Westbrook manages funds and investments on behalf of American pension funds and university endowments and has been actively investing in and managing properties in the U.K. for over 20 years

• In the U.K. Westbrook is led by Mark Donnor, a Managing Principal who has worked with Westbrook for over 15 years. Mark is also a Chartered Surveyor (M.R.I.C.S.). He works alongside David Collard, a Managing Principal who has been with Westbrook for over 10 years. David is also an English Solicitor and Affi liate Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (R.I.B.A.)

• Mark Donnor and David Collard are responsible for overseeing all aspects of the “Dolphin Square: The Next 100 Years” project

• Mark and David work very closely with Neil Miller-Chalk (the General Manager of Dolphin Square) and his team to ensure that Dolphin Square continues to be one of London’s most sought after residential addresses www.dolphinsquare.co.uk/westbrook-partners/

Mark Donnor David Collard Neil Miller-Chalk Managing Principal Managing Principal General Manager Westbrook Partners Westbrook Partners Dolphin Square Limited

PUBLISHED BY DOLPHIN SQUARE LIMITED, CHICHESTER STREET, LONDON SW1V 3LX 11 Proposed view of reconfi gured Gardens www.tlg-landscape.co.uk