No. 43 CHELSEA SOCIETY NEWSLETTER www.chelseasociety.org.uk charity no. 276264 April 2016 The Changing Character of Chelsea DAMIAN GREENISH As I wandered through “Old Chelsea” has changed significantly over its long and CONTENTS from Sloane Square to Petyt Hall to distinguished history and no more so than attend last year’s Summer Meeting, I was over the last 60 years. So when we look at Planning Report .................................. 3 struck by just how lucky I am to have the history of Chelsea, what do we see? been able to spend so much of my life Planning Updates .............................. 5 in this extraordinary and unique part The evolving character Transport: Crossrail update ........... 7 of London. There are the traditional landed families, During 2015 the Society spent many originally inheriting from the Sloane Walking into the Future ................... 8 hours talking about the character of sisters, who did much to influence the Betty Woolf – Campaigner ............. 9 Chelsea (one of the objects of the Society modern make-up of Chelsea and of course is to promote interest in the history, continue to do so. There is the radical Hugh Krall Exhibition ....................11 character and traditions of Chelsea) in tradition that gave us the great social Gillian Best: Social Housing .........13 the context of a number of proposals for housing estates of the late 19th century Chelsea that we feel may impact adversely which still exist. Chelsea is and always Membership Secretary ..................14 on that character. But, what is that has been a cosmopolitan borough with a Blue Plaques for Women ...............15 character; how do we define it and what is wide ranging demographic. The rich and it that we are seeking to preserve? powerful choose to live here in their fine Dates for your Diary ........................16 It was Heraclitus who said “There houses, but alongside the middle classes is nothing permanent except change.” and ordinary working families. It may now History confirms that – after all, Chelsea be less obvious and diminished in size, u Picture: Michael Bach Picture: FREE EXHIBITION 13th - 26th June 2016 11am - 7pm - daily Duke of York Square, King’s Road SW3 The former Six Bells pub, latterly Henry J Bean’s – now The Ivy Chelsea Garden see Dates for your Diary on the back page 1 THE CHELSEA SOCIETY Cover Story u but there is still an active community and Chelsea cottages and magnificent one place from another? It is its physical of artists, painters, writers and poets 1930s mansion blocks. Just look at Old and human characteristics, its history, who live and work here and a bohemian Church Street, with Chelsea Old Church, its geography, and of course its people. tradition of providing alternative outlets the Old Rectory, the former Wright’s Diary, It is those factors that determine a for their work from the soulless West End. the Chelsea Arts Club, Sloane House, place’s unique character and that is Chelsea comprises a number of village the Mendelsohn house, and a singular why Chelsea has its own special and communities which together make up selection of small shops, houses, studios distinguishable character. the borough. and flats – all in one street running from the bottom to the top of Chelsea. Plus ça change, plus The bedrock c’est la même chose? Then there are the great institutions, Our youthful past However, that character needs to be some old and some more recent Perhaps most famous of all, the King’s preserved and the factors that make up but always names that resonate and Road: the artery of the Borough. It may that character need to be nurtured. Over are instantly recognisable: The Royal have lost some of its innovation and the the years the Society has achieved many Hospital, the Duke of York’s, the Royal excitement of the “swinging sixties” and successes (and suffered some failures) as Court, the Physic Garden, the Chelsea its punk shock of the 1970s. Perhaps “the we address issues that we believe threaten Arts Club, Peter Jones, and the World’s Chelsea Set” and the Sloane Rangers the essence of the place. Of course, End to name but a few. There are the are now less obviously identifiable. elements of the character have changed open spaces such as Sloane Square, the Nevertheless, there are still hanging and future changes are inevitable. Duke of York’s, Burton’s Court, Cremorne on some of those small independent However, when the Society is asked to Gardens and Dovehouse Green with boutiques and outlets selling their comment on or respond to proposals, the the many communal (if often private) eclectic wares which is what made it first question that we must ask ourselves gardens. There are the churches, clubs, so different. is: how will this impact on the character cinemas, galleries, concert halls, schools, Every place has a personality and of Chelsea as a place? Our support will shops, restaurants and offices and the although different places may have a always be dependent on being satisfied Chelsea riverside with the Lots Road lot in common, like people, no two are that the unique character of Chelsea will Power Station. There are great houses exactly the same. What distinguishes be preserved for future generations. n Picture: Michael Bach Picture: Chelsea on the move THE CHELSEA SOCIETY 2 Planning Report Planning Report MICHAEL STEPHEN basis, one of which was from Chelsea, Future of Chelsea RBKC Local Plan leaving one engine permanently We have drafted, consulted, debated and We have considered and commented on stationed here. adopted Policy Guidelines for the Future the partial review by RBKC of its Local Plan The Fire Brigade says that it has of Chelsea. The paper was presented to and have published our response on the continued to meet its London-wide a public meeting on 2nd November 2015 Society’s website at http://chelseasociety. average attendance time target of and is on the Society’s website at: http:// org.uk/chelsea-society-comments-on- six minutes for a first fire engine and chelseasociety.org.uk/the-future-of- rbkc-local-plan/ eight minutes for a second while the13 chelsea-whats-next/ appliances have been out of service. If the Housing and 13 fire engines were returned to service, Crossrail 2 Planning Bill they believe that this would improve We have consulted widely on Crossrail We have opposed the Government’s average London-wide attendance times 2 and have debated the issue with the plans to privatise part of the planning by around four seconds for the first membership and the general public at system. See http://chelseasociety.org.uk/ engine and by around 18 seconds for the well-attended meetings on 2 and 23 privatisation-in-planning/ second engine. November 2015. We support Crossrail 2 generally, but the members voted at the Upward Extensions Curzon Cinema AGM to oppose a station in Chelsea, and We have opposed the Government’s plans On 17 July 2015 we wrote to RBKC in the Council of the Society has endorsed to allow upward extensions of buildings support of the revised plans to redevelop that position. The Society’s response to without planning permission http:// this site, which retained the cinema with Transport for London was published on chelseasociety.org.uk/extra-storeys- the provision of step-free access, and the the Society’s website on 21 December without-permission/ pub on the King’s Road frontage. Planning 2015 at http://chelseasociety.org.uk/ permission has now been granted and crossrail-2-station-chelsea-2/ Duke of York Square we have since met with the architects to On 7 January 2016 Greg Hands MP discuss the detail of the front elevation. At the invitation of Cadogan, the Chairman wrote to the Managing Director of TfL We have written to RBKC supporting the and I met on 18 December with their http://www.greghands.com/news/ designs presented to us by Cadogan. Chief Executive and architect to discuss rt-hon-greg-hands-mps-submission- the design for their proposed new café in crossrail-2-consultation expressing his New Hotel at Sloane Duke of York Square to replace the existing preference for a station at Imperial Wharf temporary structure. The Society has Square and asking for a further study to be written to RBKC supporting the proposal. done. The problem with this is that the Cadogan were granted planning consent Work is likely to start in early 2017, with tunnelling would probably still be under in 2012 to convert One Sloane Gardens completion end 2017. the buildings of Chelsea, and one or more into hotel accommodation with 38 rooms. Electric Cars - We wrote to RBKC, and large ventilation shafts would have to be Having now attracted a prestigious on 25 January received the following reply, constructed somewhere in Chelsea. brand, to operate the hotel, Cadogan “we will do our utmost to minimise the are proposing a number of changes to Sutton Estate impact of the charging points on local improve upon the currently consented residents and visitors. They will only be scheme, which will be submitted as a We have considered the important installed in locations suitable for long-term new planning application later this year. planning application made by Affinity parking so they will not cause obstruction If granted, the Coste Hotel would be Sutton for their estate in Chelsea, and our to traffic. The bays will only be available for completed in early 2019. response was published on the Society’s vehicles while charging their batteries. website on 23 December 2015. See http:// Chelsea Old Town Hall chelseasociety.org.uk/response-to- Chelsea Fire Station planning-application-by-affinity-sutton- On 25 February the members of the In August 2013 thirteen fire engines in homes-for-the-william-sutton-estate- Planning Committee and Sarah Farrugia London were withdrawn on a temporary chelsea/ and James Thompson met at the Old Town 3 THE CHELSEA SOCIETY Planning Report Hall with the architects appointed by RBKC to refurbish the building.