Holborn & 07 Covent Garden Area 69 Policy HCG1 – Holborn and Covent Garden Area 7.1 The Holborn and Covent Garden area covers the ward of the same name. It is the most southerly ward in the Borough of Camden and forms part of London’s Central Activities Zone (CAZ). It is a key destination that links the West End to the City of London. 7.2 The area is home to major businesses and institutions, as well as small businesses, shops, and a significant housing population. The area also has a thriving cultural scene and some of London’s most iconic historic architecture which attract visitors year-round. 7.3 Holborn and Covent Garden is going through a period of development and change with some major businesses choosing to locate and invest in the area. The area has Holborn and Covent Garden and Covent Holborn Holborn and Covent Garden and Covent Holborn excellent public transport provision, which will be improved further with the opening of the Elizabeth Line stations at Tottenham Court Road and Farringdon and the Holborn underground station upgrade and capacity increase. The Council will seek to ensure that development and change in the area are coordinated to maximise benefits to the area, its businesses and its communities. Figure 7.1: Policy HCG1 - Holborn and Covent Garden Area 7.4 Holborn and Tottenham jobs by 2031. The London Plan Area name Holborn and Covent Garden Area Court Road (which also includes expects that the Tottenham Court part of Westminster) are identified Road opportunity area will deliver a Area size (ha) 119 ha as growth areas in the London Plan. minimum of 500 homes and 5,000 The Holborn intensification area is additional jobs by 2031. Indicative housing 400 additional homes expected to deliver a minimum of capacity 200 new homes and 2,000 additional Policy HCG1 The Holborn and Covent Garden area has the potential to strengthen its 7.5 The Council is preparing a Holborn and Tottenham Court Road role as a gateway for business and create more vibrant and well-connected Holborn Vision and Urban Strategy growth areas. The Council will neighbourhoods in the heart of Central London with an improved commercial, to provide further detailed guidance protect existing retail frontages from leisure and retail offer, a high-quality public realm and much needed new self- on the redevelopment of the area, fragmentation in order to avoid the contained homes. consistent with this allocation. It is creation of isolated and less viable the Council’s intention that the final retail units. Developers should take To enable the area to fully realise its potential, development within the area version of this document will be opportunities to introduce ground must: adopted as a Supplementary Planning floor town-centre uses where the Document (SPD). The Vision and continuity of the frontage is currently Urban Strategy builds on the area’s broken in order to create strong active a. Make the most efficient use of land while delivering the highest quality strengths as a gateway for business frontages. The Council will support architecture that complements the area’s rich character, heritage assets in the capital that is open to all whilst ground floor lobbies that lead to and historic form. creating a more vibrant and well- offices and residential units on the b. Provide retail, food, drink, entertainment and service uses in the area’s connected neighbourhood in the heart upper floors, as long as these are of Central London Frontage, taking opportunities to introduce ground floor of Central London. Development a size and in a location that does not town-centre uses where the continuity of the frontage is currently broken proposals should be informed by the fragment existing retail frontages. and avoiding large-scale office or residential lobbies that lead to the Vision, which will be a significant fragmentation of retail frontages.. material consideration in the 7.8 As one of the most accessible assessment of planning applications c. Maximise opportunities for community access to private facilities intended parts of the Borough, the Council for sites in the area. to serve the development like lobby spaces, roof gardens, cafes and gyms. encourages intensification of the area through higher-density redevelopment d. Connect, improve, make public and, where possible, reinstate, historic 7.6 The Council’s aspirations for of existing properties and infill lanes, alleyways and passages in order to increase permeability and the Holborn and Tottenham Court development. New development encourage walking. Road areas are set out in the Local is expected to deliver the highest e. Demonstrate the highest feasible levels of high-quality on-site open space Plan, and include a mix of land uses, quality architecture of a height and and urban greening, including pocket parks, green roofs and walls, and with offices and housing as the massing that complements the area’s explore opportunities for creating links to other open spaces in the area. predominant uses in development rich character, heritage assets and schemes. The Council expects that historic form. The wider Holborn and f. Contribute to the improvement of the public realm, including an improved the London Plan housing target will Covent Garden area is characterised network of safe and attractive places and routes for pedestrians and be met through mixed-use schemes by a historic environment owing cyclists that successfully links to neighbouring areas and reduces the where the additional floor space to the exceptionally high number dominance of traffic in the area. will result in an obligation to deliver of statutory listed buildings and g. Support the Council’s Liveable Neighbourhoods programme which will housing and affordable housing, in substantial coverage of conservation deliver significant investment in the public realm throughout the area accordance with the Local Plan’s areas. However, some more modern through appropriate on-site delivery and financial contributions. mixed-use policy H2. In light of its buildings do not successfully relate central London location, the area is to Holborn’s rich architectural and suitable for hotel provision. historic surroundings and have eroded Development proposals for specific sites within the Holborn and Covent the area’s character. Garden area must also accord with the relevant individual site allocation. Development proposals on non-allocated sites within the area should 7.7 The Council will promote contribute to the principles set out above where these are relevant to the the additional provision of retail 7.9 Development proposals development and commensurate with its nature and scale. and other town centre uses as part should demonstrate how opportunities of redevelopment schemes in the for making their facilities, including 71 green walls and green roofs on-site. improved to meet these challenges. Urban greening can benefit the area The Council has secured investment by providing a range of benefits for from Transport for London’s Liveable air quality, noise reduction, urban Neighbourhoods programme to part heat-island effect, rainwater run-off, fund improvements to the environment biodiversity enhancement, recreation, for pedestrians and cyclists in the and health and wellbeing. The draft area, creating an enhanced public London Plan’s Policy G5 Urban realm and improving access to public Greening Factor provides a useful tool transport. Developments will be for increasing on-site urban greening. expected to support this programme of work through appropriate on-site 7.12 Much of Holborn and delivery and financial contributions Covent Garden is traffic dominated, and ensure that individual schemes with high levels of pollution, traffic respond and contribute to the public safety problems, and roads forming realm improvements being made. barriers to pedestrian movement. The Holborn Vision sets out how the public realm of the area will be Question box Q54. Do you support Policy HCG1? If not, what changes are needed and why? Holborn and Covent Garden and Covent Holborn Q55. Are there any other uses that would be suitable for the Holborn and Covent Garden Area? Q56. What do you think the infrastructure priorities should be for this lobbies, cafes, restaurants, gyms and streets. It is expected that new area allocation and why? roof garden, available to the local development will seek to connect and community have been maximised. improve historic lanes and passages Q57. Is the boundary shown in Figure 7.1 appropriate in the context of Developers should prioritise active and, where possible, reinstate historic Policy HCG1? If not, what changes are needed and why? ground floor uses and facilities that routes that have been lost through provide a clear visual and physical previous development. Q58. Are there any other key sites which should be referred to in Figure connection between the development 7.1? If yes, please include additional information about the site. If it is a and the surrounding streets. 7.11 Although the area contains site which has been discounted by the authority during the assessment some of London’s finest squares, the process please state the site reference and name. If the site is a new site 7.10 Holborn and Covent Garden amount of open space and nature please state the site address, a clear description of the type and scale of benefits from a network of historic in the ward is low in comparison to development that you believe could be accommodated on the site, and if lanes, alleyways and passages. other parts of the Borough. In light possible attach a site plan. These add to the character of the of this, developers are expected to area and provide alternative, attractive provide green open space and other walking routes away from the main urban greening measures such as Policy HCG2 – Former Central St Martins Policy HCG2 7.13 The former Central St 7.14 The site was previously in The former Central St Martins College (University of the Arts) site is allocated Martins College (University of the higher education use and currently for mixed-use development including hotel, self-contained homes, retail, and Arts) is an island site surrounded has a number of meanwhile uses.