Together we'll bring over 30 years' experience of political and community relations to your team.

We win planning and licensing consents through effective dialogue with politicians, officers, stakeholders, residents and businesses.

We'll guarantee you senior, hands-on support through your project.

Sam Holgate, founder of Filigree Communications is a corporate communications consultant with a specialist focus on corporate clients in property, infrastructure and transport. Filigree’s strength is our ability to quickly grasp the finer technical details and to articulate complex information into compelling stories to engage stakeholders and protect brand reputations.

www.filigreecommunications.com

Jessica Stewart founded Comm Comm UK in 2013. Comm Comm UK is an established and highly-respected communications consultancy specialising in the built environment and stakeholder relations. We are different from other agencies; strong on strategy, creatively powerful, technically exacting but all combined with energetic hands-on delivery.

Clients & Projects

RETAIL: Fenwick, Brent Cross

Jessica and Sam have been appointed to provide public affairs and stakeholder relations support for Fenwick as part of the redevelopment of Brent Cross. Our role is to articulate the retailer’s views on the emerging design and layout of the proposed shopping centre refurbishment and set out its case challenging the CPO process. We’re currently leading a targeted stakeholder contact programme meeting with senior politicians from Barnet.

INFRASTRUCTURE: The Garden Bridge, Bouygues TP

Sam provided communications and stakeholder relations support for this ‘floating garden’ pedestrian bridge across the Thames in summer 2015 working with communities from Westminster and Lambeth. Supporting construction partners, Bouygues TP, she articulated complex construction information into compelling copy for publications aimed at the local community and potential investors.

HOTEL/OFFICE: Sea Containers, Mondrian

Sea Containers is a large building on the Thames; it has the longest frontage on the river after The Houses of Parliament. Jessica led the consultation and public affairs work necessary to achieve planning permission for the change of use into a 359-bedroom hotel, new offices and restaurants in 2011. Comm Comm UK has led the community relations during a very complex and lengthy construction period and the recent planning hours application and continues to work with occupier Mondrian London on all of its planning projects.

FOOD & DRINK: Kettner’s Townhouse

Soho Estates and Soho House are working in partnership on the restoration and refurbishment of 15 former townhouses in the Soho Conservation Area to create Kettner's Townhouse. The scheme, which is made up of 11 listed buildings and two unlisted Buildings of Merit, will create a high-quality restaurant, champagne bar, 28 bedrooms and a new pavilion. Comm Comm UK led the strategic relations and community engagement programme to gain local support for the application, which was granted planning consent in October 2015.

We’d love to have a chat about projects where we might be able to help. Do get in touch and we’ll arrange a meeting.

Jessica and Sam

020 7125 0421

34-35 Berwick Street, London, W1F 8RP

Jessica Stewart jessicas@commcommuk.com

Sam Holgate samantha@filigreecommunications.com

We are delighted to announce that Sam Holgate has joined the Comm Comm UK team as an Associate.

Sam’s expertise lies in stakeholder engagement, public affairs and media relations. Her broad corporate affairs experience means she has a rounded approach to communications challenges, giving consideration to all aspects including brand reputation, digital, social, employee engagement and crisis communications.

As Head of Communications at Gatwick Airport, she led its rebrand to position it as London’s airport of choice. Within the property sector, Sam has provided strategic communication support for planning applications through to construction of significant development projects with clients including ASDA, Sainsbury’s, Westfield, Travelodge, B&Q, University of the Arts London, Barratt Homes and Crest Nicholson.

Through her consultancy company she has supported Bouygues TP, a construction partner for London’s £175m garden bridge proposals.

We look forward to working with Sam on exciting new projects.

Comm Comm UK welcomes the recent news that the Mayor of London is stepping up efforts to tackle the London housing crisis. This will include allocating special housing zone status to areas of Havering, Enfield, Redbridge and Tower Hamlets.

The scheme is being introduced as part of a Government initiative to create 20 housing zones on brownfield land in order to increase the housing supply across the country. This programme offers the chance for local authorities to unlock brownfield land that has the potential to deliver viable housing schemes. This will be achieved through a combination of long term investment funding, planning simplification (e.g. local development orders), local authority leadership, support from central Government and ATLAS planning support.

The new zones in Havering, Enfield, Redbridge and Tower Hamlets will deliver more than 12,000 new homes, 3,500 of which will be for affordable housing. This will be facilitated by funding from the Mayor and by City Hall granting developmental approval with planning. All housing zones will be underpinned by a shared delivery framework to hold partners accountable for the numbers of homes delivered. This is intended to bring accountability, efficiency and effectiveness to solving the housing crisis.

As the London Mayoral Election gradually approaches, it is clear this move by the Conservative Government may have added political benefits. There is also obvious economic and social advantages of prioritising housing in these specific areas of need.

Whether this move is politically motivated or not, one thing is absolutely clear, the housing crisis is threatening the future prospects of millions. Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, has said that problems with housing are the “biggest risk” to the UK economy. CBI agreed, confirming “A perfect storm is brewing in the housing market. Now is the time for action”.

Longevity, migration and higher birth rates are projected to increase the UK’s population from 63 million to 70 million by 2021. London alone accounts for an astronomical 8.6 million, having increased 12% since 2001 - making it Europe’s largest city and the 5th richest place on Earth.

Official projections suggest that the number of households in England will rise to at least 26 million by 2026. This is an increase of between 220,000 and 225,000 new households each year with some 70% of these being one person households.

However, the housing crisis is starkly apparent in the real figures of housing production. The National House-Building Council (NHBC) provided statistics showing there were just 113,340 housing completions in 2011. This was some 130,000 short of the requirements and official target.

2014 saw an increase to 122,590 homes being started but a fall of housing completions to a mere 109,370. The lowest since 2010 and a fall of 5% on 2012. The number of homes being built is still well below its all-time high, which was 425,000 in 1968. One reason for this may be that from the 1950s to 1970s local authorities were building some 100,000 houses per year, there were low land constraints, cheaper purchase of land and an economic environment of a post-war boom.

The facts and figures show that housing needs to be given more focus and a higher priority. With a continued housing zone programme, starting with the four newly allocated zones, we may see significant improvements in supply. However, it remains difficult to believe delivery will eclipse house building targets. Perhaps it is time to take inspiration from our friends in New York, and "build up".

This week all three parties officially released their manifestos. They set out their plans for the forthcoming term of government if elected in the upcoming General Election on Thursday 7 May 2015.

We have taken a particular interest in what each party is saying about development and construction.

The Conservative Party

The Conservative Party introduced its housing policy while branding itself as the “Party of Home Ownership”, a testimony to its apparent passion and dedication to building homes for the future. Its manifesto promises to increase housing supply to meet demand by supporting, facilitating and incentivising development and construction through numerous ways ranging from the new Starter Home Initiative, to an extension of Help to Buy.

The Conservative Party manifesto sets out the following key points:

- More homes people can afford. Including, 200,000 new Starter Homes for first-time buyers under the age of 40. Starter homes are part of an initiative in England that aims to help young first-time buyers (under 40 years) to purchase a home with a minimum 20% discount off the market price.

- Extension of the Help to Buy equity scheme to 2020 with a new Help to Buy ISA. This extension of the Help to Buy initiative will fund 400,000 new homes according to Party sources.

- Extension of Right to Buy to tenants of Housing Associations. However, this scheme has been criticised by leading property firm JLL as “short-term thinking that residents of social housing do not need”, suggesting “this will not solve the housing crisis”.

- The Party is implementing the Brownfield Fund, a budget set aside to support construction and development on brownfield sites that will be used to house building on brownfield land. This promotes development on brownfield sites across the United Kingdom, a crucial area for progress with housing.

The Labour Party

The Labour Party announced its policy on the back of the claim “[the] housing shortage is part of the cost-of-living crisis”. The Party suggests it takes an average family 22 years to save for a deposit on a home while the nine million people who rent privately are suffering as rent payments increase faster than wages.

This focus on housing shortages and rent increases results in Labour’s two-pronged approach to housing policy. Firstly, its strategy to increase housing supply and secondly tackling rent payment increases.

The Labour Party Manifesto sets out the following key points:

1. Building more homes - Labour has set out to introduce “use it or lose it” land powers. This policy will see that no developer can sit on land without using it. The Labour leadership promises this will rapidly increase the rate of development and construction to rapid level. However, there has been no clear indication of how Labour intends to implement this policy and it is currently unclear how this policy will be put into action. This is a key point of concern with the Labour Party housing policy.

- Creating a £5bn ‘Future Homes Fund’ to build homes that local people need. Labour has set out this increase in spending within its projected budget if elected to government to ensure a cast iron guarantee that first time buyers will be first in line to get onto the housing ladder prioritised. This will also be ensured by empowering Local Authorities to prioritise first-time buyers for new homes in areas of housing growth.

- A promise of 200,000 homes to be built per annum by 2020. This is double the current level of construction and is necessary to close the gap between demand and supply in the housing market. Labour has also promised this will successfully provide up to 230,000 jobs in construction.

2. Fairer deal for renters - The Labour Party has promised the introduction of a cap on rent rises, in effect increasing regulations for landlords its bid to protect tenants.

- Implementing a ban on “rip-off” letting fees (saving renters over £600). However, it is again unclear how Labour has set this specific figure of £600 savings and it has not made it clear how they arrived at this figure in its manifesto.

- Introducing an initiative to create a national register of private landlords to increase standards of rental properties and drive out rogue landlords.

The Liberal Democrats

When launching its housing policy the Liberal Democrats warned that Britain has failed for decades to build enough homes and the simple ambition of home ownership is becoming increasingly difficult many property prices and rents having risen beyond what normal families can afford.The Liberal Democrats promised its manifesto points would speed up house building and stop prices from getting any further out of reach of families. The Liberal Democrat’s housing policy is divided into three main parts; increasing construction of homes, improving planning and the provision of affordable homes.

The Liberal Democrat manifesto sets out the following key points:

1. Increasing Construction - A comprehensive review of Compulsory Purchase legislation to facilitate site assembly, including for Garden Cities. The Liberal Democrats has also set out its plan to pilot techniques for capturing the increase in land values from the granting of planning permission, helping to deliver our Garden Cities.

- The introduction of a government commissioning programme to boost house building with a target of 300,000 to be achieved by the end of the next government. The Liberal Democrats has suggested the market alone fails to deliver sufficient numbers. Therefore, government agencies will directly commission homes for sale and rent to fill the gap.

2. Improving Planning - Require Local Authorities to make a plan for 15 years of housing need.

- Require Local Authorities to keep a register of people who want a self-build plot in the local area and plan to meet demand for these plots, including through ‘affordable land’. - Prioritise development on brownfield land. - Enable Local Authorities to: ➢ Attach planning conditions to new developments to ensure homes are occupied, tackling the increase in ‘buy to leave empty’ from overseas in hotspots like London. ➢ Levy up to 200% Council Tax on second homes where Local Authorities deem appropriate. ➢ Pilot new planning conditions to ensure local communities benefit from increased housing supply.

3. Affordable Housing - The Liberal Democrats promise to introduce a new Intermediate Housing Fund to help facilitate affordable housing. This will include: ➢ Affordable rent homes, up to 80% of local market rent. ➢ Shared ownership homes where customers buy a proportion of the home and pay an affordable rent for the rest. ➢ A new ‘Rent to Own’ model where monthly payment steadily accrue the tenant a percentage stake in the property, owning it outright after 30 years. ➢ New build shared accommodation at the local LHA Shared Accommodation rate.

- Increase government subsidies available and allow Local Authorities more flexibility to borrow to build affordable housing, including traditional council housing whilst devolving full control of the Right to Buy to Local Authorities.

Summary

If one thing is clear about the policies of the three main parties, it is each Party provides a starkly different policy solution for delivering more and fairly priced housing.

The Conservative Party is offering financial incentives to development companies to encourage development of brownfield land, reinforced by its traditional free-market approach for additional development and growth. However, some leading property firms have labelled the extension of the Right to Buy initiative as short-term thinking and that extending it to Housing Associations will not be a long-term solution to the problem.

The Labour Party's manifesto suggests the use of State influence to solve the housing crisis. This State influence ranges from its plan to freeze rent prices, to ban "rip-off" landlords. However, it can be criticised that the Labour Party is putting forward minimal detail behind its housing targets, strategy of policy implementation of their “use it, or lose it” planning policy and spending plans.

The Liberal Democrats’ three-pronged approach over increasing construction, improving planning and increasing affordable housing may be seen to cover all bases on the surface. The Liberal Democrats Rent to Buy scheme has been criticised on three counts. It is claimed it will be too expensive for the average citizen to participate, it won’t help the poorest (and therefore those who are most likely not on the housing ladder) and despite the Liberal Democrats wanting 30,000 of these specific Rent to Buy homes per year – it is reluctant to make exact promises of numbers. However, Conservative Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has already embraced this idea of the Rent to Buy scheme announcing that he would provide up to a £40m of loan finance to the social enterprise behind the scheme, Gentoo. Whether this becomes a government policy rests on which Party holds the balance of power after the General Election.

Comm Comm UK has supported the The Yard over the past few months and worked closely to successfully establish and run the #savetheyard campaign.

The aim of the campaign was to gain positive support from stakeholders across Westminster to prevent the last remaining stable yard in Soho from redevelopment and for a refusal of the planning applications submitted.

The Yard, a successful bar and restaurant at 57 Rupert Street, was put under pressure when the landlord submitted two applications to Westminster City Council. The applications submitted proposed to cover the courtyard, excavate a large basement and build a number of flats above the historic stable. The applications would have destroyed many original features of the last remaining 19th century stable in Soho.

Over the past couple of months, Comm Comm UK has provided strategic advice and stakeholder relations, engaging with residents, the LGBT community, businesses and officers and members of Westminster City Council. This led to the first application being refused at Westminster’s planning sub-committee on 10 March 2015.

Members of Westminster City Council’s planning sub-committee unanimously refused permission for the scheme, with Chairman Andrew Smith, calling the building ‘a rare survival of its type’ and ‘an important relic of old Soho.’

As a direct result of working with the local Soho community and interested parties, including English Heritage, the LGBT community and all the local ward councillors, hundreds of objections were received by the Council, some from as far away as Argentina and New Zealand. A petition calling the site to be preserved was also signed by approximately 3,000 people.

Comm Comm UK and The Yard are now campaigning for the refusal of the second application.

Last week the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, unveiled a budget in a bid to see Great Britain "walking tall again", as a country that is now growing, creating jobs and paying its way.

We have broken the budget down into a comprehensive review of exactly how it will impact construction and development throughout the United Kingdom.

Help to Buy ISA

Government contributions of £50 for every £250 first-time buyers put away and will work with the newly-unveiled Personal Savings Allowance that will free savers from paying tax on the first £1,000 of interest they accrue.

Impact

This is likely to have a positive impact on house building prospects, as government additions to first-time buyer deposits is likely to stimulate further demand in the market. Almost 83,000 households have bought a home through the Help to Buy scheme, with numbers looking to soar under the latest amendments in this budget.

Northern Powerhouse Initiative

City deal for West Yorkshire metropolitan authorities.

Confirmation that Greater Manchester will be able to retain 100% of business rates.

Impact

This looks to provide greater stimulus for the northern economy, providing momentum for the major infrastructure and large-scale planning initiatives throughout the United Kingdom.

New Housing Zones

The introduction of the first 20 Housing Zones outside of London. These have been introduced in a bid by the government to encourage the building of more homes on brownfield land.

Zones will be able to borrow up to £200 million at cheaper rates for infrastructure projects.

Impact

South Bristol and Western-super Mare are two sites among five announced across the South West which between them have already announced to see 11,000 new homes built.

Labour leader of Gateshead Council in the North East of England has hailed this as ‘a major step’ forwards, with this Government backed Housing Zone initiative helping change Gateshead town centre over the next twenty years. This is a testimony to the benefits which this measure will bring.

Growth Deals

Over 400 local projects have been agreed by the Government, which are due to begin in 2015-16. These include work on more than 150 housing developments, 150 roads, and 20 stations.

Other Announcements

£1 million in funding for the London Land Commission with a view to mapping brownfield land in the area.

£2.9 billion has been committed to more than 470 Region Growth Fund projects. - New enterprise zones in Blackpool and Plymouth. Enterprise zones have created over 12,500 jobs and attracted £2 billion in private investment; and have had a hugely positive effect on infrastructure and construction across the nation.

A consultation with a view to hastening and improving the compulsory purchase regime.

NB

Levels of planning approvals and housing starts are at a seven year high.

Source: Budget, March, 2015. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/ attachment_data/file/413949/47881_Budget_2015_Web_Accessible.pdf

Last night Southwark Council’s Planning Committee granted Mondrian London’s planning application to extend its evening opening hours for non-guests.

In addition to the hotel’s 359 quest rooms and suites, many with outdoor terraces and river views, Mondrian London offers Sea Containers, a riverside restaurant run by New York chef Seamus Mullen, Dandelyan cocktail bar from Ryan Chetiyawardana A.K.A. Mr. Lyan and the Rumpus rooftop lounge.

Mondrian London applied to extend the planning hours of the restaurant and bar areas that required all guests not staying at the hotel to leave the premise by 11.30pm.

Mondrian London originally applied to extend its hours until 3am to bring them in line with the premises licence that was granted in 2013. However, the application received a number of objections from local residents.

Discussions took place with local residents to understand and address their concerns. As a direct result of working with the local community, Mondrian London made a number of changes to operational management plans to ensure noise and disturbance were kept to a minimum and reduced its proposed hours.

Members of Southwark Council’s Planning Committee granted permission for the new proposed hours giving Mondrian London a trial period of a year to ensure the hours do not have a negative impact on surrounding residents.

Jessica Stewart has supported Sea Containers and Mondrian London through planning, licensing and construction, providing strategic advice and extensive and ongoing stakeholder relations. Comm Comm UK has been involved over the past year and steered the application towards consent.

Yesterday members of Hackney Council’s Licencing Sub-Committee granted permission for Bounce Leisure Ltd’s premises licence.

Bounce was granted planning permission in October 2014 to convert the disused basement car park at 239-241 Old Street in Shoreditch into a table tennis centre with 17 to 20 tables and ancillary restaurant and bar facilities.

Bounce Leisure Ltd has worked with Comm Comm UK since May 2014 undertaking an extensive and ongoing programme of community engagement with local stakeholders, interest groups, residents and local businesses in Shoreditch.

Comm Comm UK provided strategic advice and relations, which steered the project through to consent. As a direct result of working with the local community Bounce Leisure Ltd updated its licensing conditions and operational management plans to suit the needs of all parties. A number of objectors withdrew their objections as a result of working with Comm Comm UK and being informed and involved in the engagement process.

Over the past three months Berwick Street Securities Ltd and Comm Comm UK has run a series of consultation workshops with Kemp House residents to design their new rooftop garden.

The rooftop garden will form part of the Berwick Street redevelopment in Soho, which gained planning permission in June 2014. The overall scheme will redevelop 90-104 Berwick Street into a hotel with new retail and residential units. The new rooftop garden will be for the use of existing residents in Kemp House only.

Comm Comm UK organised and ran a series of workshops with a group of Kemp House residents. The group worked with the projects architects and landscape architects to discuss and sketch out their aspirations for the garden.

The residents made key decisions on how to space would be used. They were able to discuss and select types of material, plants and furniture that would work best in the final scheme.

The sessions have been a great success and residents were delighted with the final designs.

One Kemp House resident, commented:

‘It’s a very exciting and long awaited roof garden. Many thanks for realising what we’ve wanted for so long.’

Hackney Council has approved Bounce’s planning application for a new table tennis facility at 239-241 Old Street in Shoreditch. Bounce currently operates one venue in London at 121 Holborn.

Bounce will convert the disused basement car park into a table tennis centre with 17 to 20 tables and ancillary restaurant and bar facilities. The scheme will create 95 jobs and is committed to recruiting locally through Hackney’s Ways to Work scheme. An outreach programme will also be introduced to encourage schools, charities and other community groups to use the tables.

Bounce Leisure Ltd has worked with Comm Comm UK to undertake an extensive and ongoing programme of community engagement. Since May, Comm Comm UK provided strategic advice and community relations, which steered the project towards gaining planning consent. Comm Comm UK has led a successful consultation; meeting with community stakeholders, local business owners and residents; organising a residents’ drop in session and addressing all areas of concern.

On 9 October Westminster’s Licensing Sub-Committee granted permission for Alan Yau’s Park Chinois late licence.

Park Chinois, a new fine dining restaurant in Mayfair, will focus on exceptional quality of food and underpinned by traditional service value of the highest standards.

The restaurant will deliver eclectic dishes from across the regions of China served in a dining room setting that is classic in design. It will be open for lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Diners will enjoy live music and vocal performances in a relaxed and tranquil environment and this will range from live piano and string quartets during the afternoon and earlier parts of the evening to jazz and swing at volumes that will allow our guests to talk easily and enjoy the experience. The ambition is to create a venue befitting of Mayfair.

Park Chinois undertook an extensive engagement process after submitting its licensing application. The feedback from the local community was reviewed and used to amend conditions in the proposals in order to meet the needs of the local residents. The application has been granted for a full restaurant license until 2am and a capacity of 450.

On Tuesday 30 September Mondrian London at Sea Containers opened to the public.

Sea Containers on London’s South Bank has undergone significant redevelopment over the past three years to create refurbished and new office space as well as being renovated back into a hotel.

In addition to the hotel’s 359 guest rooms and suites, many with outdoor terraces and river views, Mondrian London offers Sea Containers, a riverside restaurant run by New York chef Seamus Mullen, Dandelyan cocktail bar from Ryan Chetiyawardana A.K.A. Mr. Lyan and a rooftop lounge.

Mondrian London also hosts its signature agua Bathhouse and Spa offering six treatment suites, Spa and Glamour Lounges and unique steam baths, as well as fitness facilities.

Jessica Stewart has supported the project through planning, licensing and construction and Comm Comm UK has been involved over the past year in extensive and ongoing community relations.

Thank you to everyone we have worked with for helping make Comm Comm UK a success.

Alan Yau held a public exhibition, organised by Comm Comm UK, to showcase his proposals for Park Chinois, a new fine dining Chinese restaurant in Mayfair, on Thursday 31 July.

The vision is for the ultimate restaurant. Park Chinois will be focused on exceptional quality of food and underpinned by traditional service value of the highest standards.

The restaurant will deliver eclectic dishes from across the regions of China served in a dining room setting that is classic in design. It will be open for lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Diners will enjoy live music and vocal performances in a relaxed and tranquil environment and this will range from live piano and string quartets during the afternoon and earlier parts of the evening to jazz and swing at volumes that will allow our guests to talk easily and enjoy the experience. The ambition is to create a venue befitting of Mayfair.

Licensing applications have been submitted to Westminster City Council for a full restaurant license until 3am and a capacity of 450.

The event was a success with local amenity societies and residents attending and all leaving supportive comments about the plans.

The Spires (Barnet) Ltd gained planning consent from Barnet Council on Friday for the proposals of its facelift to the entrance of The Spires Shopping Centre.

The proposals will improve the High Street face of The Spires providing an open and appealing gateway, with more natural light and a high quality design enticing in new retailers and shoppers. The proposals will also remove the rotunda over the entrance.

There is a real need to update the old fashioned design of the centre in order to meet the needs of the local community and existing tenants. Unit 1 at the entrance to The Spires will change use from A1 (Retail) to A3 (Restaurants and Cafes) with outside seating as well as changing the former gym on the first floor into either shops, offices or a restaurant.

Carluccio’s restaurant has been confirmed as a new tenant for the proposed 379 sqm revamped unit next to the entrance. The shopfront has been designed to complement the historic spires with a sympathetic surround of natural stone cladding.

Consultation has taken place over the past couple of months to help inform the final scheme. The pre-application consultation event, held in February, saw over 1000 feedback forms completed and submitted by the general public. The design will now retain the spires of the former Barnet Methodist Church as a direct result of feedback from the local community.

“The Spires (Barnet) Ltd is committed to improving The Spires Shopping Centre in a sustainable way to secure its long term future. We plan various improvements in phases to deliver a shopping centre with the right tenants and facilities for the local Barnet community.”

Berwick Street Securities Ltd gained planning consent on Tuesday night for its proposals for the redevelopment of 90-104 Berwick Street into a hotel with new retail and residential units.

The scheme, designed by Latitude Architects, will provide a 95 bedroom hotel, 16 flats including four family-sized affordable units, improved shop units and new roof terraces for the existing Kemp House residents. The new Soho development will extend out into Hopkins Street and add two new set-back storeys to the current podium building, which currently has ground floor retail units and two storeys of office use.

The existing retail units on Berwick Street will be given new frontages and refurbished throughout with improved basement access. The scheme will improve security along Hopkins Street opening it up with improved lighting, new facades and increased footfall. At the northern end of Hopkins Street the hotel entrance and one new retail unit will be created.

Members of Westminster City Council’s planning sub-committee granted permission for the scheme. Chairman, Councillor Robert Davis, calling the design ‘superb’ and ‘very appropriate for the area.'

PMB Holdings CEO, Ed Jones, says:

‘We are all extremely pleased to have gained consent. This scheme is going to dramatically improve Berwick Street and Hopkins Street, giving the area a new lease of life. The current development on Berwick Street is old-fashioned and desperately in need of improvement. Our proposals will deliver an exciting new building and improved security, lighting and footfall to the area, benefiting both local businesses and communities.

‘We have worked hard and listened to the needs of the local community throughout our works. We have consulted extensively with local residents, businesses and community stakeholders and have adapted our designs where necessary.’

Catherine brings excellent experience of public sector town planning to Comm Comm UK. Her work at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council as a Planning and Development Assistant involved consulting on the Council's up and coming Local Plan with community stakeholders and ensuring best practice was delivered.

She gained experience in a number of planning departments, including surveying, conservation, urban design and enforcement, giving her an excellent understanding of town planning practices.

Catherine has a detailed knowledge of the planning application process, with experience of supporting and reviewing planning applications for both large and small scale schemes. Projects have ranged from the redevelopment of Laverstoke Mill, a Grade II listed building, to residential and mixed-use developments.

In addition to planning and stakeholder relations expertise, Catherine also demonstrates an excellent knowledge of social media marketing and analysis.

Catherine has a BA (Hons) in Geography from Swansea University (College of Science). Catherine was the Geography Course Representative for the University, liaising between students and Academic Board Members on all issues concerning the course.

Sanderson on Berners Street held a public exhibition, organised by Comm Comm UK, to showcase its proposed changes for the Grade II* listed building on Thursday 12 December.

Sanderson is planning to refresh a number of areas within the hotel to take it through the next ten years of operation. The vision is to peel back modern additions to reveal original features and to revisit Sanderson’s textile heritage through interior design. It also plans to sensitively renovate and reinvigorate architectural features within the building to bring areas that are not used regularly to life. Planning applications have been submitted to Westminster City Council for the following changes to the building:

• Glazed enclosure of existing terraces along Berners Street elevation at 6th floor

• Installation of glass and steel canopy in courtyard

• Infill of existing plant room at 9th floor level to create a glazed pavilion.

Sanderson has also applied for Listed Building consent for the above changes and for internal alterations at 1st and 2nd floor levels including sliding/folding doors and restoration of roof lights at 3rd floor.

The event was a success with local amenity societies and residents attending and all leaving supportive comments about the plans.

Westminster City Council received PMB Holdings' planning application for Berwick Street at the end of November. This is the culmination of a year and a half’s work by the project team, which included Gerald Eve, Latitude Architects, GVA Second London Wall, Watermans and Comm Comm UK.

90-104 Berwick Street is a podium building built in the early 1960s beneath 17-storey Kemp House, which featured on the cover of Oasis’s album (What’s the story) Morning Glory?. Berwick Street market sits directly next to the building, which has some of Soho’s most iconic retailers at street level with offices above.

Bringing forward a scheme on such a tight sight, next to an historic market and on a main thoroughfare between Shaftesbury Avenue and Oxford Street was never going to be straight-forward. Added to this was the fact that a previous scheme in 2005 had been withdrawn because of public opposition.

PMB Holdings and the team agreed at the outset that the local community would be instrumental to the success of any development on this site. Comm Comm UK and the development team has been working with the local community, including market traders, residents, retailers, surrounding businesses and local councillors, since November last year. We ran in the region of 25 meetings and events over that time and have developed close relationships with many in the area. The scheme has been adapted extensively in response to consultation and we have been successful in demonstrating a large amount of public support for proposals.

Keep an eye on www.berwickst.co.uk for news. We expect determination in the spring!