Local

The Resident

Unknown date

There are rumblings of mutiny in South Kensington, Members of the Brompton Association are furious with their board of directors over what one member calls their “outrageous behaviour” in connection with the proposed redevelopment of South Kensington’s tube station. The chairman of the Brompton Association was a signatory on a letter sent to the council on 23 January this year which seemed to approve the planning proposals for the station site, despite the planning application only being registered in July, six months later. Members of the Brompton Association were not informed of the letter’s existence until September, by which time opposition to Sir Terry Farrell designs for the new development were considerable.

“There is tremendous anger among members of the Brompton Association,” says Nan Mabon, an antiques dealer who lives on Thurloe Place. “A lot of people feel betrayed by them.” One resident jokes that he is in touch with the Guinness Book of Records: “This must be the only case in recorded history when someone has supported a planning application before the thing has even been lodged.”Claire Brisby, another local resident, says the Brompton Association have at no time “informed or canvassed their membership” over the planned development. “We see no alternative now but to act independently of them,” she says. Mabon says they may even try to unseat the board. In the meantime, residents are amalgamating under the Pelham and Thurloe Square Associations to oppose what Mabon calls “this abomination”. Over 20 people attended a meeting in September to discuss a ‘battle-plan’ and high-profile locals such as Mark Birley and Julian Lloyd-Webber have shown an interest in the group.

There are similarities between the planned developments at South Kensington and Lots Road. The developers at Lots Road are Circadian – a partnership between Hutchison Whampoa and Taylor Woodrow. The architect is Sir Terry Farrell, the chartered surveyors, Montague Evans. The same architect and surveyors are behind South Kensington where the developer is Stanhope plc and Hutchison Whampoa. Anyone who wants to offer their support to the opposition campaign should e-mail: sktubedevopposition@btinternet.com.