The developing retail market on Bond Street and Grafton Street is growing further along Grafton Street and with the applicant’s redevelopment scheme at 8-10 Grafton Street will extend the continuity of retail uses further along Grafton Street into Barlow Place. The market requirement for Bond Street as an international destination for high-end retail is for larger retail units occupying basement, ground, first and second floors. Multi level retail is now a feature of the recent major store developments Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Christian Dior etc. The applicant’s aspiration is in line with policy to create a new retail facility combining 163 New Bond Street to 11-14 Grafton Street providing a true end to this portion of Bond Street and entry into Grafton Street. The retail will be located at basement, lower ground, ground, first and second floors. The intention is to provide a second retail unit further along Grafton Street taking account of the pavement level change. This unit will have significant frontage and can be seen from the full length of Albemarle Street from Piccadilly. This retail unit will be organised on basement, lower ground, ground and first floor levels. This portion of the site then adjoins the applicants’ retail development at 8-10 Grafton Street. The intention is to occupy the upper floors with modern standard column free office space with two residential apartments on fifth and sixth floor levels. The site form on plan is long and relatively narrow.

The mixed use proposal of retail at basement, lower ground, ground, first and second floors with office use at part second, third and fourth floors and residential above is challenging to incorporate. However the design proposal creates a separate residential reception facing Barlow Place, which is currently being developed by the applicants as a major retail and residential scheme. The residential has its own dedicated lift core; the lift travels from the basement car park to the 5th floor. The office portion has its own reception on Grafton Street with two dedicated lifts from basement car park to all office floors. The two proposed retail units have provision for dedicated lifts and accommodation stairs specific to each unit within the separate demises. It is the intention to increase the current retail area into the basement, ground, first and second floors reducing the current office component in these zones of the building. On third and fourth floors it is proposed high quality column free office space with good floor to ceiling heights and allowing sufficient room for raised floors and false ceilings as required for modern office and commercial space. The residential areas occupying the top two floors of the building will be divided into 2 apartments all with excellent daylight and with external balcony space. Each portion of the building will have its own entrance and its own dedicated vertical circulation cores.

It is the intention to retain the sub-basement car park facility which is part of the original Seifert design but the excavation for the new building will extend deeper than the existing building. On this basis the redevelopment requires a total and full demolition of the existing building plus 163 New Bond Street.