David Bieda

SOHO’S supermarket has been saved after a developer’s demolition plan was blocked.

On Tuesday city councillors voted against an application that would have knocked down a Grade II-listed Art Deco building in Soho Square and the Tesco building in Dean Street, Soho.

Hines UK had wanted to create a “bazaar” with office spaces with taller and bulkier buildings that had been recommended for approval by officials at Westminster City Hall.

Four Labour councillors voted against the scheme while the two Conservative members of the committee voted in favour.

David Bieda, who lives in Soho, told the committee the bazaar part of the application, which included an undisclosed piece of public art, would create a “dis-benefit” for the community as it would get rid of the most popular supermarket, adding that “you can’t buy fruit and vegetables with a bit of public art”. He suggested the application “was an exercise in creating value for the applicant”.

The Soho Society’s planning chair Matthew Bennett said: “Being able to shop for low-cost goods is vital for residents. Most of Soho’s service facilities have been eroded one by one over the years. They have been replaced by hospitality venues. It has become a centre for the consumption of alcohol. It adds insult to injury that if approved not only will the supermarket go but most likely be replaced by another large restaurant.”

Soho Society chair Tim Lord said: “It is accepted that the loss of this rather well-liked 1920s building would be an ambiguous loss to the conservation area.”

He added that it was unlikely that many Soho residents want to set up a pop up business in the office space, adding: “We don’t believe there is any demand for this.”

The application had been criticised for req­uesting demolition rather than retrofit. But a council officer told the committee the application had ticked all of Westminster City Council’s sustainability boxes, including using less steel to reduce emb­odied carbon, and was recommended for approval.

Architect Colin McCall had told the committee that “significant challenges” were found when looking at retrofitting the building, adding that the focus changed to become “a pioneer project and using recycled materials”.

Robbie Pitman from Hines UK said a lot of work was done to look at a deep retrofit, but that it had “became clear that the significant constraints of the building were too great”, and he added: “We worked closely with officers to look at alternatives, including long-term sustainable elements.”

Mr Pitman also said Tesco had contacted the company to say it was not exp­ecting to keep its supermarket open whether the application was approved or not.

Conservative Robert Rigby, a former chair of the city council’s planning committee, said: “I think it’s an exemplary design. I think the façade will give the square a contemporary look. The building would be a vast improvement. The building has a quickness to it. I think people will come to enjoy it and like it. I agree with officers – it’s less than substantial harm. There is a real demand in Westminster for Grade A office space. This will deliver that.”

The other Tory on the committee Cllr Jim Glen, added: “I think it is architecturally a nice building. The high street needs flexible uses. The sustainability expert is saying this kind of thing the GLA is asking for. It strikes me as an excellent proposal.”

But Labour councillors Nafsika Butler-Thalassis, Peter Fisher, Jason Williams and chair Ruth Bush voted to refuse on design grounds and lack of public benefits.

Cllr Bush said: “So much thought and care has gone into making it sustainable.

“But this needs to be somewhere else.”