Consultation
report

Consultation Overview

  • 461 unique visitors to the website during this consultation phase
  • 8,777 flyers sent to local residents
  • 2 in-person exhibitions
  • 37 in-person event attendees
  • 1 online webinar
  • Social media ads reached 11,458 users with 255 click throughs

Survey

40 online survey responses received

Which of the following best describes your relationship to the local area?

Local Resident
97.5%
Local businessperson/employee
2.5%
Visitor
0%
Community Representative
0%
Local Councillor
0%
Other
0%

Are you familiar with the concept of The Other House?

Do you support the principle of providing flexible stay accommodation with hotel-style facilities at the site?

What aspects of The Other House are most appealing to you?

A hub for local residents
40%
Pool, spa and wellbeing facilities
32.5%
High quality design
15%
Hub-like atmosphere for guests
5%
Hotel-style facilities
2.5%
Other
5%

Do you have any concerns or comments regarding our proposals for The Other House?

Traffic and parking
40.7%
Noise and disruption
29.6%
Preservation of existing building
14.8%
Impact on local businesses
3.7%
Other
11.1%

Responses

Do you have any suggestions for ways The Other House can support and engage with the local community?

  • Cinema type evenings?
  • Free tickets to a launch party for local residents.
  • Since my property overlooks the current site, I would like to understand how the buildings shape will alter ? Please Share design concepts and examples of how the space will change.
  • Have preferential rates for local residents
  • Discounted membership fees for local residents. Live music would be great. Making the space dog-friendly.
  • Reduced cost workshops / events – for the youth, defiantly some options of networking with businesses you work alongside for opportunities for work experience
  • Maybe lectures and talks and possible discount for residents?
  • Provide restaurant(s)
  • Please engage with Belgravia Residents Association
  • Maybe some sort of community centre
  • There is a huge community of mums here – tap into us!
  • Go away
  • Discounted rates/memberships for local residents particularly for any pool/wellness facilities. Family friendly events
  • Make your facilities accessible to local residents (not just members)
  • Offer leisure classes and exclusive spaces for the local community
  • restaurant and bar and cafe to be open to the public would be wonderful
  • A comfortable Cafe/restaurant which is not priced like 5 star hotels would be attractive.
  • Free entry to gardens and one day a week to the pool/spa
  • Free spaces for low income and benefit receivers. Discounted for locals
  • Residents club
  • Recruit local community advocates from the various developments and neighborhoods. Engage these advocates to build awareness within their buildings/blocks via an incentive program for early participants or first wavers. Consider — at least initially — offering functions/events for the local community to help them understand the value that you offer to the neighborhood.
  • Discounts for locals 😉
  • find out whats important to them
  • Use Nextdoor website for outreach
  • Just continuing to make local residents feel welcome. Personally, I’m thrilled at the prospect of an upscale but warm/welcoming hub in the area!
  • No
  • great to have a consultation and more survey will be good too to hear more voices not just the loudest !
  • discounts on memberships, open door events, participating in consultations etc..
  • Be considerate in your construction
  • Hold events (eg readings/recitals) and make them known
  • Cycle jaunts
  • Don’t provide temporary, hotel-like accommodation as this is essentially adverting the development as pie-de-terres which Belgravia has far too many of already
  • No

Key Themes:

 

  • Membership and privileged access: Many residents requested special rates, discounts, or exclusive offers for the local community.
  • Transparency and engagement: Respondents requested ongoing consultation measures and recruiting local advocates for awareness building. Suggested using local communication channels like the Belgravia Residents Association and Nextdoor website for effective outreach.
  • Accessibility and local events: Some respondents suggested hosting community events and workshops for local young people.
  • Considerate construction: Calls to ensure a considerate approach to construction.

Are there any issues or challenges in the local area you would like to see addressed by our development?

  • We need a gym 
  • Belgravia is well-known for being almost ghost-town like, as so many of the home owners do not reside in the area permanently if at all. So many of the houses here are owned by offshore trusts that don’t even rent them out. 
  • No cycle sheds in the area. Please have some on this development. 
  • Shortage of cafes with outdoor seating 
  • How high are you planning to build? 
  • lack of greenery and outdoor space to relax. Busy and unsightly large thoroughfare. Too many low value tourists and buses. Greater access to community spaces, classes and informal third spaces. 
  • some raising anti social behavior – e.g. car vandalism which sadly seem to have increased post the police station close. 
  • How high will the building be 
  • Affordable meeting space 
  • It may be a challenging site to develop with your vision due to the homelessness present at that site and also in the adjacent square, also being next to the coach station. I have been a resident of the area for 12 years and while there have been many incredible improvements the coach station brings with it many issues. Not sure how you plan to improve the square with antisocial behaviour etc. the coach station may not be moving for a while still but your concept is a welcome addition to the area. 
  • Swimming pool or Waitrose 
  • it needs to be accesable to the local community 
  • Provision of a upmarket swimming facility + members club 
  • Green outdoor space is limited in the immediate area along Ebury Bridge Road. Can you provide a garden / green oasis on-site? 
  • A nice and upmarket fully equipped gym and swimming pool would 
  • Noise and bad traffic management from Victoria Coach Station 
  • A gym for locals. 
  • Affordable housing 
  • Waste storage and removal from such an active high turnover site 
  • We are bothered by the large number of buses in the area. It would be helpful if you could help us in voicing our motivation to move the coach station elsewhere. 
  • The existing building is exceedigly ugly and is not harmonious with the locality. Best to demolish and rebuild in a suitable classical architecture. At the very least the prison walls and security need removing and exterior improvements to make the building less of an eyesore. Flexible housing is a very vague term. We don’t need cheap hostel facilities. Your idea sounds rather like the SoHo House chain which does no harm but does attract a very noisy crowd. 
  • the police station is an eyesore 
  • Outdoor social space 
  • Biggest problem in the area is the overstretched Victoria Coach Station and Coach parking on the streets. 
  • Cleaning up Ebury Square itself. Making the area (Belgravia)more family friendly. 
  • Stop building overpriced unwanted accommodation 
  • As a working mum to young children I need to be able to stay local when hosting meetings or leaving the house to work. A membership to use the areas would be ideal. Also the idea of having a home away from home for family to visit from abroad would be amazing 
  • Druggies. Regular blocking of street by ational Express Coaches 
  • Site has become magnet for rough sleepers 
  • More high-end restaurants, please. 
  • To build up a community environment which is lacking 
  • Provide activities that are suitable for a range of residents of the area cosy wise. Nearby Pimlico is very divided in wealth and it would be good to be inclusional 
  • Homelessness in the area of the police station and coach station. Would be nice to invest in the ebury square gardens with more plants. 
  • Preferential access for residents in SW1 post code 
  • Create a much more safer environment, the coach station tends to have a lot of homeless people around. Proving a hotel in the area and bringing people can support the area to grow. More lights and life in the area is required. 
  • A sophisticated dining room would be a benefit 

Key Themes:

 

  • Amenities and facilities:  Respondents are calling for more gyms, cycle sheds, cafes with outdoor seating, green outdoor spaces, swimming facilities, high-end restaurants, and hireable meeting spaces.
  • Community engagement and integration: Area described as  vacant, would be good to provide more family-friendly, inclusive hub-like spaces.
  • Anti-social behaviour: Concerns around anti-social behaviour, homelessness and substance misuse in the area, particularly linked to Victoria Coach Station.
  • Urban environment: Comments around the ugliness of the existing building, traffic and heavy vehicle throughfare.

Do you have any other comments or feedback for the team to consider at this stage?

  • Outside space?
  • Very excited for the project to be executed – a cheese and wine with local residents would definitely be a great start for gathering ideas and discussing the future of the area.
  • I am super supportive of the other house proposal. As a resident of Semley House (opposite the police station) I really look forward to using the facilities and for ebury square to be cared for and maintained well.
  • Looking forward to a new eatery/drinks/spa in the area
  • I think it is a terrific idea. Good luck
  • Height of proposed development of great concern re loss of light to a number of sitting rooms in Semley House
  • Make it child friendly please
  • It would be great to have more of a younger friendly family vibe in Belgravia given the younger families now moving here and making it a more friendly villagey area rather than a pretentious place where no one talks to one another surrounded by furniture shops no one ever goes into ! I hope this new development will bring that element here as it is much needed!
  • A high-end wellbeing center (with a clean, fit-for-swimming pool) available to local residents is highly desired. Bars and restaurants would also be welcome. Thank you
  • demolish and rebuild please
  • No more
  • No
  • Happy to support
  • The building will be adjacent to many council buildings. How broad will community engagement reach? Will this be a welcome space for all?
  • The current building is awful so anything you do will be an upgrade!
  • No
  • How many rooms or suites
  • I am glad the site is being developed and I like the concept very much. Perhaps consider preferential membership rates for locals to attract locals along with travelers otherwise you might not get so many belgravians as we do have our first home here already.
  • existing building has low architectural merit and could do with a very serious facelift. Not an attractive facade and not welcoming.
  • Don’t build too high
  • Very happy to see a positive development of the space
Key Themes:

  • Amenities: Strong support for the provision of new amenities, particularly spa and restaurant.
  • Design considerations: High-quality re-development of the building welcomed. Concerns as to height and questions around outdoor space.
  • Provision for families and locals: Child-friendly spaces requested, alongside events and discounts for locals.

Further engagement

We are currently reviewing all feedback received during the first round of public consultation to shape the development of our plans. We will hold a second round of consultation in July to gather the local community’s feedback on our detailed plans.