Belgian developer Atenor has secured planning consent for its first project in the UK, the retrofit of Fleet House at 8-12 New Bridge Street EC4.

Previous plans involved full demolition and replacement of the existing building but Atenor, which took ownership in April 2022, is doing less demolition and making more use of the existing structure.

Designed by architect HOK, the project will see more than two thirds of the existing structure retained. The facade will be removed along with the demolition of the top floor ‘penthouse’ storey and a roof extension will be put int to provide an eight-storey building.

St Bride’s Tavern public house, to the rear of the building in Bridewell, will still be demolished, in line with the consented scheme, but space for a new pub is included in the scheme at ground level.

The new office building is being designed to achieve a minimum of BREEAM Excellent (with BREEAM Outstanding subject to fit-out) and should offer 77,500 sq ft (7,200 sq m) of office space over eight storeys.

The City of London Corporation’s planning sub-committee unanimously resolved to grant the scheme planning permission yesterday (31st January 2023), following the planning officer’s recommendation for approval.

Atenor UK director Eoin Conroy said: “This is a major milestone for Atenor in the UK and highlights our ambition and focus to create beautiful places founded on sustainability and wellbeing. Our approved plans for Fleet House supersede a previously consented scheme that would have seen the existing building completely demolished and a new one built from scratch. Instead, 72% of the building’s existing structure will now be retained, emphasising our belief that the adoption of sustainable practices at the design and construction phases is both the right thing to do and will make this building more appealing to future occupiers. We look forward to bringing forward further London opportunities in the near future.”

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