If it means the demolition of this, then it can only be good...
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Hyde Park Barracks | Knightsbridge | Pre-planning
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-...nightsbridge-barracks-property-week-says.html
2The U.K.’s Ministry of Defence plans to sell the six-acre Knightsbridge Barracks near Hyde Park in London that houses about 300 soldiers and their horses, Property Week reported, without saying where it got the information.
The MoD is being advised by agent CBRE on a potential sale of the property, which includes a 200,000-square-foot tower, and the marketing process may begin as early as next week, subject to ministerial approval, the magazine said on its website.
The sale could raise 300 million pounds ($475 million) to 500 million pounds, according to Property Week, citing unidentified people in the market. Apartments near the barracks have sold for as much as 7,000 pounds a square foot, the magazine said."
Wonder if the Candy's will buy it.
2The U.K.’s Ministry of Defence plans to sell the six-acre Knightsbridge Barracks near Hyde Park in London that houses about 300 soldiers and their horses, Property Week reported, without saying where it got the information.
The MoD is being advised by agent CBRE on a potential sale of the property, which includes a 200,000-square-foot tower, and the marketing process may begin as early as next week, subject to ministerial approval, the magazine said on its website.
The sale could raise 300 million pounds ($475 million) to 500 million pounds, according to Property Week, citing unidentified people in the market. Apartments near the barracks have sold for as much as 7,000 pounds a square foot, the magazine said."
Wonder if the Candy's will buy it.
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Not sure where the Cavalry is going to be moved to, perhaps to Hounslow Barracks which is curently being refurbished, Regents Park (Albany Street) Barracks) or perhaps they will go to Woolwich Barracks alog with the Royal Horse Artillery following the recent disposal of the St John Wood Cavalry Barracks.
I should imagine the Basil Spence designed Tower will be made in to luxury flats and the rest demolished and made in to some Candy & Candy One Hyde Park type development. Then again we atill await the outcome of the Chelsea Barracks on going saga.
The question also has to be asked as to whether it is wise to move so many military units out of London, and there have also been rumours regarding the future of RAF Northolt.
Aren't the military classed as first responders should there be a major terrorist attack or dirty bomb, and weren't the military an option when it came to last years mass disorder in London.
Furthermore won't such a move make it more problematic to stage events such as Trooping the Colour and the numerous other colourful pagentry which makes London so unique.
I should imagine the Basil Spence designed Tower will be made in to luxury flats and the rest demolished and made in to some Candy & Candy One Hyde Park type development. Then again we atill await the outcome of the Chelsea Barracks on going saga.
The question also has to be asked as to whether it is wise to move so many military units out of London, and there have also been rumours regarding the future of RAF Northolt.
Aren't the military classed as first responders should there be a major terrorist attack or dirty bomb, and weren't the military an option when it came to last years mass disorder in London.
Furthermore won't such a move make it more problematic to stage events such as Trooping the Colour and the numerous other colourful pagentry which makes London so unique.
Sad but true
Basil Spence was also responsible for 102 Petty France (the Old Home Office building at what was then Queens Anne's Gate and which is now home to the Ministry of Justice). His most notable work being Coventry Cathedral.
Lord Fawsley was quoted as saying at the time that "Basil Spence's barracks in Hyde Park ruined that park; in fact, he has the distinction of having ruined two parks" with the Petty France building backing on to St James's Park and the Knighstbridge Barracks building looming over Hyde Park.
However Spence's work is highly regarded by groups such as the Twentieth Century Society who I fear will try to have the Knightsbridge Tower perserved or listed, just as they did with other controversial architects such as Ernő Goldfinger.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/102_Petty_France
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Basil_Spence
http://www.c20society.org.uk/
102 Petty France over looking London's St James's Park
I think the criticism surrounding the old Home Office building was more to do with it's location than the actual building itself.
The building itself underwent a massive refurbishment after the Home Office left and is very pleasant internally.
http://www.landsecuritieslondon.com/properties/Queen-Annes-Gate?section=images
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I have heard a rumour that the MOD is offering these barracks at the dirt cheap price of around £300 million (up to £500 million) on the provision that who ever buys the land and barracks will build a brand new Cavalry Barracks on nearby land on the edge of Hyde Park.
There could be a lot of truth in this, as firstly the Barracks are an eyesore (they were even voted one of the worst eyesores in London) and are not well liked even by the Army and secondly they are right next door to the new luxury One Hyde Park Development where one single apartment was reputedly sold for over £100 million, so £300 million for the vast Knightsbridge Barracks and Peninsular Tower seems a very paltry sum, especially given that Chelsea Barracks sold for nearly £1 Billion back in 2007.
There could be a lot of truth in this, as firstly the Barracks are an eyesore (they were even voted one of the worst eyesores in London) and are not well liked even by the Army and secondly they are right next door to the new luxury One Hyde Park Development where one single apartment was reputedly sold for over £100 million, so £300 million for the vast Knightsbridge Barracks and Peninsular Tower seems a very paltry sum, especially given that Chelsea Barracks sold for nearly £1 Billion back in 2007.
A serving member of the Cavalry who was recently based at Hyde Park Barracks (Knightsbridge Barracks) had been told the plan was to sell the barracks cheap on the stipulation that land was found in Central London, possible on the fringes of Hyde Park and that the developer built the Household Cavalry a new barracks as part of the deal.Interesting
Can you shed any light on the source of your rumour?
I am usually wary of rumours however Knightsbridge (Hyde Park) Barracks are worth a lot more than £300 million or even £500 million, they stretch over six acres (over a quarter of a mile) down one of the most expensive areas in the world (right next door to the One Hyde Park development) and they have Peninsula Tower (over 200,000 sq.ft) which could be converted in to very expensive luxury apartments overlooking Hyde Park or even in to a hotel. I think the MoD could actually command a similar price for these barracks as they did for Chelsea given their location especially given that property at neighbouring One Hyde Park is currently valued at £7,000 per sq ft. If they were to build a new barracks it would probably be built along far more enviromentally friendly lines (grassed roofs etc) in order to blend with Hyde Park.
It's all very well basing infantry units (and a few horses) at Woolwich or Windsor (where the Household Cavalry has it's training school) but to base 300 horses on ceremonial duties there would not be practical, as everytime you wanted to rehearse trooping the colour or a major event you would have to move 300 horses right across London in a massive fleet of lorries (a logistical nightmare), and a lot of the rehearsal happens very early in the morning. The poor horses would be shattered. It might also work out more exopensive as you would have to pay for a vast fleet of horse carriers, a lot of expensive fuel and employ people to drive the horses across London.
Albany Street (Regents Park) Barracks are very cramped and would also need some major work before that could be transformed back in to a Cavalry Barracks (which could be nearly as costly as building a new barracks), plus Albany Street it is not as secure as Knightbridge Barracks, with much of it backing directly on to a road and no wall or barrier to seperate it from the street (indeed it was bombed by the Angry Brigade back in the early 70's). The other main Central London barracks is Wellington on Birdcage Walk, which is home to the various Guards Regiments when they are carrying outpublic duties. There is also Hounslow Barracks (not far from Heathrow Airport) an Infantry Barracks which like Woolwich is just too far out. There are some small Cavalry Barracks near Whitehall but they are antiquated and not any where near big enough to comfortable house even a small section of the Household Cavalry and it's 300 ceremonial horses, whilst to move horses across London every time you wanted to practice an event or actually perform in an event or mark a ceremonial occasion would simply not be practicle and would certainly not be fair on the poor horses. Plus the site of Cavalry horses in Hyde Park is quite a unique sight which would also be lost.
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