Restaurant plan for Chapel Royal

Unexpectedly for a Grade II* building of such importance, the Chapel Royal in North Street has a flying freehold – and the owners of its vaults, which have previously been used only for storage, now want to turn their property into a restaurant/café.

The Regency Society has objected to their planning application because we believe that the proposal is not compatible with the existing use of the building or its historic significance.

Because of currently restricted access and low headroom (top right), the plans involve lowering the floor level and installing an external staircase. We are also concerned about noise and smells intruding on worship in the chapel (bottom right).

We wrote, “The proposed excavation and installation of a stairway and lift in Princes Place will disfigure the eastern façade of the building and detract from its historic character” and queried the suggested ventilation arrangements, which largely rely on recirculating filtered air.

• See the full application



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