Brunswick ‘Eyecatcher’ refused planning

The C20 Society is delighted that Camden have refused planning permission for the proposed ‘Eyecatcher’ restaurant above the Renoir cinema (now Curzon Bloomsbury) at the Brunswick Centre in Bloomsbury. The Society backed the local campaign against the development, which would have obstructed the portico facing Brunswick Square, one of the chief architectural features of this modernist complex.

Camden considered that the scale and design of the development would ‘detrimentally impact on the special interest and setting of the Grade II listed building, along with causing harm to the character and appearance of the Bloomsbury Conservation Area, particularly to views from Brunswick Square’.

Additional reasons for rejecting the planning application included concerns about visual clutter, inadequate ventilation of fumes, noise, the impact of construction on local roads and the obstruction of the public realm within the centre, particularly for the visually impaired (more details here). Many of these issues had been raised by Brunswick residents, who led a determined campaign against the proposal, gaining the backing of prominent architects, historians and experts; over 700 people signed their petition.

Henrietta Billings, Senior Conservation Adviser of the C20 Society, said  “We are delighted that these damaging plans have been kicked out by Camden’s planners. It’s fantastic to see the very special architectural heritage of the Brunswick Centre valued and respected.”