74 Allitsen Road, St John's Wood — Feasibility & Design Study

Craftex was appointed to prepare a feasibility study for 74 Allitsen Road, a vacant corner building in the St John's Wood Conservation Area, Westminster. Previously known as The Lyndhurst Club — once a public house, later a private members' club — the building has stood empty and fallen into disrepair. The brief was to assess the building's potential for residential conversion, working within Westminster's planning policy and the constraints of a listed conservation setting, while identifying the most viable path to bringing the building back into use.

Positioned at the corner of Allitsen Road and Charlbert Street, the building sits within a sensitive conservation area opposite two Grade II listed properties. Every design decision had to respond to this context — respecting existing proportions, materials and the character of the surrounding streetscape.

A feasibility study for the redevelopment of a vacant, four-storey corner building into high-quality residential apartments — assessing planning context, structural condition and design options side by side.

In line with the Westminster City Plan and the London Plan's design-led approach, four design options were developed — each tested against planning policy, structural constraints and the practical realities of converting a historic building into modern homes.

Project Overview

A building shaped by its context

A design-led approach to planning

Prime feasibility work starts with understanding what a building will allow, not what a client wants to see. At 74 Allitsen Road, historic floor-to-floor heights, blocked openings and a restrictive basement level all shaped what was possible. Rather than forcing a single design, we mapped out every genuine option — from a light-touch conversion to a fully maximised scheme — so the client could make an informed decision grounded in real constraints, not assumptions.

Reading a difficult building

A site within the St John's Wood Conservation Area, opposite two listed buildings, leaves little room for guesswork. Our planning review cross-referenced the Westminster City Plan, the London Plan and national policy to identify where the building could grow — and where it couldn't. The result was a set of design options that stay true to the street's character while still unlocking genuine additional value for the client.

Planning within a conservation area

Each of the four design options was developed to the same rigour: schedule of accommodation, minimum GIA compliance, structural feasibility and sustainability appraisal. From a minimal four-apartment scheme to a maximised seven-apartment layout using the basement and roof, every option was pressure-tested so the client wasn't just seeing pretty pictures — they were seeing buildable, policy-compliant paths forward.

Executing options that stand up to scrutiny

The feasibility study gave the client four clearly defined, comparable options — each with its own trade-offs between intervention, cost and yield. With planning context, structural risk and design options all mapped out, the client is now equipped to choose a direction with confidence, backed by further detailed survey work before formal planning submission.

The result, and what happens next

Our gallery

Ready to get started?

Bringing heritage buildings back to life, the right way.

Whether it's a derelict conservation-area building or a period property in need of reimagining, we'll guide you from feasibility through to planning-ready design — balancing heritage character with modern living standards, on time and within budget.

Every commercial fit-out has its constraints. Here's how this one was solved.

Challenges & Solutions