New student accommodation has been given the green light for the City of London’s Holborn Viaduct.

The City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee resolved to approve the Dominvs Group plans by Stiff + Trevillion Architects and Jonathan Cook Landscape Architects for the site at 61-65 Holborn Viaduct, on the corner of Snow Hill.

The student accommodation development includes 644 student rooms, of which 230 (over 35%) will be affordable, on the first to twelfth floor.

The ground and lower ground floors of the scheme will house flexible cultural and community space, including a performance/lecture area and a shared zone to bring together creatives, resident students and visitors.

The scheme also includes a free publicly accessible rooftop terrace with views of some of London’s most iconic landmarks, including St. Paul’s Cathedral, and delivers significant public realm enhancements for the local area including a new pedestrian route through the site which links the City Thameslink station to the new Museum of London.

As with all new developments in the Square Mile, this scheme is designed to high sustainability standards in line with the City Corporation’s radical Climate Action Strategy.

The scheme, which is targeting BREEAM ‘Excellent’, incorporates integrated urban greening and climate resilience measures, and adopts both Circular Economy and Whole Life Carbon principles.

The development is car-free (except for one designated Blue Badge parking space) but includes 536 cycle parking spaces, 5% of which will be accessible for adapted cycles.

Chair of the City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee, Alastair Moss, said:

“This high-quality scheme is a positive step in the Square Mile’s rapid recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

“The addition of new student accommodation will mark another step toward the creation of a thriving 24/7 City and we look forward to welcoming students to this area, who we hope will be the business leaders and innovators of the future.

“We are thrilled at the ongoing confidence shown by world-class universities, developers and investors as we continue to strive to make the City of London ever-more sustainable and inclusive.”

Director at Dominvs, Jay Ahluwalia, said:

“Following a strong officer’s recommendation, we are delighted to see that our proposals for 61-65 Holborn Viaduct have been approved by the City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee.

“From extensive consultation with the City Corporation and key local stakeholders we sought fresh thinking, submitting a scheme that enriches the existing neighbourhood while meeting the need for purpose-built student accommodation in the area.

“Our scheme introduces a new, highly sustainable building of exemplary design quality, including cultural and community use across ground floor level, a publicly accessible roof terrace with views towards St. Paul’s Cathedral, and significant public realm improvements, including active frontages and a new pedestrian route connecting Holborn Viaduct with the Museum of London.

“The application was brought forward with support from the London School of Economics and we are working with the Creative Land Trust to help deliver an exciting cultural and community use offer.” 

END

Notes to Editors:

About the City of London Corporation
The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

About Dominvs Group
Founded in 2011, Dominvs Group is a London-based privately owned real estate investor with assets under management of more than £1 billion across the hotel, residential, student and commercial sectors. 
Dominvs Group is managed by a board of directors that combines highly experienced senior figures sourced from leading companies alongside directors from the Ahluwalia family, who have over 40 years of combined real estate expertise.
Dominvs Group acquired leading social value consultancy Seerbridge in July 2021 as part of its long-term strategy to ensure social value is integrated at every stage of the development lifecycle to benefit the local community.

Shani Annand-Baron
Media Officer, City of London Corporation
shani.annand-baron@cityoflondon.gov.uk or 07710 860885