Planning approval for 55-65 Old Broad Street opens up Grade II Listed Bishopsgate Bath House to the public
The Planning Applications Sub-Committee of the City of London Corporation has approved the 55-65 Old Broad Street project on November 20. The project includes a 23-story mixed-use building, which will enable the restoration of the historic Bishopsgate Bathhouse, making it accessible to the public for the first time.
The development’s approval reflects the Corporation’s goal to turn the Square Mile into a seven-day-a-week inclusive destination for visitors, balancing the need for high-quality, sustainable office space while protecting and restoring the area’s heritage. The proposals also align with the Corporation’s climate action goals, retaining and renovating much of the existing structure at 65 Old Broad Street, instead of a total reconstruction, saving millions of kilograms in carbon emissions over the building’s lifespan.
Coinciding with the release of Deloitte’s Winter Crane Survey, which shows high developer optimism for office space demand, the approval of 55-65 Old Broad Street will provide over 33,000 square meters of high-quality office space, along with funding for local job brokerage and training services. Additionally, the Victorian Bathhouse will be respectfully restored to become the site’s centerpiece, offering spaces for new inclusive educational, cultural, and community activities, as its wonderful interior, influenced by Islamic architecture, will be open and free to the public, artists, and community groups from all of London’s communities for the first time.
Furthermore, the proposals will significantly improve the public space around the site for pedestrians and cyclists and will provide new commercial spaces for city workers and residents. This includes two new pedestrian routes to Liverpool Street Station and the City Cluster.
Shravan Joshi, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transport Committee, said:
“With its contributions to our need for office space, improving accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists, transforming the City into a seven-day-a-week tourist destination, as well as our climate action goals, the 55-65 Old Broad Street scheme will become a great asset for the Square Mile.
“The dynamic juxtaposition of the ancient and the modern are a key aspect of the City’s charm and a characteristic we are determined to maintain. That is why we are actively seeking opportunities for development proposals to enhance and better reveal the City’s heritage assets so that they can be accessed and enjoyed by the widest possible audience.”
