Great Portland Estates plc (GPE) announces that Southwark Council has resolved to grant planning permission for the high-quality redevelopment of Minerva House, SE1.

The proposals, designed by Ben Adams Architects, are to re-use and extend the existing office building on the Southbank of the River Thames, which will be re-designed to meet GPE’s four strategic sustainability pillars, as well as targeting Net Zero Carbon.

GPE’s plans will take the overall commercial space provision to 140,000 sq ft, an increase of approximately 53% on the existing space. The public realm between Minerva House and Southwark Cathedral will be significantly enhanced and a new cut-through across the site for the Thames Path will be opened up. In addition, the scheme will create c.400 new jobs across the site.

The anticipated start for the project will be Q4 2023.

Andrew White, Development Director at GPE commented: “Minerva House is next in our development pipeline with a potential start later in 2023. The refurbishment will upgrade all existing office space, bringing it up to modern best-in-class standards, making the building flexible, adaptable, and highly sustainable for all our future customers.”