Chelsea Victorian Terrace Planning Success

Rigby & Rigby Architecture are proud to have secured planning permission for the demolition and reinstatement of two properties in Chelsea, SW3, delivering two exceptional new homes for our clients that restore an important fragment of Chelsea’s historic townscape.

This Street forms part of the late Victorian expansion of Chelsea, developed in the late 19th century as a cohesive residential terrace characterised by stock brick façades, elegant proportions, painted timber sash windows and distinctive closet wings to the rear. The terrace was originally designed as a unified architectural composition, contributing to the rhythm and visual harmony that defines the Conservation Area today.

However, like many parts of Chelsea, the street was affected by bomb damage during the Second World War. The original buildings were lost following wartime destruction, and the replacement structures failed to replicate the proportions, detailing and architectural richness of the pre-war Victorian houses. As a result, this section of the terrace disrupted the consistency of the original streetscape.

The newly approved scheme carefully addresses this historical break. The consent allows for the demolition of the existing buildings and the reinstatement of the original pre-bomb façades, designed to match the architectural language of the rest of the terrace. The proposals reintroduce traditional brickwork with lime-based pointing, painted timber sash windows, black railings, reinstated closet wings and front lightwells faithfully restoring the terrace’s Victorian character.

Behind these historically accurate façades, two thoughtfully designed contemporary homes will be delivered, including sensitively integrated single-storey basements. The scheme has been shaped through detailed pre-application engagement with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and responds carefully to Conservation Area policies.

Mark Cowley, Studio Director of Architecture

“We are particularly excited about this approval as it represents more than a redevelopment; it is the reinstatement of a lost piece of Chelsea’s architectural heritage”

By restoring the original Victorian rhythm and proportions of the terrace, this project strengthens the historic narrative of Bramerton Street while creating outstanding homes for modern living.