Television Centre Redevelopment

Television Centre development plans to be revealed

here ……..

TELEVISION-CENTRE.COM
05-Feb-2013 @ 12:56

later today.

And East Tower retained for at least the first phase of re-development apparently. (AIUI the BBC have a 2 year lease for their microwave receivers on the roof for Helitele etc.?)

Though looking here : http://www.stanhopeplc.com/?page=21&id=510 they are planning to replace it with a smaller structure at some point...

Last I heard TC1-3 were planned to re-open as BBC Studios in April 2015 - but TCs 4-8 were going to be taken out of service and redeveloped. (Effectively the South Hall becomes the delineation between BBC Studios and other residents?)

Not a great move in 'marketing a facility terms' - as TCs 3,4,6 & 8 are the workhorses at TVC - TC1 gets the glamourous Saturday shiny floor stuff, but the medium size studios get a LOT of work. TC8 would be trickier to keep as it it's not technically in the doughnut. I guess the new BBC Studios operation is to be more of a facility for BBC programmes (with spare capacity marketed), rather than running as a full facility?

TC1 is there for Strictly, TC2 for Strictly : It Takes Two and Watchdog, and TC3 available for panel shows, sitcoms, quizzes etc.?

(BTW Apparently the facilities in TC4 have been removed for relocation to Elstree Studios, and an OB truck is parked outside to allow it to continue to be used until the studios close at the end of March.)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/feb/05/bbc-television-centre?CMP=twt_fd

Flats in the doughnut? Really?

Executive apartments apparently. Or, more unnecessary overpriced posh flats that nobody actually needs!

Yes - London is well known for being full of empty luxury apartments which will never shift; it's like an executive property black hole.

Stanhope have issued a press release .....

more details ……..

STANHOPEPLC.COM
05-Feb-2013 @ 17:32

And a luxury hotel. Looking forward to staying in the 'Brucie' Suite.

Careful, you might get put in the 'Savile Suite'

Minor work has already begun in the doughnut, the trees and other greenery have been removed.

You sure that wasn't for the Doctor Who drama shoot (not an episode of Doctor Who, but a drama recreating the story of the original commission)? There was a lot of work in reception (aka Stage Door) designed to recreate TVC in the 60s - and if that included the windows they may have moved them? (Though of course they may not come back...)

Hmm - how much asbestos are they going to have to remove? Not sure I'd want to do that much DIY in a flat in the doughnut... (Most operational staff who worked there until fairly recently registered their time working during periods when asbestos exposure may have been an issue. Particularly when they thought areas with remaining asbestos were sealed - and it was discovered they weren't...)

I can't believe they're pinning their hopes on penthouses and visitors "making a weekend of it" and booking a stay in the hotel to see a BBC show, visit the restaurant (presumably a chain like Pizza Express) and maybe even visit Westfield.

This is precisely the same flop offering that is available at Media City. A deserted hotel, empty apartments and a nearby shopping centre that nobody in their right mind books a weekend's holiday to go and visit.

The bit about "gone are the queues outside the building for visitors" is a red herring - the queue will just move to outside the studio!