The Old Post Office, the Telephone Exchange and the 'Eden Quarter'

There has been a lot of talk recently about the proposal to do something about the Old Post Office. And finally the planning application has gone through. The tallest block will still be sixteen storeys high and people will still say this is going to turn our town into Croydon.
I'm not sure though. The Old Post Office has been derelict for years and the area around it is an eyesore. If we can get the vicinity smartened up then that is no bad thing. Yes, it may generate traffic but what's there at the moment? A car park. (it also used to have a public recycling collection point but doesn't any more). Betwen the bizarrely named Lady Booth Road (near where the old Castle pub used to be until it was demolished for a road-widening scheme) and Brook Street there is just the Old Post Office and desolation boulevard. The site also includes the Telephone Exchange building on Eden Street. There will be 319 housing units in a mixed-use development.
At least the consultation process having gone on so long means the borough council realises they can't just allow any old planning application to go in without anticipating public displeasure.
The Old Post Office campaign states its aims as:

• Conservation and sustainable community/cultural use of these local landmark, heritage Grade-2-listed buildings;
• A permanent and visible base for a public-facing Kingston Environment Centre / environmental information and resources;
• An attractive and sociable meeting/drop-in space;
• An organic-vegetarian café as the heart of this community hub;
• Affordable, flexible spaces for regular or "pop-up" shops, classes, workshops or events;
•  Affordable work and office spaces/hot-desks for small businesses, sole traders, start-up enterprises, local charities and groups.
• A piazza "pocket park" as a model sustainable garden.
• Affordable art and craft studios/workshops, with space to exhibit and sell art;
• Affordable multi-purpose meeting room(s) for rehearsal and performance space, public events, film shows, exhibitions...     

It remains to be seen how many of those points will be met, despite the developer's description of the project as: "new homes, shops, restaurants, offices and community space, with over half an acre of landscaped public realm and the restoration of two listed buildings which are on the Heritage at Risk Register."

Photo by Stevekeiretsu, used under Creative Commons license

 It will de It will deliver new homes, shops, restaurants, offices and community space, with over half an acre of landscaped public realm and the restoration of two listed buildings which are on the Heritage at Risk Register.liver new homes, shops, restaurants, offices and community space, with over half an acre of landscaped public realm and the restoration of two listed buildings which are on the Heritage at Risk Register.

 It will deliver new homes, shops, restaurants, offices and community space, with over half an acre of landscaped public realm and the restoration of two listed buildings which are on the Heritage at Risk Register.