aspireDM are supporting Transport for London’s new joint venture partnership with Helical across 600,000 sq ft of planned Workspace expansion.
Under the JV agreement, signed earlier this year, an initial three office sites will be developed in the City, Paddington and Southwark, spanning around 600,000 sq ft in total. All three sites have planning permission, but with the exception of the scheme by Bank tube station, which is earmarked to start on site next year, the partners are not going to be building straight away.

“Even with consents that are five years old, there’s a lot that needs doing to bring them up to what we would deem as best in class,” explains Helical’s property director Matthew Bonning-Snook.
One of the big changes is the so-called “end of journey” facilities. Bonning-Snook says in new schemes “your experience of coming into the office in your cycle entry should really be no different really from your main office entry”.

When it comes to the three sites in the joint venture, significant revisions are planned for the Paddington development. At 235,000 sq ft under the existing planning approval, the over-station scheme is the largest of the three.
It stands to benefit from close access to the Elizabeth Line but given that the permission dates back several years, it will need updating. Bonning-Snook says the team plans to enhance the external look of the building, and make a number of other improvements inside including the introduction of better facilities for cyclists.
“It’s all doable – and we have a plan of action to bring in new terraces too,” he says.