Capital & Counties Properties: Covent Garden plans approved

Capital & Counties Properties (Capco) had been given approval by the Westminster City Council to transform the space between King Street and Floral Street within the iconic Covent Garden estate in central London, the company said yesterday. The 8 360m² scheme would create a new pedestrian passageway connecting Long Acre and King Street, a new public courtyard and new retail, restaurant and residential space. In a separate planning application, Capco was given approval to convert the Carriage Hall building on the western end of Floral Street into a multi-brand retail space of just over 1 200m². Ian Hawksworth, Capco’s chief executive, said yesterday that these plans would have a significant impact on how visitors experienced Covent Garden and highlighted Capco’s commitment to creating value and improving public access within its estate. Work on the project was expected to begin in June next year and take up to three years to complete. Shares in Capco, one of the two listed independent companies formed from the demerger of Liberty International, eased 0.29 percent to close at R55.50 on the JSE yesterday.