WGDP were retained to advise on a Building at Risk. It is a Grade I listed building in the City of London by the name of: The Tower of St Mary Somerset designed by Sir Christopher Wren with Hawksmore Pinnacles.
Surrounded by large office blocks on three sides, all that remains of the former Church is the tower. The nave was demolished c. 1870.
The Tower has been vacant since about 1975. Up until then, it had been used by Bernard Miles, of the Mermaid Theatre, for rehearsal purposes.
This is the second Wren Tower that WGDP has dealt with successfully. The first, at Christ Church Tower to the north of St Paul’s Cathedral, is a Scheduled Monument and one which we successfully secured Scheduled Monument consent, listed building consent and planning permission to convert at Church Tower into a single dwelling.
On that experience, the City of London Corporation invited us and the developer of Christ Church Tower to look at St Mary Somerset.
WGDP marshalled all the information together to submit listed building and planning applications to convert St Mary Somerset Tower into a single residence.
Development is expected to commence during 2008.