The original barracks, designed by George Morgan to house two battalions of infantry, were completed in 1862. These barracks comprised a long and monotonous brick structure broken by towers in the centre. The original arrangement included a chapel, which survives, and the interior of which includes pictures of King David, the Prophet Joshua, Saint John and Saint James as well as some panels listing the names of soldiers killed in action. It is now a Grade II listed building. The original buildings, excluding the chapel, were demolished, and in June 1960 construction started on two 13-storey concrete tower-blocks designed by Tripe and Wakeham and completed in 1962. The tower blocks were used to accommodate four companies from the Guards Regiments. A nail-bomb attack on the barracks by the Provisional Irish Republican Armyin September 1981 killed two civilians and injured up to 50.
Development of the site
On 6 September 2005 Secretary of State for Defence, John Reid, announced that Chelsea Barracks would be sold. He described it as needing extensive renovations. The site was vacated in 2008 with the troops transferred to the Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich. The site was part of the Ministry of Defence's Project MoDEL that saw it and five other sites across London sold off, mainly for housing. Westminster City Council published its draft planning brief for the Chelsea Barracks site in September 2006. It included a commitment to develop 50% of the site with affordable housing. A Community Forum was established by local residents in April 2006 with the support of Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, John Hutton MP, to campaign for greater transparency in the sale of the barracks site and for the 50% affordable homes commitment to be realised.
2007 sale
The barracks is in one of London's most expensive residential areas and was originally expected to sell for £250m. In April 2007 the Ministry of Defence agreed to sell Chelsea Barracks in its site for £959 million to a consortium consisting of Qatari Diar and the CPC Group. On 1 February 2008, the joint venture took possession of the site. Subsequently, CPC's interest in the joint venture company, Project Blue Ltd, was acquired by Qatari Diar, which now owns 100% of the site. Different design proposals for development of the site have been put forward by Richard Rogers and by Charles, Prince of Wales.
2009 withdrawal
In early June 2009, the developers, Qatari Diar withdrew their plan to build 552 flats in 17 blocks. In May 2010 some of the developers made an £81m claim at the High Court, blaming Prince Charles for the withdrawal of a planning application. The claim was later reduced to £68m. The High Court ruled that Qatari Diar breached a contract with developers CPC Group, when it withdrew Richard Rogers' Chelsea Barracks scheme. The High Court handed a partial victory to property development firm CPC Group, who demanded compensation after plans to redevelop London's Chelsea Barracks were shelved. Christian and Nick Candy blamed an intervention by Prince Charles for giving their partners, Qatari Diar, cold feet.
2014
Westminster Council granted detailed planning consent for the first phase of the scheme in May 2014. The phase, designed by architects Squire & Partners, consists of 68 apartments across three eight-storey blocks and includes five new garden squares.
