Westminster Green, an Overview

With the west block overlooking St John’s Gardens, Westminster Green is an exclusive development of 176, one, two, three and four bedroom apartments, fourteen of which are duplexes.

Developed in 2004, Westminster Green was instantly popular with investors and owner occupiers alike. In 2010 residents purchased the freehold, exercising their right to manage resulting in a strong community of occupiers whose vested interests ensure that the apartments remain as popular and as exclusive today as when they were first built.

Situated in the heart of Westminster, Westminster Green appeals to a cosmopolitan elite who mix in political, financial or creative circles. Many residents have second homes outside London and the UK but consider owning property in London to be an essential part of their investment portfolio.

A History of Westminster Green

Westminster Green was originally Westminster Hospital and was the first voluntary hospital, allowing patient’s free access to healthcare and paved the way for the development of the National Health Service.

Opened in 1939 it functioned throughout WW2 despite suffering bomb damage. Rather fittingly the street that Westminster Green is situated on is called ‘Dean Ryle Street’ named after Herbert Edward Ryle a former Dean of Westminster School. Ryle also being the man responsible for the epitaph on the tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey that begins: ‘Beneath this stone rests the body, of a British warrior, unknown by name or rank, brought from France to lie among, the most illustrious of the land.’

In 1948 the Hospital became part of the newly established NHS service and continued to operate [literally] until its closure and subsequent relocation in 1994. The buildings architecture represented new ideas beyond the insights of Florence Nightingale and the Victorian Gothic Monoliths that preceded the NHS. Reassuringly this also coincided with the recognition of the need for professionally qualified Nurses and in 1922 a diploma in nursing was created. By now Nurses were also being paid in money rather than beer as they had been in the 19^th Century!

Today the NHS is one of the world’s biggest employer’s alongside the Chinese Liberation Army and MacDonald’s… a surreal triumvirate to the say the least.

With a medical centre and dentists taking up two of the commercial premises of the development and a private resident’s gym, Westminster Green provides every convenience to live a long and healthy life. Incidentally since the creation of the NHS, men and women in Britain have lived on average for ten years longer than pre-NHS. Rather aptly, leases of 999 years were issued upon the completion of Westminster Green and so leasehold issues are not a problem in this development!

Living & Investing In Westminster Green

It would be rather patronising to say who Westminster Green would appeal to. Residents of this development know their own minds and know what they like without being ‘sold to’ by property agents. Apartments range from one, two and three bedrooms as well as having a number of four bedroom duplexes making this development suitable for a number of occupants.

A glance at the resident’s association website does however hint at the type of neighbours one may expect to rub shoulders with. As I write, an MP, two doctors and a Justice of the Peace make up some of the board of directors and the stipulations set out by the management company will reassure purchasers that maintenance of the building and the type of occupiers it attracts remains of impeccable quality. Likewise, the communal parts of the building are maintained to a standard that one would expect in such a development with a number of full time staff providing a 24hour concierge service and onsite maintenance and cleaning.

As potential third generation occupiers, people looking to purchase in Westminster Green today will most likely want to refurbish the apartment to their own taste and so while the initial interior décor was of course of a meticulous finish, current investors may find prices reflect the need for redecoration. This represents a great opportunity for those who want a central London apartment but do not want buy into a developers taste. Owner occupiers of Westminster Green appreciate individuality above faddish interiors.

Westminster Green & Beyond

With the whole of London at your doorstep, Westminster Green offers a perfect Central London location from which to work, relax and play. Situated in the hubbub of London’s political centre, Westminster Green is only a few minutes’ walk away from most government departments, including of course the Houses of Parliament. London’s Financial Districts are also just a short cab ride away while underground trains can be found at nearby St James, Westminster and Pimlico stations.

Victoria is also only a mile away providing a number of shops, restaurants and theatres, with its own redevelopment adding to the allure of Westminster Green’s location.

Touted as the ‘latest buying opportunity’ by estates agents and the media alike, Westminster has seen itself transformed from a drab, office environ in to a lively mixed use of residential and commercial buildings with convenient access to some of London’s most sought after restaurants, bars and cultural highlights. Restaurants like Amaya, L’Autre Pied and Zucca all being a cheap cab fare from Westminster Green; one wonders why kitchens were ever put in this development! But then I guess even London’s elite occasionally like to eat at home and rest assured there are plenty of local supermarkets in the vicinity.

Pubs in Westminster can be rather crowded affairs on weekdays with young Civil servants taking up much of the bar and pavement space, though at weekends they revert to much quieter, typical English pubs. That said, London’s smart set will usually have headed for the country by Friday lunchtime or even further afield as there are plenty of transport links to all of London’s main airports.

Should you find yourself in Westminster at the weekend then take advantage of the proximity of the River Thames offering lovely peaceful walks, and the plethora of Art Galleries that share the SW1 postcode. The National Gallery, Tate Britain and Royal Academy all being within walking distance of Westminster Green.