Foxtons has moved into The Big Issue’s former offices in Vauxhall
Foxtons has moved into The Big Issue's former office in Vauxhall after the local council rejected the estate agent's plans for an illuminated shop front.
The Big Issue's head office had been in Vauxhall for 15 years. But now the magazine – which raises money for the homeless – is headquartered in Finsbury Park, in the constituency of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Foxtons officially opens its doors to customers in Vauxhall at 9am this Saturday. But it's been a long journey for the controversial estate agents; Lambeth council was opposed to its garish shop front.
Planning permission for a change of use of The Big Issue's offices was granted by Lambeth Council last December, and Foxtons applied to put signage on the front of the new branch in March this year.
Plans for new signage submitted to Lambeth Council (Source: Lambeth Council)
These plans, however, were rejected by the assistant director of planning for Lambeth Council, David Joyce.
Read more: Foxtons is going door-to-door to boost confidence in London's house market
Joyce said to Foxtons in May: "The advertisement by reason of its size, position and design would be an unduly dominant feature in the street scene, would be detrimental to visual amenity and is therefore considered unlikely to preserve, protect or enhance the locally listed building and the neighbouring Albert Embankment Conservation Area."
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The illuminated display on the building was also so large and bright that the council thought it would be a danger to the road network operators working on the nearby railways leading into Vauxhall station.
Foxtons has been attracting a lot of attention recently after some of its estate agents had a physical fight with Class War activists outside Boris Johnson's house in Islington. The Class War activists are planning to return to the branch next week to start what they claim will be "the decisive battle against gentrification".
The estate agents have also been trying to put some fire back into London's housing market, going door to door to deliver personalised letters offering post-Brexit property valuations.