Gentrification of Churchill Gardens, Pimlico

- Property to let in Churchill Gardens SW1V; a two bedroom flat with balcony at £385 per week through Chard Belgravia & Pimlico lettings office

Churchill Gardens in Pimlico comprises 40 blocks with some 1,783 flats. It was built for Westminster City Council in the 1960s. Six of the blocks have a Grade II listing and many consider the buildings almost iconic, representative of sixties public, urban architecture. Many loathe the development too, considering it a carbunkle on the fringe of uber respectable Belgravia, within the Pimlico grid, London SW1V. Many of the flats were sold under Margaret Thatcher's 1980s "Right to Buy" scheme, which gave local authority tenants the option of buying their homes, at a substantial discount on its markt value.

Some of the flats have river views, making them among the best value for money riverside apartments for sale and to let in Central London - let alone Pimlico where prime waterside property finds willing tenants at over £1.50 per square foot per week. Here, a two bedroom flat may rent for closer to £0.75 - £0.90 psf/pw, selling at around £600 per square foot. Unsurprisingly, many tenants and buyers and London estate agents consider the development to be a bargain. Nevertheless, buying ex-local authority property requires careful consideration. Some owners and landlords (as opposed to existing local authority tenants) have complained at what they perceive as excessive maintenance charges.

Our Pimlico and Belgravia lettings office has just been instructed to let a superb two bedroom flat within Churchill Gardens, on the third floor with a lift. Priced to let at £385 per week, its urban contemporary interior would not look out of place in a flat rental costing twice as much. To view, contact Richard Saltmer, manager, Belgravia and Pimlico lettings richard.s@chard.co.uk or telephone 020 7821 6999.