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Green light for £40m Covid-era’ apartment block designed to protect residents from virus

CENTRAL London’s first “Covid-era” apartment block designed to protect residents from the risk of infection has been given the go-ahead. The £40 million development at 82 Mount Street in Mayfair will include a range of features reflecting the “new realities” of life during and after the pandemic.

Developers REDD said they believed “Covid compliance would be increasingly seen as a selling point for developments alongside location and interior design. The late Victorian building will have four apartments, including a top-level duplex, a ground floor shop or gallery and offices.

Russell Smithers, REDD’s managing director in London, said the reception area had been designed to be airy and spacious with the desk at one side to make the social distancing easier.

The “no touch” lifts will automatically detect the required floor from key fobs. They also have a voice-control system so flat owners can direct them to pick up guests.

Surfaces in public areas are likely to have “Covid-killing” copper finishes. The virus is thought to survive for only a few hours on copper compared with days on other metals. The internal layout of the apartments has also been rejigged to allow for long spells of home working. The duplex will have a dedicated office room, while the two-bedroom apartments will have a large desk at the back of the reception room.

Mr Smithers said internal air filtration will be fitted with filters capable of sifting out bacteria and viruses. The development was given the go ahead by Westminster council last month and work is expected to start in the autumn.

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