FDS was appointed by Spec Commercial in early 2026 to undertake the full strip-out of the former Passport Office on Petty France in Victoria, London.
The building extended across more than 90,000 sq ft and comprised eight operational office floors, each of which was to be taken back to shell.
The project arose at short notice after the collapse of a property sale left the client facing an unforeseen situation. The objective was to return the building to a blank canvas, improving its marketability while also reducing its business rates liability.
Speed of execution was critical given the client’s objectives. Considerable effort was therefore invested in establishing multiple waste-removal routes, allowing several floors to be worked on simultaneously.
FDS created three primary waste-disposal routes and sequenced the works so that each could be operated safely at the same time. These included scaffold chutes, internal lifts and a purpose-built access ramp, enabling the team to achieve a strip-out rate exceeding 1,000 sq m per week.
A further challenge was the discovery of site-wide asbestos-containing bitumen beneath the latex flooring. As its removal was not included within the original instruction, FDS initially retained all base tracks and fixings penetrating the slab. Their removal was deferred until after the main strip-out, allowing the work to be completed under appropriately controlled conditions.
The age of the installations made the direct reuse of materials particularly challenging. However, the scale and logistics of the site allowed materials to be fully separated by type at source.
This reduced the need for downstream sorting and, in turn, helped lower fuel consumption during the subsequent recycling process. It also increased the likelihood of achieving closed-loop recycling, as uncontaminated materials can be more readily reprocessed into products of the same or a similar type.
By carefully separating waste streams throughout the works, FDS was able to maximise recycling opportunities despite the limited potential for direct reuse.
Find out how much you could save by filling out our custom de-rating calculator.
Your estimated year 1 saving:
£0
This project highlighted the value of FDS understanding the wider commercial and operational drivers behind a distressed asset.
From the initial site visit, it was clear that the client had reached an unexpected crossroads following the collapse of a property sale. There was also uncertainty around the process required to strip out the building, return it to market and secure business rates relief. The client initially believed it could take six months simply to get the project under way.
From the first site visit through to Practical Completion, the entire process took less than three months. FDS supported the wider team with practical knowledge, programme guidance and experience navigating similar situations, helping to establish a clear and achievable route forward.
The result was a rapid turnaround that allowed the client to reposition the asset and move ahead with greater certainty.
If you would like to find out how First Demolition can help you please send an enquiry via the form below.
Address: 64 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7JF
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8088 2539
Email: operations@firstdemolition.co.uk
A: When a property is genuinely incapable of occupation because it’s undergoing substantial works, the VOA can reassess it as a “building undergoing reconstruction” at a nominal rateable value, reducing the rates payable while the works run. The relief follows genuine works – it’s never the sole aim.
A: Enough to make the space genuinely unusable: typically M&E services, heating, lighting, sanitaryware, ceilings, floors and partitions. The works must be real and substantial – a cosmetic strip-out won’t qualify. We work with you rating surveyor to determine the right scope for your building.
A: We deliver the works; the rating strategy and the VOA proposal sit with a qualified rating surveyor. We work alongside yours – or introduce one – so the scope matches the strategy and is properly evidenced.
A: Ideally, yes. When the strip-out is the genuine first phase of a refurbishment or redevelopment, the works are clearly real – the strongest footing for reassessment – and the building is being readied for its next use at the same time.
A: Sometimes. If a self-contained part can be assessed separately and is genuinely unusable due to works, it may be reflected for that area. It’s fact-specific, so scope it with your surveyor or give us details of your property.
A: The rates avoided during genuine works, set against the cost of the strip-out. On higher-rated units, the savings often exceed the works cost – especially once full empty-property rates would otherwise apply. The calculator gives an indicative figure only.
A: As early as possible once a unit is, or is about to be, empty – at lease end, tenant departure or insolvency. The rates-free void is limited (generally three months), so planning the works around that point is where it counts. Speak to us and your surveyor early.
