Londoners at odds over restoration

[LONDON] Trying to renovate a Victorian market and tack on some offices hip enough for Google in the oldest part of this ancient city is not a task for the weak of heart. Just ask Geoff Harris.

As head of property development for Henderson Global Investors, he is the face of a £160 million (S$337.8 million) proposal to restore a handful of buildings in the historic Smithfield Market in the heart of the City of London historical financial centre and designed by Sir Horace Jones, the architect responsible for the Tower Bridge.

According to Mr Harris, Henderson's project is noble and expensive, restoring historical grandeur to the Victorian market buildings while integrating new space for shops, restaurants and desperately needed modern offices.