PLANNING COMMITTEE 12 May 2016 [email protected] References: P/2015/4055 00607/AM/P5 Site: Watermans Park, High Street, Brentford, London TW8 0DS Description: Creation of 26 permanent moorings with a new 14 space car park and associated landscaping This application is being taken to Planning Committee as it is a major application on Council owned land. 1.0 SUMMARY 1.1 The application proposes the creation of 26 permanent residential moorings with an associated structure for car parking, servicing and storage at Watermans Park, as well as new landscaping throughout the park itself. 1.2 The existing boats which are moored without consent or proper services would be replaced with new good quality residential mooring spaces that would include appropriate access and services including power, water and sewerage. Environmental impacts, including to the river are satisfactory, and the scheme would also remove unsightly wrecks and rubbish from the site, whilst new landscaping to the park would enhance its appearance and opportunities for its use. 1.3 Detailed conditions covering demolition work and construction, including within the river would minimise environmental effects, whilst other conditions controlling the management of the moorings would ensure ongoing operational impacts are satisfactory and not disruptive to the use of the river or adjacent park. 1.4 The application is recommended for approval subject to conditions. 2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION 2.1 The application site is comprised of Watermans Park and a stretch of the adjacent River Thames. Watermans Park is a landscaped open space alongside the Thames, with an area of appropriately 1.1 hectares. It is positioned between the river and Brentford High Street, and is to the east of Brentford town centre. The western end of the park adjoins the Watermans Arts Centre. The eastern end of the park adjoins a raised car parking area and access that serves ‘Victoria Steps Quay’, a residential mooring scheme that has a number of boats moored along the Thames downstream from the site (moorings for 6 boats). 2.2 Access to the park is provided at four points. Access is provided by graded pathways and stairs. Three of these are from the High Street, with these being located at both ends of the park, with there also being a set of stairs and a ramp in the eastern half of the park (around 95m and 135m respectively from the eastern boundary of the site). At the western end of the site there is also a pathway along the river in front of the Watermans Art Centre. The entrance of the High Street adjacent to the Watermans Art Centre is accessible to vehicles (for emergency access only). 2.3 The park contains landscaped areas with planter beds, ornamental shrub and tree planting, pathways, seating and a children’s playground. The park contains some sloping areas and is mostly set below the level of the adjacent roadway. A paved pedestrian pathway, enclosed by railings to one side runs alongside the river. This pathway is part of the Thames Path. Past the eastern side of the site the Thames path is diverted to the High Street as there is no through route owing to private land extending to the riverbank (Victoria Steps Quay). 2.4 The adjacent Thames River is tidal, with the river bed largely exposed at low tides. The river bed is formed of mud and shingle. The river at this location is split in two by Brentford Ait, a narrow island that is well vegetated, with the thick tree cover screening the urban development of Brentford from the green spaces of Kew. The main channel of the river is to the south of the Ait. On the opposite bank, beyond the Ait is a towpath and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The gardens are a World Heritage Site (WHS) and a WHS buffer zone extends to the high water mark on the site. Further upstream is Lots Ait an island with a boat repair yard and moorings. 2.5 The majority of Watermans Park is designated as Local Open Space (No. 57) in the Hounslow Local Plan, with the exception of an area of approximately 715sqm at the easternmost end of the park. The area of riverbed exposed at low tide is designated as Metropolitan Open Land and the river as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. The whole site is within the Thames Policy Area. 2.6 Over 30 boats including derelict and wrecked craft are moored parallel to the park and foreshore pathway, up to three abreast, with boats tethered to existing piles and to the foreshore. The boats vary in size, type and condition. It appears some of the boats are not capable of navigation. 2.7 The majority of the boats are occupied and appear to be used as primary places of residence. There is evidence boats are also rented with one known to provide visitor accommodation. 2.8 Access to boats is provided by climbing over existing fencing to ramps and gangplanks attached to the fence/ riverbank, with boats on the outside of the row being accessed via other boats. 2.9 Apart from a hotel and the Musical Museum, the area to the north of the High Street has predominantly residential development including high rise flats, townhouses and the converted former St George’s Church (undergoing conversion). 2.10 The site is served by regular bus services on the High Street (237 and 267) going to Brentford, Isleworth, Hounslow, Twickenham and Chiswick, and is within a reasonable walking distance from Kew Bridge railway station. It has a Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) of 3, which is moderate. 3.0 HISTORY Planning history 3.1 The site was once part of the Brentford Gas Works with the foreshore used for delivery of coal by barges. The area adjacent to the river was redeveloped as a public park (opened in 1983) with the remainder of the gas works site redeveloped for housing and the Watermans Art Centre. Improvements to the park have been ongoing with new tree planting and play equipment being provided. 3.2 The most relevant planning history relating to this site is given below. 3.3 00607/M/P9 Erection of 3-storey offices and arts centre comprising theatre, cinema, exhibition hall, bar, cafeteria & ancillary accommodation, with associated parking spaces and riverside walkway Approved 25 August 1981 3.1 Victoria Quay Steps moorings (7-8 High Street Brentford) with its associated parking deck were developed in the late 1980s. Approval of these moorings followed refusal of a number of proposed schemes for moorings and associated development that were considered to be overdevelopment. The existing moorings (for 6 boats) have a dedicated car park and refuse storage area adjacent to the High Street, with moorings being fully serviced. Mooring consents 3.2 Boats are able to be moored on the river as there is a public right of navigation, which permits mooring as required, provided there is no obstruction to navigation. 3.3 There is however no right to moor boats to structures or land owned by other parties without their permission. Therefore where mooring or access to the riverbank is sought, the permission of the land owner is needed. 3.4 In this instance the boats moored at the site utilise various river infrastructure and land that are owned or controlled by others, and no consents to moor permanently have been given to any of the boat owners, and so the existing permanent mooring of these boats is not authorised. 3.5 There is a current River Works Licence that covers structures within the river that is subject to jurisdiction of the Port of London Authority. This licence is to the benefit of the London Borough of Hounslow. The permanent mooring of vessels to these structures is not covered by the licence. 3.6 Other boats are permanently moored to railings and embankment of Watermans Park, which is owned by the London Borough of Hounslow, for which no consent as the riparian landowner has been given. Planning permission 3.7 Given the particular circumstances of the site and its use, the present operational use for permanent residential moorings is considered to be a material change of use of the site that would have required planning permission from the Local Authority. In this regard the site is being used to provide permanent dwellings/primary places of residence for which planning permission is required, as opposed to the temporary or transient mooring of vessels and use of the river for navigational purposes which would be ancillary uses of a waterway, not requiring planning permission. Also various permanent structures, including gates, fencing and fixed ramps for access constitute development for which no planning permission has been obtained. Previous enforcement 3.8 Action was taken against boats moored without consent alongside the park in 1999, and wrecked and abandoned vessels were also removed. However by 2004 some boats had returned with additional boats being permanently moored over time since then. Redevelopment 3.9 The application has been submitted on behalf of the Council by consultants following resolution of the Council’s Cabinet on 9 September 2014 (and follows from a previous resolution of the Cabinet in 2002 to support a similar scheme). The 2014 resolution agreed a programme to proceed with a redevelopment scheme to provide a marina at Watermans Park to achieve the following benefits and objectives: 26 berths for permanent residential houseboat moorings; Environmental enhancements to Waterman’s Park with improvements to the riverside open space; Generate a positive capital receipt; Serve as the catalyst to remove the existing unauthorised moorings at Waterman’s Park; and Regulatory compliance with the Port of London Authority (PLA).