planning report D&P/3819/01 22 September 2016 3 Culvert Road, Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth planning application no. 2016/4188 Strategic planning application stage 1 referral Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended); Greater London Authority Acts 1999 and 2007; Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008. The proposal Part hybrid planning application for outline approval for layout and massing only for a new sports hall in association with the Harris Academy; and detailed approval for a building of part 11, 13 and 14 storeys with basement to provide a mixed use scheme including 39 residential units (Class C3) and 1,248 sq.m. GIA of offices (Class B1), with associated cycle parking spaces, 17 car parking spaces, landscaping and public realm improvements. The applicant The applicant is Parkview Battersea Limited and The Harris Federation and the architect is Jo Cowen Architects. Strategic issues summary Principle of development: the principle of the proposed mixed-use development is supported. However, there needs to be significant justification and planning benefit in order to justify a building of this scale in this location (paragraphs 17 to 25). Affordable housing: 12 units, 31% affordable housing by unit comprising 100% intermediate offered at London Plan affordability income thresholds, in addition to delivering significant school enhancements – Wandsworth Council policy target is at least 33% outside of Vauxhall Nine Elms Opportunity Area. Financial viability appraisal is currently being independently reviewed by the Council and GLA officers require further discussions as review progresses (paragraphs 27 to 31). Urban design: Further revisions are required to address relationship with surrounding public realm, in addition to further work on the massing to ensure the building appears slender and elegant in longer views from nearby conservation areas (paragraphs 38 to 43). Further detailed assurances, revisions and discussion is sought with respect to the above- mentioned points, and others associated with housing, density (paragraphs 32 to 37), heritage (paragraph 41), sustainability (paragraphs 45 to 53) and transport (paragraphs 54 to 61). Recommendation That Wandsworth Council be advised that while the principle of development is generally acceptable in strategic planning terms the application does not comply with the London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 66 of this report; but that the possible remedies set out in this paragraph could address these deficiencies. page 1 Context 1 On 15 August 2016 the Mayor of London received documents from Wandsworth Council notifying him of a planning application of potential strategic importance to develop the above site for the above uses. Under the provisions of The Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 the Mayor has until 23 September 2016 to provide the Council with a statement setting out whether he considers that the application complies with the London Plan, and his reasons for taking that view. The Mayor may also provide other comments. This report sets out information for the Mayor’s use in deciding what decision to make. 2 The application is referable under Category 1C of the Schedule to the Order 2008: 1(c). Development which comprises or includes the erection of a building of more than 30 metres high and is outside the City of London. 3 Once Wandsworth Council has resolved to determine the application, it is required to refer it back to the Mayor for his decision as to whether to direct refusal; take it over for his own determination; or allow the Council to determine it itself. 4 The Mayor of London’s statement on this case will be made available on the GLA website www.london.gov.uk. Site description 5 The part hybrid application consists of two sites associated with the existing Harris Academy School, situated on Battersea Park Road in the London Borough of Wandsworth. The detailed application consists of a small 0.06 hectare site on the corner of Culvert Road and Battersea Park Road. The site is currently occupied by a caretaker’s house associated with the adjacent Harris Academy which bounds the site on its southern and eastern boundaries. The house is currently unoccupied and unused. The remainder of the site consists of grass lawn and three trees on its northern edge which will be removed to enable the development; these will be replaced with mature trees as part of the proposals. 6 The outline application relates to two small gymnasiums towards the south east of the main school complex, which do not currently meet Sport England standards. As set out below, the gymnasiums will be demolished and replaced by new facilities. 7 The school is bounded by Battersea Park Road, Culvert Road and Dagnall Street. The former is part of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN). The site is remote from either rail or underground stations; Queenstown Road Battersea and Battersea Park stations are approximately one kilometre from the site. A total of six daytime bus routes are within acceptable walking distance from the site and as such, the site has been estimated to have a moderate public transport accessibility level (PTAL) of three, on a scale of 1a – 6b where 6b is most accessible. Cycle Superhighway 8 also operates along Battersea Park Road. 8 With the exception of the school, the surrounding area is predominantly residential in nature, with the high street frontage along Battersea Park Road opposite the Culvert Road site comprising of commercial at ground with residential above. The building typology is a mixture of low rise period residential terraced housing and mansion blocks, interspersed with larger, multi- storey late twentieth century housing developments ranging from four to 22 storeys in height. The most notable buildings of scale are the 22 storey Castlemaine development approximately fifty metres to the west of the site situated off of Culvert Road and the 21 storey Park South building to the east of the site along Battersea Park Road, in addition to the ten storey buildings of the Battersea Park Estate to the south of the Harris Academy. page 2 9 The site is also within close proximity to the Battersea Park Conservation Area which starts approximately 200 metres to the north, and the Latchmere Estate Conservation Area which starts approximately 100 metres to the south of the Culvert Road site. 10 The site is not subject to any strategic policy designations and is not identified in the Councils Sites Specific Allocations document. Given its proximity to the River Thames, the site falls within Flood Zone 3a and Flood Zone 2 on the Environment Agency Flood Map Details of the proposal 11 This is a joint application between Parkview Battersea Limited and the Harris Academy and the proposals consist of a hybrid planning application which seeks the following: 3 Culvert Road (detailed application) Demolition of the existing building and redevelopment of the site to provide 39 new homes, including affordable housing, and 1,248 sq.m. of office space for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in a part eleven, thirteen and fourteen storey building. The proposals will also provide associated car parking and 200 sq.m. of new public realm. Harris Academy Sports Hall (outline application) Outline approval for the layout and massing only for a 1,325 sq.m. new sports hall located to the rear of the Academy site. The hall will incorporate four indoor sports pitches; ancillary office/teaching space on the second floor; gym; changing rooms; a reception and equipment storage. The sports hall will be physically connected to the main Academy building and will be available to members of the public. 12 In addition to delivering a new sports hall a contribution of £350,000 will provided to the Harris Academy to fund essential maintenance works to the school complex and the conversion of Culvert House, an existing school office building, to educational use. Case history 13 The applicant engaged in pre-application discussions with GLA officers (PDU/3819) regarding the proposals in December 2015. Following discussions the applicant was advised that the site was considered suitable for mixed-use development including commercial at ground level with residential above and that any housing and affordable housing should meet the requirements of the London Plan. Furthermore, the applicant was advised that the impact of the proposed scale and massing in relation to the Battersea Park and Latchmere Estate Conservation Areas should be assessed and that the proposed tall building would need to be of a high architectural quality. Further detailed comments with regards to energy, flood risk and the transport assessment were also provided. Strategic planning issues and relevant policies and guidance 14 The relevant issues and corresponding policies are as follows: Principle of development London Plan; Social Infrastructure SPG; Tall buildings/views London Plan, London View Management Framework SPG Housing London Plan; Housing SPG; Housing Strategy; Shaping Neighbourhoods: Play and Informal Recreation SPG; Shaping Neighbourhoods: Character and Context SPG page 3 Affordable housing London Plan; Housing SPG; Housing Strategy; Urban design London Plan; Shaping Neighbourhoods: Character and Context SPG; Housing SPG; Shaping Neighbourhoods: Play and Informal Recreation SPG Historic Environment London Plan; World Heritage Sites SPG; Inclusive design London Plan; Accessible London: achieving an inclusive environment SPG; Sustainable development London Plan; Sustainable Design and Construction SPG; Mayor’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy; Mayor’s Climate Change Mitigation and Energy Strategy; Mayor’s Water Strategy Transport London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy; 15 For the purposes of Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the development plan in force for the area is the Wandsworth Core Strategy (March 2016), Development Management Policies Document (March 2016), Site Specific Allocations Document and Proposals Map (March 2016) and the London Plan 2016 (Consolidated with Alterations since 2011).