planning report D&P/3548/02 and D&P/3548a/02 23 September 2015 Triangle Site and Olive Morris House, Brixton in the London Borough of Lambeth planning application no. 15/02276/FUL and 15/02264/FUL Strategic planning application stage II 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 The Triangle Site: refurbishment and retention of Lambeth Town Hall to provide 8,503 sq.m. civic floorspace (sui generis use class); demolition of existing buildings and provision of a six- storey building, comprising 11,084 sq.m. office floorspace, and a part-ten part-fourteen building comprising 94 residential units; change of use to provide 26 residential units; change of use to provide a cycle hub; a total of 1,478 sq.m. of flexible commercial floorspace (A1 and A3 use class), and public realm improvements. Olive Morris House: demolition of existing building, and erection of a part-six, part seven-storey building, comprising 74 residential units, together with 1,240 sq.m. of commercial and leisure floorspace (A1/B1/D1 and D2 use class). The applicant The applicant is Muse Developments Ltd, in a joint venture with Lambeth Council, and the architect is Cartwright Pickard Architects. Strategic issues The principle of the comprehensive redevelopment of a number of town centre sites to consolidate council services within Brixton, and to deliver housing, is strongly supported. Outstanding strategic planning concerns relating to housing, urban design and heritage, climate change and transport, have been satisfactorily addressed, and the application is now acceptable. The Council’s decision In this instance Lambeth Council has resolved to grant permission. Recommendation That Lambeth Council be advised that the Mayor is content for it to determine the case itself, subject to any action that the Secretary of State may take, and does not therefore wish to direct refusal or direct that he is to be the local planning authority. page 1 Context 1 On 21 April 2015 the Mayor of London received documents from Lambeth Council notifying him of a planning application of potential strategic importance to develop the above site for the above uses. This was referred to the Mayor under the following Categories of the Schedule to the Order 2008: Category 1B: “Development (other than development which only comprises the provision of houses, flats, or houses and flats), which comprises or includes the erection of a building or buildings outside Central London and with a total floorspace of more than 15,000 sq.m.”. Category 1C: “Development which comprises or includes the erection of a building more than thirty metres high and outside the City of London”. 2 On 3 June 2015, Sir Edward Lister, Deputy Mayor and Chief of Staff, acting under delegated authority, considered planning report D&P/3548/01 & D&P/3548a/01, and subsequently advised Lambeth Council that, whilst the principle of the proposal was strongly supported, the application did not comply with the London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 100 of the above-mentioned report; but that the possible remedies set out in the report could address these deficiencies. 3 A copy of the above-mentioned report is attached. The essentials of the case with regard to the proposal, the site, case history, strategic planning issues and relevant policies and guidance are as set out therein, unless otherwise stated in this report. On 1 September 2015 Lambeth Council decided that it was minded to grant planning permission, and on 9 September 2015 it advised the Mayor of this decision. The referral was acknowledged complete on 10 September 2015. Under the provisions of Article 5 of the Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 the Mayor may allow the draft decision to proceed unchanged, direct Lambeth Council under Article 6 to refuse the application or issue a direction to Lambeth Council under Article 7 that he is to act as the Local Planning Authority for the purposes of determining the application, and any connected application. The Mayor has until 23 September 2015 to notify the Council of his decision and to issue any direction. 4 The environmental information for the purposes of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011 has been taken into account in the consideration of this case. 5 The decision on this case, and the reasons will be made available on the GLA’s website www.london.gov.uk. Update 6 At the consultation stage Lambeth Council was advised that, whilst the principle of the proposal was strongly supported, the application did not comply with the London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 100 of the above-mentioned report; but that the possible remedies set out in the report could address these deficiencies: Principle of development: the principle of both applications fully accorded with London Plan policies and were strongly supported. The applicant was required to provide further information on the nature and occupancy of the existing residential floorspace on the site. Further discussion with the applicant and the Council regarding the relationship of the development to the retained Electric Brixton music venue was also required to ensure its long-term operation, and its relationship to the proposed public realm improvements. page 2 Housing: the proportion of affordable housing responded positively to local policy. The applicant’s viability appraisal was being independently assessed, and the results not known at consultation stage. Urban design and heritage: the overall development was strongly supported, and responded positively to London Plan policies. The impact of the tower element on important heritage assets needed to be assessed by both the GLA and the Council against the overall benefits of both applications. GLA officers welcomed further discussion with the applicant regarding a modest reduction in the tower, which could fully address all concerns raised with regards to heritage assets, without significant impact on the overall development. Further consideration was also required to be given to increasing the distance between Hambrook House and the new civic building; the public realm and landscaping design of Buckner Road; and further reducing the amount of service related frontage of Hambrook House. The applicant was also required to confirm that all units are designed to achieve a minimum of 2,600mm floor to ceiling height. Finally, the Council was encouraged to secure details of brickwork through conditions to ensure an appropriate tonal balance is achieved, and ensure that the 1950s balustrade and borough arms on No.7 Town Hall Parade is incorporated within the new civic offices. Climate change – adaptation: the application raised concerns with regards to surface water flood risk. The applicant was therefore required to ensure that the London Plan sustainable drainage hierarchy, contained within London Plan Policy 5.13, was implemented as part of the redevelopment proposals. Further information was also required regarding existing street trees. Climate change – mitigation: it was not possible to determine at consultation stage whether the proposal accorded with London Plan energy policies. Further information on energy efficiency, the proposed heating system, overheating, heat-network, and the proposed energy centre was therefore required. The applicant was also required to prioritise a future connection with any planned district heating network, and commit to delivering a site-wide heat-network linking all uses and buildings, which should include an assessment of the feasibility of linking both application sites. Finally, the applicant was required to provide the carbon emissions in tonnes per annum for all the new build elements in table format, in accordance with GLA assessment guidance, to allow for a full assessment of the proposal against London Plan Policy 5.2. Once agreed, the Council was required to appropriately secure the final energy strategy, and specifically the delivery of a site-wide heat-network. Transport: at consultation stage the application did not comply with the London Plan with regards to transport. Further discussions were required concerning trip generation, blue badge car parking, trees, bus infrastructure, and construction access routes. Principle of development 7 As set out at consultation stage, the principle of the consolidation of Lambeth Council services within Brixton Town Centre, which includes the retention of the existing town hall building for civic purposes, is strongly supported, and fully accords with strategic policy. However, the applicant was required to confirm the nature of the existing residential floorspace on the site, and provide further details on the relationship of the development to the retained Electric Brixton music venue to ensure its long-term operation, and its relationship to the proposed public realm improvements. 8 The applicant has subsequently confirmed that there is a single existing residential unit within the 1 Town Hall Parade building. This unit is within the freehold of Lambeth Council and is currently being occupied on a temporary ‘guardian’ basis in order to prevent unauthorised visitors page 3 to the building. The loss of this floorspace is off-set by the provision of 194 residential units, and accords with London Plan Policy 3.14. 9 At consultation stage the Council was required to ensure that the relationship between the long-term operation of the Electric music venue and the proposed development was appropriately addressed. As set out in detail in the Council’s committee report, the emerging Local Plan allocates the site occupied by the Electric as a music venue, and includes specific local policies that seek to ensure the retention of existing cultural uses. The building is also locally listed. The positioning of office uses adjacent to the music venue is not considered by the Council to present any conflict in relation to undue noise as a result of the two uses operating at alternative times of the day and night.