planning report PDU/2894/01 18 July 2012 One Blackfriars in the London Borough of Southwark planning application no.12/AP/1784 Strategic planning application stage 1 referral (new powers) 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 erection of three buildings a tower of 50 storey (containing 274 residential units) plus basement levels, of a maximum height of 170 metres above ordnance datum (AOD), a low rise building of 6 storey “the Rennie Street building”, a low rise 4 storey building “the podium building” which together provide a mixed use development totalling 74,925 sq.m. gross external area comprising: class C1 hotel use, class C3 residential use , Class A1to A5 retail use; and 9,648 sq.m. of basement, ancillary plant, servicing and car parking with associated public open space and landscaping. The applicant The applicant is St George South London Ltd, the architect is Ian Simpson Architects and the agent is CBRE. Strategic issues Strategic issues for consideration are the principle of the proposed development; housing, affordable housing; London’s visitor infrastructure; urban design and inclusive design tall buildings and strategic views; access; Children’s and young people’s play; transport; climate change mitigation and energy; Transport and Community Infrastructure Levy. Recommendation That Southwark Council be advised that while the application is generally acceptable in strategic planning terms the application does not comply with the London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 130 of this report; but that the possible remedies set out in paragraph 132 of this report could address these deficiencies. Context 1 On 13 June 2012 the Mayor of London received documents from Southwark 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 24 July 2012 to provide the Council with a statement setting out whether he considers that the application complies with the London Plan, and his reasons for S:\Planning Decisions\Cases\2894\Stage 1 Report page 1 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 1A, 1B and 1C of the Schedule to the Order 2008: 1A: Development which comprises or includes the provision of more than 150 houses, flats, or houses and flats. 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 - (b) in Central London (other than the City of London) and with a total floorspace of more than 20,000 square metres. 1C: Development which comprises or includes the erection of a building in respect of which one or more of the following conditions is met - (a) the building is more than 30 metres high and is outside the City of London. 3 Once Southwark 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 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 Mayor of London’s statement on this case will be made available on the GLA website www.london.gov.uk. Site description 6 The site is located on the south bank of the Thames and set back from the river by one block at the south-west foot of Blackfriars Bridge. 7 The site is 0.77 hectares consisting of an entire urban block defined by Rennie Street, Blackfriars Road, Upper Ground and Stamford Street and is currently vacant. The immediate surrounding area has a mixed use character containing a variety of building types and uses. In the wider context the site is located in a cultural riverside quarter with the Tate Modern/Bankside to the east and Globe Theatre to the west with convenient access to the City of London. 8 The site is adjacent to the A201 Blackfriars Road and the A3200 Stamford Street, and these roads form part of the Transport for London Road Network (TRLN). The site has a high public transport accessibility level (PTAL) of 6b, where 6 is the highest and 1 the lowest level. Details of the proposal 9 The applicant is seeking full planning permission for development within the earlier approved building envelope and external form (LPA Ref 06-AP-2117) for a development consisting of a 52 storey tower building in the north east corner of the site at the junction of Blackfriars Road and Upper Ground, a podium with publicly accessible plaza and a 6-storey building on the east of the site on Rennie Street. The proposed revisions to the approved and implemented extant consent have evolved following pre-application meetings and now includes the following design and development changes: S:\Planning Decisions\Cases\2894\Stage 1 Report page 2 The removal of the raised podium of the extant consent and the creation of a new ground level public space defined by three separate buildings allowing for north-south and diagonal movement across the site. The residential tower is now a free standing building with market sector residential units in a range of sizes the external appearance and height has not been changed. The hotel has been removed from the tower and relocated on Rennie Street and is of a smaller size and design to fit within the extant consent block. The hotel has the main entrance located on Upper Ground with an active frontage to the new square. S:\Planning Decisions\Cases\2894\Stage 1 Report page 3 The breaking up of the podium has created a new free standing block defining the new square on the corner of Blackfriars Road and Stamford Street with a commercial ground floor frontage and a tower resident’s gym/ spa with garden space on the upper floor. This has a basement connection to the tower. The sky deck visitor attraction in the extant consent has been replaced by a public viewing gallery on level 30 of the Tower with lift access through a lobby on the ground floor/upper ground floor with the entrance facing onto the square. The development now has three basement levels. These contain: a car park stacking system and cycle storage space; facilities for the residential block including: a swimming pool linking to the spa/gym in the Blackfriars Road and Stamford Street block; and hotel related facilities including spa/ gym, conference facilities, back office functions and laundry. The development has no on site affordable housing when compared to the extant consent. The applicant is in negotiation with Southwark Council in relation to off-site affordable housing provision proportional to the original total residential provision on site (also accounting for previously provided units in the Rennie Street block). This process will also include the identification of a suitable development site within the Borough for their delivery. Case history 10 GLA initially approved and later objected to the original application. The objection was sent by the Mayor’s office (12 September 2008) on the impact of views from St. James’s Park footbridge; its impact on the setting of the World Heritage Site and impact on County Hall and Royal Festival Hall. 11 A public inquiry was held and a decision letter was issued by the Secretary of State on 25 March 2009 agreeing with the Inspectors recommendations and granted planning permission as set out in IR14.1-14.13 – it should be noted the decision also included an adjacent development on Rennie Street. The Inspectors report and Secretary of State’s letter considered the proposals are in appropriate locations for tall buildings by virtue of the provisions on London Plan policy 4.9 and Southwark policy 3.20 and that the design of both buildings would be of a high quality, inclusive and sustainable design which would improve the character of the area and produce attractive public spaces. The effect of the proposals on the local environment would be acceptable, including impacts on microclimate and overshadowing. 12 The Secretary of State was satisfied the proposals complied with PPG15 and associated development plan policies on protecting the setting of listed buildings and preserving and enhancing conservation areas and their settings. Each proposal was viewed as being of appropriate scale and geometry not to overpower the existing built form or detract from night time views and that the scale or appearance or the proposals, individually or cumulatively, would not dominate or overpower the setting of the view from St James Park. 13 Planning permission (LPA Ref 06-AP-2117) was granted for the redevelopment of One Blackfriars on the 25 march 2009. On 26 September 2011 Southwark Council granted a certificate of lawfulness of existing uses or development, which in effect confirmed the permission had been implemented. 14 The application has been subject to four pre-application meetings with GLA these focused on the changes within the extant consent to design and principles of land use and two pre- application advice reports were issued on 14 December 2011 and 18 April 2012 with further pre- S:\Planning Decisions\Cases\2894\Stage 1 Report page 4 application meeting held in relation design on 30 May 2012 and on sustainable energy on 29 June 2012.