74-78 Long Lane, Borough in the London Borough of Southwark Planning Application No
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planning report D&P/4156/01 19 July 2017 74-78 Long Lane, Borough in the London Borough of Southwark planning application no. 17/AP/2122 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 Demolition of the existing building and the erection of a mixed-use 15 storey building comprising up to 172 co-living units (sui generis) with shared amenity space and ancillary residential facilities, co-working office space (Class B1) with ancillary facilities, together with basement, access, servicing, cycle storage, plant and public realm. The applicant The applicant is Spaces London Bridge, and the architect is MAKE. Strategic issues Principle of development: the proposed mix of uses including modern commercial co-working floorspace and residential accommodation within this part of the CAZ are supported (paragraphs 13 to 17). Housing & affordable housing: the proposed co-living residential product is supported in principle subject to the development demonstrating exemplar residential quality. The lack of affordable housing offer at this stage is wholly unacceptable. The financial viability assessment is currently subject to robust interrogation by GLA officers to ensure that the maximum reasonable contribution towards affordable housing is delivered (paragraphs 18 to 23). Residential quality: the poor standard of residential quality is unacceptable. The applicant must increase the proportion of larger rooms, reduce the number of units sharing the largest floors, and significantly increase the size of communal facilities. (paragraphs 25 to 27). Urban design: the applicant must give further consideration to the lower massing elements to achieve a simpler, slender and elegant overall built form (paragraph 34). Inclusive design: an element of blue badge parking should be provided from the outset (paragraph 38). Further revisions and discussion is sought with respect to the above-mentioned points, and others associated with housing (paragraphs 18 and 20), inclusive design (paragraph 36), sustainability (paragraph 37) and transport (paragraphs 40 to 43). Recommendation That Southwark Council be advised that the application does not comply with the London Plan for the reasons set out in paragraph 48 of this report; but that the possible remedies set out in that paragraph could address these deficiencies. page 1 Context 1 On 20 June 2017 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 31 July 2017 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 categories 1A 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.” • 1C – “Development which comprises or includes the erection of a building more than 30 metres high 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 Mayor of London’s statement on this case will be made available on the GLA website www.london.gov.uk. Site description 5 The application site comprises a four storey warehouse building, flanked by three storey extensions that is in partial commercial/storage use and is located at the junction of Crosby Row and Long Lane, to the east of Borough High Street in the London Borough of Southwark. The site is bounded by Long Lane to the north, Pilgrimage Street to the east, Southall Place to the west, and a small three-storey commercial parade with residential above to the south. Long Lane is served by a bus route and Borough Underground Station and London Bridge station are within a five and ten minute walk respectively. As a result the site benefits from an excellent Public Transport Accessibility Level of 6b, on a scale of one to six, where six is excellent. 6 The surrounding context is a mix of residential, commercial and community uses, with a school and Guy’s Hospital in relatively close proximity. With regards to the scale of existing buildings in the vicinity of the site, the predominant height ranges from four to seven storeys in height, with taller buildings such as the Empire Square development immediately adjacent to the application site which rises to approximately 25 storeys at its tallest and the 21 storey residential towers on the Kipling Estate further to the west of the site on Weston Street. 7 The site does not contain any listed buildings and is not located within a conservation area. The Borough High Street and the Liberty of the Mint conservation areas are located to the north-west of the site with Tennis Street forming the eastern boundary of the former. The Grade II* listed Church of St George the Martyr is located within the closest part of this conservation area adjacent to Borough Underground Station. Trinity Church Square Conservation Area lies some distance to the south of the site and the western boundary of the Bermondsey Street Conservation Area lies to the north-east past the Kipling Estate. With regards to strategic policy designations the site is located within the Central Activities Zone (CAZ). page 2 Details of the proposal 8 The proposals seek the demolition of the existing building and the development of the site to provide a mixed-use fifteen storey building comprising 172 co-living rooms (sui generis) with shared amenity space and ancillary residential facilities, co-working office space (Class B1) with ancillary facilities, together with basement, access, servicing, cycle storage, plant and public realm. Case history 9 The applicant engaged in initial pre-application discussions with GLA officers in January 2017 where the proposed development of this site for a mixture of commercial and residential accommodation within this part of the CAZ was supported in principle. Further information on the existing and proposed employment uses was requested in addition to further detail on the potential residential quality of the co-living product proposed. In addition to the above, further discussion was required regarding affordable housing and a number of issues specifically relating to urban design, inclusive design, sustainable development and transport were raised. Officers note that the quantum of commercial floorspace has been revised and increased following this advice. Strategic planning issues and relevant policies and guidance 10 The relevant strategic issues and corresponding policies are as follows: • Principle of development London Plan; • Housing & affordable housing London Plan; Housing SPG; Housing Strategy; draft Affordable Housing and Viability SPG; Shaping Neighbourhoods: Play and Informal Recreation SPG; Shaping Neighbourhoods: Character and Context, draft SPG; • Urban design London Plan; Shaping Neighbourhoods: Character and Context SPG; Housing SPG; London Housing Design Guide; Shaping Neighbourhoods: Play and Informal Recreation 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; 11 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 2011 Southwark Core Strategy; saved policies of the 2007 Southwark Plan; and the London Plan 2016 (Consolidated with Alterations since 2011). 12 The National Planning Policy Framework, Technical Guide to the National Planning Policy and National Planning Practice Guidance; the Central Activities Zone Supplementary Planning Guidance (March 2016) and the Draft New Southwark Plan (2017) are also relevant material considerations following are also relevant material considerations. page 3 Principle of development 13 The site is located in the Central Activities Zone (CAZ). London Plan Policies 2.11 and 4.3 of the London Plan seek to ensure that proposals to increase office floorspace within the CAZ include a mix of uses, including housing. Furthermore, as recognised in the London Plan, as well as being an economic hub, the CAZ is a place where many people live, including many people who also work there and therefore, the availability of a range of homes in the CAZ helps support its strategic function. However, it is also important to make sure that this does not compromise the strategic functions in other parts of the CAZ. A balanced approach to addressing both the strategic functions of the CAZ and its role as a residential area is therefore required. 14 London Plan Policy 4.2 seeks to support the management and mixed use development and redevelopment of office provision to improve London’s competiveness and to address the wider objectives of the plan. It also seeks to meet the needs of the central London office market, consolidate and extend the strengths of a diverse office market and encourage the renewal and modernisation of the existing office stock. Increases in stock will be sought where there is authoritative, strategic and local evidence of sustained demand. 15 The existing building is currently partially occupied by office and warehouse storage uses, is underused and provides poor quality commercial floor space. It is understood that it currently provides approximately 2,084 sq.m. of B1 accommodation.