Olympia Exhibition Centre & Olympia
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planning report GLA/4529/01 & 4529a/01 14 January 2019 Olympia Exhibition Centre & Olympia Way in the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham planning application no. 2018/03102/OUT & 2018/03100/FUL 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 Full application for redevelopment of Olympia Exhibition Centre comprising demolition, refurbishment, extension and alteration to existing exhibition halls; erection of 13 storey buildings for office use; erection of 10 storey building on G-Gate site; partial demolition, alterations and extension of Maclise Road Car Park; roof level public realm deck; logistics centre; use of venue for exhibition, live music, theatre, restaurant/bar, retail, hotel, cinema, office, co-working and conference space. Outline application for erection of buildings up to 4 storeys on Olympia Way for flexible Class A1-A4, B1 and D1 space. The applicant The applicant is Olympus Property Holding Ltd and the architects are Heatherwick Studios and SPPARC. Strategic issues Land use principle: The proposals to regenerate Olympia Exhibition Centre as a major visitor attraction, and new business, leisure and cultural quarter, enhancing London’s world city status, are strongly supported in principle by London Plan and draft London Plan policies (paras. 16-25). Design and heritage: The proposals would introduce significant new build elements of significant scale and townscape impact, however the quality of the proposals is high, and the impact on the setting of heritage assets and the loss of historic fabric would result in less than substantial harm. Such harm is outweighed by the benefits of the proposals. Some further revisions to design are required (paras. 26-55). Climate change and drainage: Additional technical information is required in relation to the applicant’s energy strategy and SuDS strategy (paras.59-62). Transport: The significant increase in public transport trips must be appropriately mitigated: gateline capacity and facility enhancements at Kensington Olympia station and £1.8m contribution towards bus capacity improvements are required. Conditions and obligations to protect safety and operations on the transport network are required. Visitor car parking should be reduced to blue badge parking only (paras. 63-89). Recommendation That Hammersmith & Fulham Council be advised that whilst the principle of the development is strongly supported, the application does not yet fully comply with the London Plan and draft London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 92 of this report. However, the resolution of those issues could lead to the application becoming compliant with the London Plan and draft London Plan. Context 1 On 15 October 2018, the Mayor of London received documents from Hammersmith & Fulham 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 must 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 the following categories of the Schedule to the Order 2008: • 1B(c): “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 square metres.” • Category 1C: “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 Hammersmith & Fulham 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 2017 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 application proposals relate to the Olympia Exhibition Centre, located to the north of Hammersmith Road within the London borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, close to the boundary with the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. The 4.8 hectare site is largely occupied by five main structures and a currently vacant plot of land to the south west, known as G-Gate. The main exhibition centre consists of two linked domed exhibition halls (known as the Grand Hall and the National Hall) which have entrances on to Olympia Way to the east and turn the corner on to Hammersmith Road. The Central Hall fronts on to Hammersmith Road with its distinctive 1930s façade. To the north of the site is the Pillar Hall and the former Maclise Road Car Park. To the west, fronting on to Blythe Road, is further exhibition space known as the West Hall (Olympia West), and the G-Gate site. 7 The Grand Hall and the Pillar Hall (formerly the Minor Hall) are Grade II* listed buildings. The National Hall, Olympia Central (formerly Olympia 2), and the Maclise Road Car Park are Grade II listed buildings. The site lies within the Olympia and Avonmore Conservation Area and is also adjacent to the boundaries of two other conservation areas: Brook Green to the north-west and Dorcas Estate to the south-west across Hammersmith Road. Other heritage assets in close proximity include the West Kensington Post Office building and Blythe House on Blythe Road. page 2 8 Hammersmith Road forms part of the Strategic Road Network (SRN), and is served by a number of bus services providing frequent services to various destinations, including some 24 hour services. Kensington Olympia Station is located approximately 50 metres to the north east of the site, and is served by London Overground and Southern Rail services. London Underground services between Earl’s Court and Kensington Olympia are also periodically available; however, these services are limited, and normally scheduled around events at the Olympia exhibition centre and at weekends. The site is within walking distance (960 metres) of Baron’s Court and West Kensington London Underground stations, hence the site has a PTAL of between 5 and 6a, on a scale of 0 to 6b, where 6b is the highest. Details of the proposal 9 Full planning permission is sought (LPA ref: 2018/03100/FUL; GLA ref: 4259a) for the redevelopment of the Olympia Exhibition Centre site involving alterations and extensions to the existing exhibition space, and new build and conversion to create significant new office space as well as hotel, theatre, live music, cultural, restaurant and retail space. The proposals involve a new public realm deck at roof level, public realm at ground level and a logistics centre at ground and two basement levels under Central Hall. The full planning application comprises: • Central Hall - demolition with retention of listed façade to Hammersmith Road, erection of new 13 storey building for office, exhibition, flexible (Class A1-A4) retail/financial and professional services /restaurant/bar, and flexible (B1/D1) office/conference uses, new site-wide logistics centre, car/cycle parking and plant within ground and two new basement levels; • G-gate site - erection of 10 storey building with two levels of basement for use as a theatre, exhibition and restaurant/bar use at ground/level and roof level; • National Hall - internal and external alterations comprising three storey roof-level extension for use as hotel, part use of National Hall for hotel and ancillary use, two levels of internal decks for use as exhibition space and restaurant/bar use, alterations to existing basement and associated internal and external works • West Hall - alterations and extension to provide two additional storeys for use as live music and performance space • Maclise Road Multi Storey Car Park - partial demolition, alterations and extension for use as hotel, cinema, and flexible co-working/conference use • Grand and National Halls - demolition of existing accommodation and circulation spaces between halls and construction of new Level 2 public realm deck with glazed canopy comprising flexible use (A1-A4) retail/restaurant/bar/financial and professional services; • Pillar Hall - Internal and external alterations for use of building for restaurant/bar use • Grand Hall - internal and external alterations including creation of two levels of internal decks for use as exhibition space and flexible exhibition/restaurant/bar use; • Plant and energy centres; pedestrian/vehicle/cycle/highway works; public realm, landscaping and associated works. 10 Separate listed building consent is sought for the above works to the listed buildings (LPA ref: 2018/03103/LBC). 11 A separate application for outline planning permission is also submitted (LPA ref: 2018/03102/OUT; GLA ref: 4259) for the erection of four storey commercial buildings on the eastern side of Olympia Way (on land owned by Network Rail). This is referred to the Mayor on the basis of paragraph 2 of the Schedule to the Order, as it forms part of more substantial proposed development on adjoining land. page 3 Case history 12 Whilst the exhibition halls have been subject to numerous planning and listed building consent applications for alterations, the only proposals that have been referable to the GLA were the applications at the G-Gate site in 2008 (revised in 2013) for the erection of a new 10 storey building for hotel use (LPA refs: 2008/00547/FUL and 2013/03806/FUL; GLA refs: 2137 & 2137a).