PDU Case Report XXXX/YY Date
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planning report D&P/2110a/01 4 September 2013 Newfoundland, Canary Wharf, Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets planning application no.PA/13/01455 & PA/13/01456 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 planning permission for a 58 storey tower comprising 566 residential units plus seven ancillary guest units, retail space, car and cycle parking, landscaping and highway works. The application is also accompanied by listed building consent for works to the listed dock wall. The applicant The applicant is South Quay Properties Limited and the architect is Horden Cherry Lee Architects. Strategic issues The application raises strategic matters relating to housing, affordable housing, design, heritage, views, climate change and transport. Recommendation That Tower Hamlets be advised that while the application is generally acceptable in strategic planning terms possible remedies set out in paragraph 62 of this report need to be addressed. Context 1 On 26 July 2013, the Mayor of London received documents from Tower Hamlets 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 5 September 2013 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 1A, 1B and 1C of the Schedule to the Order 2008: Category 1A1 “Development which comprises or includes the provision of more than 150 houses, flats, or houses and flats” page 1 Category 1B1 “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— (c) outside Central London and with a total floorspace of more than 15,000 square metres.” Category 1C1 “Development which comprises or includes the erection of a building of one or more of the following descriptions— (c) the building is more than 30 metres high and is outside the City of London.” 3 Once Tower Hamlets 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 approximately 0.48 hectares and is located to the north west of the Isle of Dogs at the head of West India Dock and within the tall building cluster of Canary Wharf. The site is currently hard standing car park and it is one of the last few undeveloped sites in the Canary Wharf estate. The site is located above the Jubilee Line tunnels and is adjacent to listed dock walls. To the west, the site has frontage on to Westferry Road, to the north is the One Park Place site (with permission for 33 storey office building). To the east is Middle Dock and to the south is Heron Quays West (recently considered under delegated authority at stage 1 by the Deputy Mayor and Chief of Staff (reference D&P/1995a/01). 7 The nearest stations are Canary Wharf London Underground (460 metres); Heron Quays DLR (24 metres) and Canary Wharf DLR (270 metres). The nearest bus stops are situated on Westferry Road, Marsh Wall, West India Avenue and Westferry Circus Upper Level roundabout. All bus stops are located within 190 to 250 metres. Four bus routes serve these stops and provide approximately 27 buses per hour in peak periods. The site is also accessible via the Thames Clipper service from the Canary Wharf pier at Westferry Circus, 220 metres to the west which operates 5 westbound and 4 eastbound services during the morning and evening peak periods. The nearest part of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) is the A1203, Limehouse Link tunnel, approximately 500m north west of the site. 8 The site is in a highly accessible location with a Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) of five where one represents the lowest accessibility level and six the highest. Details of the proposal 9 Redevelopment of the site comprising 566 residential units and seven guest apartments for use of family and friends associated with occupiers of the residential accommodation. The unit mix proposed is currently proposed as 117 studios (20%), 233 (41%) x 1 bed; 174 (31%) x 2 bed; and 42 (7%) x 3 bed. There is currently no on site affordable housing. In terms of the affordable housing offer, the planning statement sets out that there will be 73 intermediate page 2 units on site and that any affordable rented housing will be delivered off site either by actual provision or payment in lieu, or a combination. 10 The proposal also includes 1,537 sq.m. of ground floor retail. There will also be two amenity space levels; one half way up the building and one at the top of the lower annex part of the building. The proposal includes 124 car parking spaces, 615 cycle parking spaces and new public realm to the north of the site, overlooking Middle Dock. Case history 11 Planning permission was granted in 2008 for a hotel-led mixed use development comprising a part-4, part-5 storey podium building and a 37-storey tower to provide a 150 bedroom hotel and 78 serviced apartments, retail and restaurant floorspace, education and training facilities and a basement level pedestrian link to the existing Jubilee Place retail mall and Canary Wharf underground station. The consented building was 129.4 metres high. 12 The GLA had a series of pre-application meetings held in January and April 2013 with advice issued in March and June 2013 respectively. Officers noted strategic issues regarding social infrastructure, ground floor design layout, inclusive access, affordable housing, energy and transport matters. Strategic planning issues and relevant policies and guidance 13 The relevant issues and corresponding policies are as follows: Housing London Plan; Housing SPG; Housing Strategy; draft Revised Housing Strategy; Shaping Neighbourhoods: Play and Informal Recreation SPG; Shaping Neighbourhoods: Character and Context, draft SPG Affordable housing London Plan; Housing SPG; Housing Strategy; draft Revised Housing Strategy Density London Plan; Housing SPG Urban design London Plan; Shaping Neighbourhoods: Character and Context, draft SPG; Housing SPG; London Housing Design Guide; Shaping Neighbourhoods: Play and Informal Recreation SPG Transport London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy Crossrail London Plan; Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy; Crossrail SPG Parking London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy Access London Plan; Accessible London: achieving an inclusive environment SPG; Planning and Access for Disabled People: a good practice guide (ODPM) Tall buildings/views London Plan, London View Management Framework SPG Historic Environment London Plan; World Heritage Sites SPG; Circular 07/09 Ambient noise London Plan; the Mayor’s Ambient Noise Strategy; Air quality London Plan; the Mayor’s Air Quality Strategy; Education London Plan 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 Blue Ribbon Network London Plan page 3 14 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 Tower Hamlets Core Strategy 2010, The Managing Development Plan Document 2013, the saved policies of the Tower Hamlets Unitary Development Plan 1998 and the 2011 London Plan. 15 The following are also relevant material considerations: The National Planning Policy Framework and Technical Guide to the National Planning Policy Framework. The Draft Revised Early Minor Alteration to the London Plan. Principle of development 16 London Plan policy 4.2 sets out that the distinct needs of the London office market, including the north of the Isle of Dogs, should be met by sustaining and developing its unique and dynamic clusters of ‘world city’ and other specialist functions and business environments. 17 Annex One of the London Plan sets out that the Isle of Dogs Opportunity Area forms a strategically significant part of London’s world city offer for financial, media and business services and is recognised as part of the CAZ for office policy purposes, with Canary Wharf also functioning as a Major town centre. Proposed transport investment including Crossrail should allow it to accommodate an additional 110,000 jobs by 2031. Parts of the area have significant potential to accommodate new homes. An additional 10,000 homes are envisaged. Retail provision has the potential to develop and serve a wider catchment, complemented by a broader range of civic, leisure and other town centre facilities. The site is located within Tower Hamlet’s Preferred Office Location Justification. 18 A predominantly residential scheme therefore requires justification in the context of the London Plan Opportunity Area and local plan office and employment objectives. The applicant commissioned CBRE to consider the viability of office and hotel use on site. This was tested along with indicative layouts provided by the design team (Horden Cherry Lee).