planning report PDU/1097c/01 4 November 2010 Leamouth Peninsula North London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and Newham) planning application no. PA/10/01864 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 Part detailed part outline application for a mixed-use development comprising 1,706 residential units, 7, 848 sq.m. business floorspace, 1,852 sq.m. of retail floorspace, 1, 801 sq.m. of leisure floorspace, 2,049 sq.m. of arts and cultural floorspace, 4,800 sq.m. of education floorspace, 1,296 sq.m. of community use floorspace. The applicant The applicant is Clearstorm Properties Ltd, a full subsidiary of the Ballymore group of companies. The architect is Capita Lovejoy. Strategic issues The principle of a high-density mixed-use residential led redevelopment of the site is in the interest of good strategic planning in London. The application is broadly consistent with London Plan policy; however, further information is required on affordable housing, child play space, energy and transport to ensure compliance with the London Plan. Recommendation That Tower Hamlets and Newham Council, on behalf of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, be advised that the application does not comply with the London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 106 of this report; but that the possible remedies set out in paragraph 108 of this report could address these deficiencies. The application does not need to be referred back to the Mayor if the Corporation resolve to refuse permission, but it must be referred back if the Corporation resolve to grant permission. Context 1 On 29 September 2010 the Mayor of London received documents from Tower Hamlets Council, on behalf of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC) notifying him of a planning application of potential strategic importance to develop the above site for the above uses. The application is also expected to be referred by Newham Council in the near future. page 1 Under the provisions of The Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 the Mayor has until 9 November 2010 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 of the Schedule to the Order 2008: ”Development which comprises or includes the provision of more than 150 houses, flats or houses and flat”. Category 1B “Development which comprises or includes the erection of a building or buildings outside Central London 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 30 metres high and is outside the City of London”. Category 3B “Development which occupies more than 4 hectares of land which is used for a use within Class B1, B2 or B8 of the Use Classes Order and is likely to prejudice the use of that land for any such use”. Category 3F “Development for a use, other than residential use, which includes the provision of more than 200 car parking spaces in connection with that use”. 3 Once the LTGDC 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 or allow the Corporation to determine it itself, unless otherwise advised. In this instance if the LTGDC resolves to refuse permission it need not refer the application back to the Mayor. 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 site is located at the southern end of the Lower Lea Valley, at the border of the London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham. The site covers the entire peninsula, which has been cleared following the grant of planning permission in 2007. As the application includes a pedestrian bridge across the River Lea part of the site is within the London Borough of Newham. The entire site, however, is within the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation boundary. 6 The site is unique in being almost completely surrounded by water and inter-tidal mud flats. To the west of the site is the Limmo peninsula ecological park – a strip of land that is also dissected by the Docklands Light Railway. To the south of the site is the road overpass of the Lower Lea Crossing. To the southwest is the nature reserve of East India Dock Basin and, further west along the River Thames, ongoing redevelopment close to East India station. To the southeast of the site is ‘Leamouth Peninsula South’, with Trinity Buoy Wharf as a redevelopment marker at the far end of this peninsula. To the east of the site, in the London Borough of Newham, is a collection of infrastructure consisting of railway tracks for Docklands Light Railway, the overland train to Silvertown Way, as well as a strip of industrial uses. Overhead power lines run along and across the railway infrastructure at Canning Town. Canning Town interchange provides access to the overland train connection between North Woolwich and Stratford, a Docklands Light Railway connection to the City, Beckon and City Airport, the Jubilee underground line to Stratford and central London and to eleven bus routes. At the moment, however, the site is disconnected from Canning Town interchange. 7 The closest section of the Transport for London road network is the A1261 Aspen Way and the slip roads which lead to the Leamouth Roundabout, 400 metres to the west of the site. East India Docklands Light Railway station lies 500 metres to the southwest of the site. Bus route 277 can also be accessed at the Leamouth Roundabout. The public transport accessibility level of the page 2 site currently varies across the site, but is as low as 1 in the northern part (out of 6, where 6 is the most accessible). Details of the proposal 8 Permission is sought for a part detailed part outline application for a mixed-use development comprising 1,706 residential units, 7, 848 sq.m. business floorspace, 1,852 sq.m. of retail floorspace, 1, 801 sq.m. of leisure floorspace, 2,049 sq.m. of arts and cultural floorspace, 4,800 sq.m. of education floorspace, 1,296 sq.m. of community use floorspace. 9 The proposal also includes an energy centre, car and cycle parking and a new pedestrian bridge across the River Lea. 10 The thirteen buildings will range in height from 3 to 27 storeys with the tallest buildings positioned towards the end of the peninsula. 11 A breakdown of the residential units for the first phase is shown below. Social Private Total % rented Studio - 54 54 10% 1-bed 45 109 154 29% 2-bed 70 131 201 37% 3-bed 64 36 100 19% 4-bed 16 - 16 3% 5-bed 12 - 12 2% Total 207 330 537 100 % 39% 61% 100 12 The applicant has also provided an indicative breakdown of the unit ranges for the later phases. The later phases will be mainly private units with some affordable intermediate units, the proportion of which is yet to be fixed. However, the applicant has indicated that the overall mix proportion of affordable housing will not exceed 20%. It is therefore likely that the later phases will provide circa 4% social rented units. Private units Intermediate units Percentage Max Percentage Max range No. of range No. of units units Studio 5-20% 225 - - 1-bed 35-45% 505 40-60% 28 page 3 2-bed 20-35% 292 40-60% 18 3-bed 7.5-15% 84 - - 4-bed 1.5-5% 17 - - 5-bed - - - - Total 1,123 46 13 In addition to the 537 residential units, phase one will also provide a flexible workspace building, a leisure facility, a small cultural facility, a community centre and an energy centre. The main creative industries hub with the remaining employment floorspace, retail and cultural floorspace will come forward in later phases as part of the creative industries hub. Case history 14 In 2007 permission was granted for the redevelopment of the Pura Foods factory to a high- density mixed-use residential-led redevelopment of the site. Comprising 1,663-1,884 residential units, a primary school for 371 children, 16,690 sq.m of office floorspace, 1,150 sq.m. of retail and restaurant floorspace, 4,600 sq.m. of other commercial and community floorspace and 2,170 sq.m. of leisure floorspace. 15 The principal of a mixed-use residential-led development has therefore been established. 16 In January 2010 the applicant began a series of meetings with officers from the GLA, LTGDC and Tower Hamlets to discuss a new proposal for redeveloping the site. The main differences between the this application and the consented scheme are as follows:- The range of residential units (1,663 –1,884) has been removed. A set number of 1,706 residential units are now proposed. The podium has been removed and the design of the development altered. The number of car parking spaces has been reduced. The non-residential uses have been relocated in the proposal. The phasing of the development has reversed. The second pedestrian bridge over the railway tracks connecting the site to Canning Town has been removed.