Becontree Heath, Wood Lane in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Planning Application No
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planning report D&P/4026/01 20 March 2017 Becontree Heath, Wood Lane in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham planning application no. 16/01975/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 Redevelopment of six sites including 2 Stour Road and adjacent car park, land between Gosfield Road and Wood Lane adjacent Butler Court, Wood Lane car park and bus terminus, vacant land to east of Althorne Way and part of leisure centre car park to provide 42 three storey houses, 128 flats in 4 to 6 storey blocks, a pharmacy (use class A1), re-located bus stand, car parking and associated works. The applicant The applicant is Countryside Properties Ltd and the agent is Montagu Evans LLP. Key dates: Pre-application meeting: 21 June 2016 Strategic issues Affordable housing: The proposal includes the reprovision of affordable floorspace, with an overall uplift of 7% affordable housing. GLA officers have robustly interrogated the applicant’s viability appraisal. In accordance with the Mayor’s draft Affordable Housing and Viability SPG the Council should secure robust early stage and end of development review mechanisms. (Paras: 17- 28) Sustainable development (energy and flooding): Further technical information is required regarding energy efficiency and flood risk. (Paras: 39-40). Transport: Further information should be provided regarding cycle parking and ancillary facilities for employees of the commercial units. Relevant travel plans, and the reprovision of the bus stand prior to the loss of the existing facility should be secured via appropriate conditions/ obligations. (Paras: 41-46). Recommendation That Barking and Dagenham 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 50 of this report; but that the possible remedies also set out in that paragraph could address these deficiencies. page 1 Context 1 On 16 January 2017 the Mayor of London received documents from Barking and Dagenham 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 February 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 Category 1A 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.” 3 Once Barking and Dagenham 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 Countryside Properties has been selected by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham as its preferred development partner for the redevelopment of a series of sites which together form the Becontree Heath Development Opportunity. This proposal encompasses six sites located immediately to the north and south of Wood Lane over a total area of 1.3 hectares. The sites include: the existing bus terminus, along Althorne Lane; the car park to the west of Althorne Road; and two sites flanking the junction of Stour Road and Rainham Road. 6 The six development sites are currently vacant. Site 6 previously comprised of 36 dwellings and 8 ground floor commercial/retail units and was known as ‘Althorne Way’. The eight commercial units consisted of two charity shops/organisations, a newsagent, a pharmacy and several empty units. The pharmacy has been relocated to a temporary facility adjacent to the development site and will be offered a commercial unit within the new scheme once completed. With the exception of this small portion of the overall planning application site, the remainder are underutilised spaces (including car parks, demolished office blocks and grass verges). Site 9e previously included a Council office building. 7 The masterplan area spans from the Becontree Heath Leisure Centre and car park which forms a district centre with Morrison’s to the west and the Grade II Civic Centre to the east, which dates from 1936. The north of the masterplan area comprises the Becontree Heath Estate. This area also comprises of Laburnum House and Hawkwell House which are residential towers with a scale of 17 storeys. The Becontree Heath Estate also extends to the south of the masterplan area and comprises of residential buildings with a scale of 3 to 17 storeys. page 2 Contextual aerial view of the existing Becontree Heath area and the six sites 8 The application sites are on three plots to the north and south of Wood Lane, which forms part of the Strategic Road Network (SRN). The closest section of the Transport for London Road Network is the A12, 2.6 kilometres to the north of the site. The nearest stations are Dagenham East (Underground District Line), 2.2 kilometres to the south and Chadwell Heath (National Rail TfL Rail) 2.2 kilometres to the north-west. Eight bus services operate within an acceptable walking distance of the site, and as such the PTAL of the site ranges from 2 (poor) to 3 (moderate). The existing site includes a terminating stop and bus stand for four buses on two routes, 150 and EL2. Details of the proposal Proposal 9 The proposed development comprises 170 residential units, with 46 affordable, together with 90 sq.m. commercial floorspace (pharmacy), and provision of a new bus interchange off Althorne Way. Case history 10 The proposal has been prepared in accordance with the brief set by the Council. A pre- application meeting was held with the applicant at City Hall on 21 June 2016 and an advice report was issued on 22 November 2016, reference D&P/4026/01(pre-application). GLA officers met with the applicant team and Council officers again on 28 March 2017 to discuss the affordable housing reprovision at the site. page 3 Strategic planning issues and relevant policies and guidance 11 The relevant issues and corresponding policies are as follows: Housing London Plan; Housing SPG; Housing Strategy; Providing for Children and Young People’s Play and Informal Recreation SPG; Affordable housing London Plan; Housing SPG; Housing Strategy; Affordable Housing and Viability SPG; Urban design London Plan; Inclusive access 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; Land for Transport SPG. 12 For the purposes of Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the development plan in force for the area comprises: the Barking and Dagenham Council Core Strategy (2010); Borough Wide Development Policies Development Plan Document (2011); Site Specific Allocations Development Plan Document (2010); and Proposals Map Development Plan Document (2012), and the London Plan 2016. 13 The Becontree Heath Masterplanning- Cabinet report (24 April 2012), and the National Planning Policy Framework, Technical Guide to the National Planning Policy Framework and National Planning Practice Guidance, are also relevant material considerations. Principle of use 14 The Council has identified the application sites as part of the Becontree Heath Development Opportunity within the Becontree Heath Masterplan. Parcel 1 (which comprises sites 4, 6 and 6a) is situated within site allocation SM10 of the London Borough of Barking Site Specific Allocation DPD 2010. The allocation states that the site has the potential for housing, retail, health and bus standing facilities. 15 The application includes housing, a pharmacy and a bus terminus which is broadly in accordance with the local policy aspirations. Furthermore, the proposal will contribute towards meeting the requirements of Policy 3.3 of the London Plan, which seeks to increase London’s housing supply, setting borough targets which this scheme will help contribute towards. The proposal would also provide strategic infrastructure through the reprovision of a bus terminus and an improved health facility. Consequently, the principle of development and mix of uses proposed are strongly supported and consistent with long standing local and strategic policies that seek a major regeneration of these sites for housing, community uses and transport enhancements. 16 The office block on site 9e was vacated in February 2016 and fully demolished in October 2016 by the Council. The site was considered to be surplus to the Council’s requirements, and the tenants have been relocated to a more suitable location. Given that the Council had indicated proposed uses for this site in the Site Allocations Document, the loss of this office space does not raise any strategic concerns. page 4 Affordable Housing Reprovision of affordable housing 17