DC097/034 8.2 Committee 10
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Committee: Date: Classification: Report Number: Agenda Item No: Development Unrestricted DC097/034 8.2 Committee 10. December 2003 Report of: Title: Conservation Area Consent and Town Planning Director of Customer Services Applications: - Case Officer: David Pickett Location: 38 TO 40, TRINITY SQUARE, LONDON, EC3 Ward: St Katharines's and Wapping 1. SUMMARY 1.1 Registration Details Reference No: PA/02/01400 & 1401 Date Received: 18/09/2002 Last Amended Date: 16/09/2003 1.2 Application Details Existing Use: Offices - Class B1(a) and London Underground Station. Proposal: Demolition of existing buildings and redevelopment to provide offices, accommodation for London Underground, tourist information/retail kiosk together with associated car parking, servicing and plant in a seven storey building plus basement and plant room and creation of a pedestrian passageway alongside the west side of the section of Roman wall abutting the east side of the existing building. Applicant: The City of London Real Property Co. Ltd. Ownership: The Applicant Historic Building: No Conservation Area: The Tower 2. RECOMMENDATION: 2.1 That the Development Committee grant Planning Permission and Conservation Area Consent subject to completion of a Section 106 Agreement relating to "car-free" provisions and requiring the walkway adjoining the section of Roman wall to remain open to the public in the long term and the Conditions outlined below: 1. Time expiry. 2. Completion of Works and Development. 3. Design of the central bay on the west facing elevation. 4. Details of a lighting and management plan for the footpath adjoining the section of Roman wall abutting the site. 5. Detailed proposals of soft and hard landscaping of the area surrounding the south side of the site including Wakefield Gardens and a widened ramp to the viewing platform/sun dial area and the Tower Gardens level to accommodate all wheelchair users of Wakefield Gardens.. 6. Control of light pollution during hours of darkness. 7. Position of disabled persons lift behind ticket barrier in Underground Station. 8. Position and security of ATM cash point and telephone booths in Underground Station. 9. Removal of two columns in south facing exit to Station and deflection of loading weight. 10. Statement on measures to ensure safe operation of the Underground railway during demolition and construction works. 11. Reinstatement of telephones. LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 2000 (Section 97) LIST OF BACKGROUND PAPERS USED IN THE DRAFTING OF THIS REPORT Brief Description of background paper: Tick if copy supplied for register Name and telephone no. of holder Application case file, plans, UDP, PPG’s. Development Control 020 7364 5338 12. Details of counterlevered canopy. 13. Schedule of signage to be removed, stored and reinstated. 14. Acoustic treatment of mechanical ventilation equipment and outlets 15. Restricted hours of demolition and construction 16. Restricted hours of pile driving. 17. Wheel cleaning. 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 The application site is located on the corner of the junction between Trinity Square and Trinity Place and is set back from the A100 Tower Hill behind Wakefield Gardens. It comprises two distinct buildings, No. 38, Trinity Square, a five storey post war render and glass structure of no particular architectural merit and No. 40, Trinity Square, a four storey building plus lower ground floor with Edwardian frontage of some particular merit; both front onto Trinity Square with the ground floor of No. 38 forming the exit to Tower Hill Underground Station. 3.2 The site comprises an area of 0.19 hectares and the existing buildings comprise 7,467 square metres of which 7,046 square metres is in office use and 421 square metres is used by London Underground. 3.3 The application site is within the Tower Conservation Area and abuts a section of Roman wall that is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is contained within the Tower World Heritage Site. 3.4 The subject applications are for demolition of the existing buildings and redevelopment to provide offices, accommodation for London Underground, a tourist information/retail kiosk together with associated car parking, servicing and plant in a seven storey building plus basement and plant room plus creation of a pedestrian passageway alongside the west side of the section of Roman wall abutting the east side of the existing building. The proposal is for 11,916 square metres containing 11,418 square metres of office floorspace, 17 square metres of retail and 481 square metres for London Underground. 4. PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK 4.1 The following Unitary Development Plan proposals are applicable to this application: (1) Archaeological importance or potential (2) Central Area Zones 4.2 The following Unitary Development Plan policies are applicable to this application: DEV1, DEV2 and DEV3 - General Design and Environmental Requirements DEV4 - Planning Obligations. DEV5 - High Buildings DEV25 and DEV28 - Conservation Areas DEV42, DEV43, DEV44 and DEV45 - Archaeology and Ancient Monuments CAZ1, CAZ2, CAZ3 and EMP9 - Office Development in Central Area Zone EMP1 - Promoting Employment Growth ST27 - Strategic Transport Policy relating to support and improvement of Public Transport T15, T16 and T17 - Transport and Development Planning Standard 3 - Vehicle and Cycle Parking Requirements 4.3 The following Supplementary Guidance Notes are relevant: - Supplementary Planning Guidance Notes: (I) Archaeology and Development (ii) Creating a Safe Environment 4.4 The following Planning Policy Guidance Notes are relevant: - Planning Policy Guidance 13; "Transport", paras. 72-74 (incl) entitled Public Transport Planning Policy Guidance 15; "Planning and the Historic Environment" Planning Policy Guidance 16; "Archaeology and Planning" 5. CONSULTATION 5.1 The following were consulted on the application: - The Deputy Governor HM Tower of London; English Heritage; Commission on Architecture and Built Environment; Ancient Monuments Society; Tower Hill Improvement Trust; City of London Corporation; Greater London Authority and Transport for London - Street Management; Port of London Authority; Historic Royal Palaces; Pool of London Partnerships and London Metropolitan University; the Borough Conservation, Highways Development and Environmental Health Officers. The applications were advertised in East End Life issue dated 18th November 2002. The following responses have been received: - (1.1) English Heritage - Historic Buildings Advisor: No objections in principle to the redevelopment and replacement of the existing buildings with a new, high quality office building. Incorporation of the existing Underground Station within the new development and proposed improvements to adjoining public spaces and circulation routes at this important point of access to the Tower of London were welcomed. It was noted that the application site relates to the wider setting of the Tower of London, as well as forming part of the setting of the nearby listed buildings in Trinity Square. With regard to its immediate context, there are no objections to the height and form of the proposed building subject to the height being acceptable in terms of the suggested height limits around the Tower World Heritage Site. In principle, the combination of natural stone cladding and dark finished metalwork in a deeply layered facade was considered sympathetic to the character of the adjoining Trinity House and the Port of London Authority buildings. However, reservations were expressed regarding the design of the central bay of the west elevation facing Trinity Square and it is considered that this could be reconsidered in the course of the further detailed design development and could be reserved by Condition of any approval. The introduction of the new public walkway on the east side of the new building, alongside the Roman Wall is welcomed as a positive benefit to the surrounding area. The proposed improvements to the change of levels in front of the station by introduction of a ramped access in addition to steps is also welcomed. However the location of steps immediately in front of the proposed tourist information office could be a potential hazard and detailed proposals for this area including improvements to the landscaping of Wakefield Gardens should be reserved by Condition of any approval. (1.2) English Heritage - The Inspector of Ancient Monuments: Satisfaction expressed about the general direction of the designs. Welcomes freeing of the stretch of the scheduled City Wall at rear of the site and its exposure to public view with a new walkway established alongside it. Both demolition of the existing building and construction of any new development on the site would need Scheduled Ancient Monument Consent in that both would involve works directly affecting the monument. Detailed Conditions relating to methods for demolition of the existing building as they affect the monument, the protection of the monument during works of demolition and construction, conservation of the monument and details of the proposed design as it affects the monument and its immediate setting would be imposed on any Consent. (1.3) English Heritage - The Archaeology Advisor of the Greater London Archaeology Advisory Service: Results of test pit evaluation carried out by Museum of London Archaeology Service demonstrated that Roman stratigraphy survives beneath the existing basements notwithstanding some disturbance by 19th century cellars. Detailed archaeological works, probably in the form of an area excavation will be required