Lee Valley Ice Centre, Lee Bridge Road, London E10 7QL Planning Statement Lee Valley Ice Centre, Lee Bridge Road, London, E10 7QL Planning Statement February 2020 WSP | Indigo Aldermary House 10-15 Queen Street London EC4N 1TX T 020 3848 2500 E [email protected] W indigoplanning.com Lee Valley Ice Centre, Lee Bridge Road, London, E10 7QL Planning Statement Contents Page 1. Introduction 1 The Application 1 The Purpose and Scope of this Statement 2 Other Application Documents 2 2. The Context for the Proposals 4 Lee Valley Regional Park and the Park Authority 4 The Lee Valley Ice Centre 6 3. The Site and Proposals 8 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) 10 What we are proposing 10 Development Phasing 13 4. Pre-Application Consultation 14 Public Consultation 14 Pre-Application Advice 14 How engagement has improved the Scheme 15 5. Overview of the Planning Policy Context 16 National Planning Policy Framework (2019) 16 Statutory Development Plan 17 Other guidance documents 20 Emerging planning policy documents 21 Summary 22 6. The Park Development Framework 24 Vision, Strategic Aims and Principles (2010) 24 Strategic Policies (2019) 25 Area Proposals (2011) 26 7. Development on Metropolitan Open Land 27 Inappropriate Development 27 Very Special Circumstances 28 8. The Harrow School Decision 29 Background 29 Impact On Openness 29 Consideration of VSC 30 Conclusions on VSC 32 Summary 32 9. The Role of the Park Authority 33 Summary 33 10. The Need to Replace the Ice Centre 34 Operational Capacity 34 Repairs and Future Investment 35 Options for replacing the Ice Centre 36 Replacing the Ice Centre with a Twin Pad 37 Summary 43 Lee Valley Ice Centre, Lee Bridge Road, London, E10 7QL Planning Statement 11. Delivering Community Benefits 44 Community Value 44 Enhancing Social Interaction and Skills 45 Reaching Target Participation Groups 46 Making Sport More Accessible 47 Culture and Sports 47 Park Authority Community Programmes 49 Community Use Agreement 50 Socio Economic Benefits 50 Summary 51 12. Delivering Health Benefits 53 Physical activity improves health 53 Physical Activity and Sport Strategy for Waltham Forest 2017-2021 54 Health and Wellbeing Benefits 55 Summary 55 13. Improving the Quality of MOL 56 Improving the Visual Appearance 56 Landscaping Improvements 58 Improving Biodiversity 59 Birds, Bats, Reptiles and Amphibians 61 Water Management and Biodiversity 61 Summary 62 14. Other Key Planning Considerations 63 Transport and Accessibility 63 Sustainability and Renewable Energy 65 Flooding 67 Drainage 67 Noise Impacts 68 Air Quality 68 External Lighting 69 Archaeology 69 Security 70 Ground Conditions 70 Demolition and Construction 70 Summary 70 15. Summary of Very Special Circumstances 72 Impact on the Openness of the MOL 73 Other Harm 73 Do the VSC Clearly Outweigh the Harm 74 16. Summary and Conclusions 75 The Existing Ice Centre 75 The Proposals 76 Key Policy Designations 76 The Acceptability of the Proposals 76 Very Special Circumstances (VSC) 77 Conclusion on VSC and Harm 78 Overall Conclusions and the Planning Balance 78 Lee Valley Ice Centre, Lee Bridge Road, London, E10 7QL Planning Statement Appendices (Bound separately) Appendix 1 Selecting the Most Appropriate Site Report Appendix 2 Decision notice (LPA ref. 822222/458) Appendix 3 EIA Screening Opinion, dated 13 September 2019 Appendix 4 Harrow School Appeal Decision Ref. APP/M5450/W/18/3208434 Appendix 5 Current weekly programme Appendix 6 Executive Meeting Agenda 25 April 2019 Appendix 7 Map of ice provision in England and Wales Appendix 8 Indicative LVIC twin pad timetable Appendix 9 Letter of support from Real Initiative Letter of support from the Waltham Forest Islamic Association Letter of support from Sport England Letter of support from British Ice Skating (National Ice Skating Association UK) Letter of support from UK Sport Letter of support from the Lee Valley Junior Ice Hockey Club Letter of support from London Sport Appendix 10 Letter of support from Jessica Cooper Letter of support from Marika Humphreys-Baranova OLY & Vitaliy Baranov OLY Appendix 11 Lee Valley Regional Park Authority Case Studies Page 1 1. Introduction This Planning Statement has been prepared by WSP | Indigo on behalf of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (“the Park Authority”) in support of a full planning application for the proposed redevelopment of the Lee Valley Ice Centre (“LVIC”) to provide a state-of-the-art, twin-Olympic pad ice sports facility. The Park Authority owns a number of world-class sporting and recreation facilities. As part of its remit, the Authority is creating a zone of sporting excellence throughout the Park. The proposed redevelopment seeks to provide an ice venue of an exceptional design quality which is able to meet existing and future demand for ice sports. The key purpose of the proposed redevelopment is to deliver an Olympic quality twin-pad ice facility that will serve as a specialist, regional ice facility for London and the South East. The proposals for the ice centre have been developed with expert input from ice specialists, IPW…and internationally renowned architects, FaulknerBrown, to ensure that the facility will be exemplar in design and offer, ensuring that it is suitable for elite and community users. The multi-purpose facility will serve as an anchor sporting facility at this gateway location into the Lee Valley Regional Park (“the Regional Park”). The Application This application seeks the: “Phased demolition of the existing building and erection of a new community twin pad ice centre, including changing rooms, gym including exercise studio, café and service areas. Amendments to the existing car parking area to provide integrated swales, landscape and biodiversity enhancements.” The proposed development would comprise of a high quality sports facility which will further enhance the Regional Park’s portfolio of iconic venues. The proposed replacement ice centre would be located on the site of the existing ice centre. The key principles which have shaped the proposed development are the need to deliver: • More ‘ice time’ for all users including social skaters from the local community; • A programme that will accommodate new and under-represented ice sports at the venue, and introduce new participants to them; • An Olympic quality venue with a regional catchment; • A high quality, sensitive design which responds to its landscape context; • Ecological enhancements to the surrounding landscape, including the River Lea and oxbow lake; • A sustainable venue with a minimum BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’; • New facilities for visitors such as a gym, an exercise studio and a café; • An attractive sports facility that will encourage healthy lifestyles; and • Continuity of ice provision during redevelopment, as far as possible. Lee Valley ice centre Ref: 03210010 WSP | Indigo on behalf of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority Page 2 The Purpose and Scope of this Statement The purpose of this Planning Statement is to explain and assess the proposed development in the context of policies in the adopted development plan and other material considerations. The Statement is structured as follows. • Section 2 introduces the key context for the proposals, the background to the Lee Valley Regional Park and the Park Authority, and the existing Lee Valley Ice Centre. • Section 3 summarises the application site and the proposed development. • Section 4 covers the pre-application consultation and engagement with key stakeholders. • Sections 5, 6 and 7 set out the key policy context and material considerations for the application. This provides the basis upon which the proposals are assessed in the following sections. • Section 8 summarises a piece of key case law that should be taken into account in the determination of the application. • Sections 9 – 13 contain the key supporting arguments that comprise the case for Very Special Circumstances, which underpins the principle of development and the acceptability of the proposed development. • Other key planning considerations, not addressed in the previous chapters but still of importance in assessing the application are included in Section 14. • Section 15 provides a final summary of the case for Very Special Circumstances, weighed against the harm to openness and any other harm. • Finally, Section 16 provides an overall summary and conclusion of this Planning Statement. Other Application Documents This Planning Statement forms part of the submission package for the application for planning permission and should be read in conjunction with the following supporting documents: • Planning application forms and ownership certificates, prepared by WSP | Indigo; • CIL-Additional Information Requirement Form, prepared by WSP | Indigo; • Existing and proposed set of drawings, prepared by FaulknerBrowns; • Design and Access Statement (including the Landscape Scheme prepared by LDA Design, Crime Prevention/Safer Places Report prepared by Arup and Fire Statement prepared by OFR Consultants) prepared by FaulknerBrowns; • Landscape masterplan, prepared by LDA Design; • Landscape Visual Impact Assessment, prepared by LDA Design; • Ecological Appraisal, Biodiversity Impact Assessment, Updated Ecology Surveys and Ecology BREEAM Assessment, prepared by LDA Design; • Arboricultural Impact Assessment and Arboricultural Method Statement, prepared by Patrick Stileman Ltd; Lee Valley ice centre Ref: 03210010 WSP | Indigo on behalf of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority Page 3 • Tree Survey Report, prepared by Patrick Stileman Ltd;