Planning Report D&P/4158/02 9 April 2018
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planning report D&P/4158/02 9 April 2018 Camden Goods Yard in the London Borough of Camden planning application no. 2017/3847/P Strategic planning application stage II 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 the petrol filling station site to provide a 6 storey building comprising a replacement petrol filling station, retail and office uses. Redevelopment of the main supermarket site to include the erection of seven buildings ranging in height up to 14 storeys accommodating up to 573 residential units together with a supermarket, retail, offices and workshops, and a community centre. The applicant The applicant is Safeway Stores Ltd and BDW Trading Ltd, the architect is Allies & Morrison. Key dates Pre-application: 13 December 2016 Stage 1 report: 23 August 2017 Council’s committee meeting: 23 November 2017 Strategic issues summary Principle of development: The principle of the redevelopment of this underutilised site for residential-led mixed uses is strongly supported. Full details of the affordable workspace package has been secured within the section 106 agreement. Affordable housing: The proposed 39% provision of affordable housing by habitable room (40% with grant) is fully supported. An early implementation review has been secured within the section 106 in accordance with the requirements of the ‘Fast Track Route’ in the Mayor’s Affordable Housing and Viability SPG and Policy H6 of the draft London Plan. Transport: All issues have been resolved and the necessary conditions and obligations secured. Outstanding issues relating to urban design, inclusive design, noise, climate change and drainage and air quality have been resolved. The Council’s decision In this instance, Camden Council has resolved to grant planning permission. Recommendation That Camden Council be advised that the Mayor is content for it to determine the case itself, subject to any action that the Secretary of State may take, and does not therefore wish to direct refusal. page 1 Context 1 On 14 July 2017 the Mayor of London received documents from Camden Council notifying him of a planning application of potential strategic importance to develop the above site for the above uses. This was referred to the Mayor under Category 1A, 1B and 1C 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.” • 1B “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 outside Central London and with a total floorspace of more than 15,000 square metres.” • 1C “Development which comprises or includes the erection of a building (c) more than 30 metres high and is outside the City of London.” 2 On 23 August 2017 the Mayor considered planning report D&P/4158/01, and subsequently advised Camden Council that the application did not comply with the London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 76 of the above-mentioned report; but that the possible remedies set out in the report could address these deficiencies. A copy of the above-mentioned report is attached. The essentials of the case with regard to the proposal, the site, case history, strategic planning issues and relevant policies and guidance are as set out therein, unless otherwise stated in this report. 3 The environmental information for the purposes of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (as amended) has been taken into account in the consideration of this case. 4 On 23 November 2017 Camden Council planning committee resolved to grant planning permission subject to conditions, obligations and informatives and also subject to any referral and/or direction made by the Mayor of London and/or any referral to the Secretary of State. On 5 March 2018 Camden Council advised the Mayor of this decision and section 106 negotiations have taken place since. Under the provisions of Article 5 of the Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 the Mayor may allow the draft decision to proceed unchanged or direct Camden Council under Article 6 to refuse the application. The Mayor has until 9 April 2018 to notify Camden Council of his decision and to issue any direction. 5 The decision on this case and the reasons will be made available on the GLA’s website www.london.gov.uk. Consultation stage issues summary 6 At the consultation stage, Camden Council was advised that the application did not comply with the London Plan, for the reasons set out below. The resolution of these issues could, nevertheless, lead to the application becoming compliant with the London Plan. • Principle of development: Full details of the affordable workspace must be agreed and secured in the s106 agreement. • Affordable housing: The proposed 39% provision of affordable housing by habitable room is supported as a starting point; however, the applicant must fully investigate the provision of grant funding (and any other available public subsidy) in accordance with London Plan Policy 3.12 and the Affordable Housing and Viability SPG and an early stage review also needs to be included within the s106. page 2 • Urban design: Blank frontages to servicing areas and its relationship with the public realm need to be addressed; the design of Block E1 in respect of the ground floor and the provision of shared amenity space should be reconsidered; reconfiguring the ramp to Block F is required; and amendments are required to reduce the sense of enclosure in certain parts of the development. • Inclusive design: Concerns regarding the shared spaces will need to be addressed; the sizes of public lifts confirmed; the design of stepped and ramp access routes; the proportion of disabled bays provided; the provision of a ‘changing places toilet’; upgrading some of the lifts to fire evacuation lifts; and comments regarding wheelchair accessible units addressed. • Noise: The noise and vibration assessment should be revised in consultation with nearby entertainment/ cultural venues so that the sufficiency of the acoustic and vibration mitigation measures can be verified in line with the ‘agent of change’ principle. The revised assessment must be provided prior to Stage 2. • Climate change and drainage: The energy strategy does not fully accord with London Plan Policies 5.2 and 5.9. Further information regarding overheating, the site-wide network and renewable energy is required. The final agreed energy strategy should be appropriately secured by the Council, along with S106 obligations for off-site mitigation. Any drainage attenuation tanks proposed should be designed to also provide benefit during lower order storm events by utilising the Method 2 tank design. • Air quality: The air quality assessment is incomplete. Further information is required to fully assess the air quality impact. Consideration should be given to providing hydrogen refuelling within the replacement petrol filling station. • Transport: The proposed access on Chalk Farm Road must be revised to ensure it is suitable for bus operations and traffic signals; the car parking proposed for the temporary supermarket during construction exceeds London Plan standards; a S106 contribution to public realm works and a new entrance at Camden Town station should be secured; comprehensive travel, deliveries and servicing and car and cycle parking management plans, and two-stage construction logistics plan should be secured by condition. Update 7 Since the consultation stage, GLA officers have engaged in joint discussions with Camden Council, the applicant team, and Transport for London (TfL) officers with a view to addressing the above matters. Accordingly, the response to the various issues raised at consultation stage on this application are considered under the corresponding sections below. Furthermore, as part of Camden Council’s decision on the case, various planning conditions and obligations have been proposed to address the above concerns and to ensure that the development is acceptable in strategic planning terms. 8 Revisions and clarifications to the development were submitted to the Council in September 2017. This further information was accompanied by a letter of assessment relating to the Environmental Assessment, providing clarification with regard to the environmental implications of the amended proposed development in respect of the original Environmental Statement. The amended proposals relate to both the main site and the Petrol Filling Station. However, there were no amendments to the area schedule or unit or tenure mix. Strategic planning policy and guidance update 9 The following draft policy and guidance is now a material consideration: page 3 • Draft revised National Planning Policy Framework 2018; • Draft London Plan 2017. Principle of development 10 The principle of the proposed high density residential-led mixed use redevelopment of the site was strongly supported at consultation stage by virtue of its location within a Major Town Centre and in accordance with London Plan Policy 2.15 and policies GG2 and SD6 of the draft London Plan. However, further details were requested as to the package of benefits on offer in respect of the affordable workspace provision (reduced rental levels/ flexible leases etc.) and details as to how this would be secured. 11 The applicant has been in discussions with a local affordable workspace provider with a proven track record, however, the negotiations are currently at an early stage. A planning obligation has been secured in the draft section 106 agreement requiring the submission of an affordable workspace plan which requires the applicant to: confirm details of an affordable workspace provider that the space will be transferred to at a peppercorn rent, the workspace to be fitted out to a reasonable standard, restrict occupation to small and medium sized enterprises, secure 50% of the affordable workspace to be provided to tenants free of charge and the remaining floorspace at no more than 50% of market rate.