Wood Wharf, Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Planning Application No
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planning report D&P/2208e/01 5 February 2014 Wood Wharf, Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets planning application no. PA/13/02966 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 Outline planning application for mixed use redevelopment of the site comprising 13 development zones with a series of buildings with heights of up 211.5 metres containing approximately 730,000 sq.m. floor space for a range of business, retail, hotel community, leisure and residential uses, together with landscaping and public realm. The applicant The applicant is CWG (Wood Wharf Two) and the masterplanning architect is Allies and Morrison. Strategic issues The principle of a high density mixed use development with homes, offices and other commercial uses within the Canary Wharf Town Centre and Isle of Dogs Opportunity Area is in accordance with strategic objectives for this highly accessible location, and would benefit London’s World City status. The site is within a location identified for tall buildings, and the indicative architecture, form and scale of development is acceptable in principle. The scheme includes affordable housing, which is still the subject of discussion and negotiation to ensure the maximum reasonable amount would be delivered. Other strategic issues such as inclusive design, climate change mitigation and adaptation and residential quality are generally acceptable. Some further work on the transport strategy is required together with wider section 106 contributions, in order to ensure that the scheme fully accords with the London Plan. Recommendation That Tower Hamlets Council be advised be advised that the scheme is broadly acceptable in strategic policy terms however, the matters set out in paragraph 99 require further consideration and discussion before it can be confirmed that the proposal fully complies with the London Plan. page 1 Context 1 On 30 December 2013 the Mayor of London received documents from Tower Hamlets 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 7 February 2014 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 the following categories 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 which comprises or includes the erection of a building in Central London (other than the City of London) and with a total floorspace of more than 20,000 square metres; 1C Development which comprises the erection of a building that is more than 30 metres high and is outside the City of London. 3 Once Tower Hamlets 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 environmental information for the purposes of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011 has been taken into account in the consideration of this case. 5 The Mayor of London’s statement on this case will be made available on the GLA website www.london.gov.uk. Site description 6 The scheme relates to a 13.5 hectare site known as Wood Wharf, located in the north-east of the Isle of Dogs, immediately to the east of Canary Wharf and to the west of Preston’s Road. Blackwall Basin defines the northern boundary of the site, Graving Dock the north-west boundary, with the River Thames locks and South Dock forming the southern boundary. 7 The site presently a number of vacant low-rise, poor quality, light industrial, office and warehouse units, including a telecommunications hub, a data centre, sheds, and offices. It is currently accessed on foot from the north via steps leading down from Cartier Circle with the only vehicular access via a private estate road to the east of the site from Preston’s Road. A second access from Preston’s Road provided to a row of terrace properties on Lovegrove Walk. There is no direct vehicular access from Canary Wharf. 8 Preston’s Road is a borough road. The nearest part of the Transport for London Road Network is the A1261 Aspen Way, 450 metres to the north of the site and connected to Preston’s Road by a major roundabout. To the east of Wood Wharf a cycle route runs along Preston’s Road and there are a series of informal cycle routes through the Canary Wharf estate. page 2 9 The site has a moderate to good public transport accessibility level ranging from 4 in the west to 3 in the east, on a scale of one to six, where six is excellent. The nearest underground station is Canary Wharf station on the Jubilee Line which is located approximately 550 metres to the west. Three Docklands Light Railway stations are also located within walking distance of the site; Blackwall, Canary Wharf and Heron Quays West. The nearest bus stops are situated on Prestons Road and Churchill Place and both are within a 150-300 metre radius of the site. Four bus routes serve these stops; D6, D7, D8 and 277. Furthermore routes C3 and 135 are accessible from Bank Street at a distance of 350 metres from the western part of the site. 10 Crossrail should be operational by 2018 and the Isle of Dogs station (being constructed by the applicant) will be located at North Quay, some 400 metres to the north-west of Wood Wharf with access from Trafalgar Way. 11 The site contains a number of features which are considered to be of historical importance: Blackwall Basin is Grade I listed; part of the former West India Dock walls is Grade I listed; three cranes which were relocated from elsewhere on the Isle of Dogs, front onto the lock on the south- east corner of the application site. 12 Wood Wharf is surrounded by a number of conservation areas. The Coldharbour Conservation Area is immediately to the east. A number of listed buildings are present in this conservation area and are generally located on the Thames waterfront. The area is generally of mixed character with new development sitting alongside remaining historic elements. The West India Dock Conservation Area is located approximately 1 kilometre to the north-west of the site and was designated to protect the remaining buildings and spaces of the West India Docks. Details of the proposal 13 Outline planning permission is sought for redevelopment of the site for a mixed use development comprising 728,880 sq.m. of floor space to be used for residential, office, retail, hotel, and community/leisure uses. Approval is also sought for streets, landscaping and public realm, bridge links, parking and servicing, and utilities – including energy centres and electricity substations. All matters are reserved. 14 The applicant has come forward with a masterplan that is based on a series of specified parameters, with a development specification and design guidelines having been submitted. Within the parameters, an indicative scheme has been developed to demonstrate one way in which the masterplan could come forward, but this is for information only, rather than approval. Listed building consent is sought, and the applicant has submitted a detailed application for information purposes only for part of the scheme 15 Up to 1,300 car and motorcycle parking spaces are proposed. A data centre of up to 3,000 sq.m., together with ancillary floorspace and other sui generis uses (such as conference centres, theatres, launderettes which fall outside the use classes) are proposed above and below ground. No minimum or maximum floor space is set for these latter uses, but rather would be subject to the overall maximum threshold of 728,880 sq.m. that the applicant is seeking planning permission for across the site, working in with the other uses set out above. At least 2.5 hectares of publically accessible open space is also proposed. 16 The parameter plans and application documents set out minimum and maximum floor space for each land use, as follows: page 3 17 A series of 13 development zones are proposed, with a maximum height of 211.5 metres proposed in Development Zone A - the equivalent of up to 56 residential storeys. The applicant has also provided design guidelines that any future reserved matters application, for the development of any of the development zones defined in the parameter plans or open spaces would look to follow: Case history 18 Planning permission was granted in 2009 for a comprehensive office-led, mixed use scheme, which was supported by the Mayor (GLA ref: PDU/2208). The scheme included approximately 450,000 sq.m. of office space, up to 1,668 residential units, 20,000 sq.m. of retail space, a hotel, community uses and public realm, including a new canal linking Blackwall Basin and the dock. A total of 829 car parking spaces were proposed. The maximum building height in that scheme was 206 metres, and the layout is shown below. 19 The section 106 agreement included a contribution of up to £100 million towards Crossrail.