York House, 199 Westminster Bridge Road in the London Borough of Lambeth Planning Application No
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planning report PDU/0908b/02 20 February 2013 York House, 199 Westminster Bridge Road in the London Borough of Lambeth planning application no. 12/04421/FUL Strategic planning application stage II referral (new powers) Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended); Greater London Authority Acts 1999 and 2007; Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 The proposal Demolition of York House and erection of an 18-storey building to provide 1,093 student bedrooms, 6,000sq.m. sixth form college, 380sq.m. affordable office space and a 750sq.m. health suite. The applicant The applicant is Urbanest, and the architect is Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Strategic issues The proposed mix of uses, design and impact on Westminster World Heritage Site is acceptable. The carbon savings are welcomed. The transport matters have been addressed. The Council’s decision In this instance Lambeth Council has resolved to grant permission. Recommendation That Lambeth 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 or direct that he is to be the local planning authority. Context 1 On 3 December 2012 the Mayor of London received documents from Lambeth 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 Categories 1B and 1C of the Schedule to the Order 2008: Category 1B (1(c)): 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 in Central London (other than the City of London) and with a total floorspace of more than 20,000 square metres. page 1 Category 1C (1(a)): the building is more than 35 metres high and is adjacent to the River Thames. 2 On 9 January 2013 the Mayor considered planning report PDU/0908b/01, and subsequently advised Lambeth Council that the application was broadly acceptable in strategic policy terms however the matters set out in paragraph 56 required further discussion. 3 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. Since then, the application has been revised in response to the Mayor’s concerns (see below). On 29 January 2013 Lambeth Council decided that it was minded to grant planning permission for the application, and on 7 February 2013 it advised the Mayor of this decision. 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, direct Lambeth Council under Article 6 to refuse the application or issue a direction to Lambeth Council under Article 7 that he is to act as the Local Planning Authority for the purposes of determining the application. The Mayor has until 20 February 2013 to notify the Council of his decision and to issue any direction. 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 decision on this case, and the reasons will be made available on the GLA’s website www.london.gov.uk. Update 6 At the consultation stage Lambeth Council was advised that the application broadly complied with the London Plan, but further clarification was required on the matters et out in paragraph 56 of the above-mentioned report: Use: The principle of the use is supported. The student use, community use of the pool and affordable workspace should be secured by section 106 agreement. Design: The design is welcomed. The potential future public route and quality of materials should be secured by condition/section 106 agreement. Inclusive design: 10% accessible rooms should be secured by condition. Energy: Carbon savings welcomed, electrical capacity of CHP should be confirmed and potential for future connection to district heating network secured. Transport: Transport impact is acceptable, electric vehicle charging points and exemption from on-street parking permits required. Contributions for bus stops, legible London signs, and cycle hire required. Travel plan and construction logistics plan required. Principle of use 7 Use of the accommodation for student housing only is secured in the Section 106 agreement. The 34 studio apartments on the 18th floor, which may also be used for ancillary or incidental purposes, e.g. visiting parents/lecturers, which is acceptable. Free local school use of the pool, between 10:00am to 12:00pm and 2:00pm and 4:00pm Monday to Friday during terms time has been secured in the Section 106 agreement. The affordable workspace will be provided in page 2 advance of occupation of the student accommodation to Waterloo BID (or other organisation agreed by the Council) at a peppercorn rent for at least 50 years. All these measures are welcomed and ensure scheme compliance with London Plan policy. Design and inclusive design 8 The potential for a future public route between Westminster Bridge Road and Upper Marsh has been secured by section 106 agreement. A condition has been imposed requiring submission of material samples. A condition has been imposed requiring 5% accessible rooms and 5% easily adaptable rooms. All these measures are welcomed and ensure scheme compliance with London Plan policy. Energy 9 Additional information has been provided; the carbon savings set out in the energy strategy and potential for future connection to a district heating network have been secured by condition. All these measures are welcomed and ensure scheme compliance with London Plan policy. Transport for London’s comments 10 At stage 1 TfL confirmed that the development would not result in an unacceptable impact on the capacity of local highway and public transport services. TfL expected all future occupants to be exempt from eligibility for on-street car parking permits in the area. TfL also requested that a continuous, safe and legible footway and cycle route be delivered around the site. 11 In addition TfL requested that demand for cycling warranted a contribution towards a new cycle hire station. The need for a travel plan, real time travel information, delivery and servicing plans and construction logistics plan was raised as was the need to secure a CIL contribution. 12 Further discussions have taken place with the applicant and the Council around the design of the footway and cycle route to enable a safe shared use by pedestrians and cyclists. TfL has agreed the indicative design with the final layout to be agreed by way of a detailed landscape plan, secured by condition in consultation with TfL. A section 278 agreement between TfL and the applicant will be required to implement the works. In addition, an ‘in principle’ agreement has been reached regarding the transfer of land to ensure a logical highway boundary, subject to detailed design. 13 TfL has assessed the quality of crossing facilities outside of the site and identified improvements that should be made to the toucan crossing on Lambeth Palace Road. A contribution will be secured through the aforementioned section 278 agreement to secure the works. The above measures ensure compliance with London Plan policies 6.9 and 6.10 through improving connections for users of the development. 14 As a significant proportion of trips are likely to use routes from the northbound bus stop on Westminster Bridge Road. TfL has secured a section 106 contribution of £10,000 to upgrade the northbound bus stop, including installation of a countdown sign. This contribution will be payable to council and transferred to TfL. This ensures conformity with London Plan policy 6.7. 15 A contribution of £7,500 to provide one Legible London sign has been secured through the section 106 agreement. This contribution will be payable to the council for implementation of this sign. 16 The application currently proposes car and cycle parking in line with the London Plan standards as set out in policy 6.13 and table 6.3; TfL supports this approach. The location of the page 3 proposed cycling facilities is now acceptable, following separation of the cycle parking linked to the different uses. This has resulted in the loss of one disabled parking space. Notwithstanding this, TfL considers the development provides adequate disabled parking facilities in line with London Plan Policy. The exemption of occupants to apply for permits in the surrounding CPZ has been secured by way of the section 106 agreement. 17 TfL requested funding and land be secured for a 36 space Cycle Hire Docking station due to the increase in demand on the cycle network and in order to promote roll out of the Mayor’s Cycle Hire scheme. As a result TfL has secured a section 106 contribution of £195,000. Detailed design and location of the cycle hire station is secured by use of a planning condition. Overall this ensures compliance with London Plan policy 6.9. 18 A travel plan including monitoring and funding is secured through the section 106 agreement. A Construction Logistics Plan (CLP) and Delivery and Servicing Strategy have been secured by condition in line with London Plan policy 6.14. 19 The Mayor has introduced a London-wide Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to help implement the London Plan, particularly policies 6.5 and 8.3. The charging rate for Lambeth is £35 per sq.m. The applicant and Council should confirm the required CIL once the components of the development or phase thereof have themselves been finalised.