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PDU Case Report XXXX/YY Date planning report GLA/4921/4921a/4921b/01 11 November 2019 Meridian Water Phase 2 in the London Borough of Enfield planning application nos. 19/02717/RE3, 19/02718/RE3 & 19/02749/FUL 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 GLA/4921 - Full application for Strategic Infrastructure Works to support the wider Meridian Water Masterplan. GLA/4921a - Change of use of buildings (units 4, 5, 6, 9 and 9a) and adjacent land to an events and entertainment space ('The Drumsheds') for a temporary period of five years. GLA/4921b - An outline planning application, with all matters reserved for development of Phase 2 of Meridian Water comprising up to 2,300 residential units (Class C3), Purpose Built Student Accommodation and/or Large-Scale Purpose-Built Shared Living (Up to 18,000 sq m); a hotel (Up to 16,000 sq m), commercial development (Up to 26,500 sq m - Class B1a,b,c); retail (Up to 2,000 sq m), social infrastructure (Up to 5,500 sq m), a primary school up to three forms of entry, new public open spaces and associated works. The applicants The applicants are the London Borough of Enfield, the architects are Karakusevic Carson. Strategic issues Principle of development: The principle of a residential-led redevelopment of the site and Strategic Infrastructure Works (SIW) is broadly supported in this Opportunity Area and Housing Zone. However, the proposal would result in the significant loss of industrial land in an area where future provision is uncertain. Accordingly, the applicant is strongly advised to secure a minimum quantum of new floorspace for industrial use only. The applicant must also demonstrate that the proposed SIW on the Stonehill Industrial Estate will not prejudice future industrial redevelopment. Affordable Housing: The proposed 43% affordable housing offer (split 70:30 in favour of London Affordable Rent) is supported as a starting point, subject to clarification of how this could be increased through a phased review mechanism. Early and Late Stage Viability Review Mechanisms should also be secured. Urban Design: The overall approach to the masterplan layout, heights and massing is supported. Further refinement of the southern entry into the site from Leeside Road Site and further information on courtyards and the Riverside Path are required. A high standard of residential quality, including PBSA and LSPBSL should be more robustly secured in the Design Code. Transport: For the development to be acceptable in strategic transport terms, bus services must be enhanced and integrated (Phase 2 and SIW). This requires £2,750,000 for rerouting and extending bus services to site (linked to SIW), and £4,175,000 for capacity enhancements along the same routes to meet the needs of future residents, visitors and workers (linked to Phase 2). The phasing of the development needs to be coordinated with delivery of the SIW, using Section 106 obligations as appropriate. Suitable safeguards and mitigation must be undertaken to support the operation of large events within the temporary use. Further information relating to agent of change, climate change, flood risk, and green infrastructure is also required. Recommendation That Enfield Council be advised that while the schemes are generally supported in strategic planning terms, the applications do not fully comply with the London Plan or draft New London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 129 of this report. Page 1 Context 1 On 16 August and 4 September 2019 the Mayor of London received documents from Enfield Council notifying him of planning applications 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 must provide the Council with a statement setting out whether he considers that the applications comply 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 applications are referable under the following Categories of the Schedule to the Order 2008: • 1A.1 “Development which comprises or includes the provision of more than 150 houses, flats, or houses and flats.” • 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 outside Central London and with a total floorspace of more than 15,000 square metres.” • 1C.1(c) “Development which comprises or includes the erection of a building more than 30 metres high and is outside the City of London.” • 3B.1 “Development which occupies more than 4 hectares of land which is used for a use within Class B1 (business), B2 (general industrial) or B8 (storage or distribution) of the Use Classes Order; and which is likely to prejudice the use of that land for any such use” (application GLA/4921a is only referable under this category) 3 Once Enfield Council has resolved to determine the applications, it is required to refer them back to the Mayor for his decision as to whether to direct refusal; take them over for his own determination; or allow the Council to determine them itself. 4 The environmental information for the purposes of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 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 Main Phase 2 site 6 The application site for the second phase of the Meridian Water Masterplan is approximately 11 hectares located between the River Lee Navigation to the east, Pymmes Brook and Salmon Brook to the west, publicly accessible Green Belt land to the south and Ravenside Retail Park and the A406 Angel Road (North Circular) to the north. The site is made up of three sub areas: the Orbital Business Park to the north of the site, a cleared area of land to the south known as ‘Ikea Clear’ and a former Gasholder Site located to the south west of the site adjacent to Pymmes Brook. 7 Orbital Business Park comprises hardstanding, currently in use for open storage and warehousing within existing buildings, including a number of large warehouses formerly occupied and used by the British Oxygen Company (BOC). The site has also been temporarily used as an events space. The land known as ‘Ikea Clear’ has been vacant for approximately 40 years but was Page 2 formerly in industrial use. The former Gasholder Site was previously occupied by a gasometer. The gasholder has since been decommissioned and demolished and its foundations filled in. The site is now currently in use for open vehicle storage. The site is shown below in relation to the wider Meridian Water Masterplan area, to the east and west. Strategic Infrastructure Works site 8 The Strategic Infrastructure Works (SIW) application site is a wider site of approximately 30 hectares bordered by: the River Lea with the London Borough of Waltham Forest beyond, to the east; Leeside Road, Leaside Road and publicly accessible Green Belt land within the London Borough of Haringey to the south; A1055 Angel Edmonton Road (Meridian Way) to the west and the A406 Angel Road (North Circular) to the north. The site is composed of the land within the Phase 2 application site in addition to Land at Stonehill Industrial Estate and land within the Lee Valley Regional Park (LVRP) to the east and Glover Drive and Leeside Road to the west. 9 Land at Stonehill Industrial Estate is largely vacant land within the wider Stonehill Industrial Estate. Stonehill Industrial Estate sits adjacent to the Phase 2 masterplan area on the opposite side of the River Lee Navigation and is a designated Strategic Industrial Location. Land within the LVRP comprises an area of unmanaged and inaccessible vegetation and an area of hardstanding to the east of Stonehill Industrial Estate. The land is designated Green Belt Land and whilst part of the LVRP, is not actively managed. Glover Drive is unadopted highway which provides pedestrian and vehicular access from Meridian Way to the existing Ikea and Tesco stores. Leeside Road is highway adopted by the London Borough of Haringey and provides access to Mowlem Trading Estate, and pedestrian and cyclist access to Tottenham Marshes. The SIW application site is shown in relation to the wider masterplan area below. Page 3 Overall context 10 More widely to the west is the retail area dominated by the existing Lea Valley Tesco Extra (with associated petrol filling station and car parking) and Ikea retail stores and associated car parking. Further west beyond Meridian Way is the site of the first phase of the Meridian Water Masterplan and Meridian Water Railway station. To the north of the site is big box retail within the Ravensdale Retail Park. Further north, beyond the A406, is largely characterised by light industrial and storage uses, as well as the Edmonton Eco Park waste-to-energy facility. To the east within the wider Stonehill Industrial Estate are a number of industrial uses and the Edmonton Bus Garage, beyond which is further Green Belt land and Banbury Reservoir. To the south, Mowlem Trading Estate is a Strategic Industrial location, comprising a mix of light industrial uses, and Tottenham Marshes is a large expanse of publicly accessible grassland. 11 The A406 is part of Transport for London Road Network (TLRN). The nearest part of the Strategic Road Network (SRN), the A1010 Fore Street/ High Road is over 1 kilometre west of the site.
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