Vaughan Road Car Park, West Harrow, HA1 3XD
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Dandi Nine Ltd September 2020 Planning Statement Vaughan Road Car Park, West Harrow, HA1 3XD savills.co.uk Executive Summary The application seeks to deliver a local landmark building of exemplary architectural quality, providing affordable luxury aparthotel accommodation and an enhanced public offering within the London Borough of Harrow (LBH). The application scheme comprises the re-development of the disused car park site and the erection of a part 5-storey and part 12-storey building, comprising a 129-room aparthotel (Class C1). The scheme includes a 5th floor publicly accessible restaurant and external amenity space and features ground floor commercial space (which includes a cafe/juice bar, bakery, florist kiosk, concierge service including complimentary tea/coffee/ summer bar). The proposal features associated public realm and highways works to activate the frontage of the aparthotel, which in turn brings a natural surveillance and a vibrancy to the area. The proposal also features hard and soft landscaping; refuse storage; car parking and cycle parking; and associated works. The site is immediately adjacent to Harrow town centre and benefits from a 6a PTAL rating. The proposal features cycle parking provision, three car parking spaces at the rear of the site (two blue badge spaces and one servicing space), but is otherwise a car- free development for future guests and visitors. The application seeks to deliver a design-led solution to an opportunity site, which is highly sustainable and contextual. The principle of development is considered to be acceptable and appropriate within its gateway town centre location, which is evidenced in the supporting Hotel Need Assessment and Sequential Test (produced by Savills). The scheme has also been designed to the highest quality in terms of both accommodation and materiality. Furthermore, as outlined within the various technical documents submitted in support of the application, it is clear that the delivery of a local landmark aparthotel will significantly improve footfall and attraction to this part of Harrow, whilst also providing key valuable social and economic benefits to the local community, including public access to amenities and the creation of jobs. A virtual (due to Covid-19) community engagement process (including the distribution of newsletters; Zoom meetings; and the creation of a project website) was undertaken during the design phase of the scheme to ensure that comments from the public could be captured and suitably considered. Nearly 1,000 people engaged with the virtual consultation process, highlighting the key interest in the development of the site. In addition, an extensive pre-application process has been undertaken with LBH, the GLA, and both LBH’s Design Review Panel and Major Development Panel. Consequently, the resulting scheme is the product of a collaborative process which has suitably considered all the resultant feedback and comments to deliver what is in our opinion an exceptional and high-quality scheme which has an acceptable impact on the character of the surrounding area and on the amenities of neighbouring occupiers. This is further reinforced through a Heritage and Townscape Visual Impact Assessment (HTVIA) (produced by Turley) which concludes that the proposal is acceptable in terms of scale, height and impacts on heritage assets and key identified protected and locally significant views. The scheme proposals embrace more detailed elements of design to ensure that the proposals are deliverable, accessible and sustainable in the long-term. The scheme proposals have been informed by technical input in respect of daylight, sunlight and overshadowing; energy and sustainability; ecology and biodiversity; drainage; air quality; wind and micro-climate; and hard and soft landscaping. These technical considerations, together with the architects’ careful design, have informed the proposals to ensure there is no detrimental amenity impacts to neighbouring properties. The scheme proposals have been developed through a careful and rigorous assessment of planning policy and material considerations to ensure the delivery of an acceptable scheme, of the highest quality and design, which can be supported to deliver much-need hotel accommodation in Harrow Town Centre, whilst also delivering key social and economic benefits for the Borough as a whole. Planning Statement Vaughan Road Car Park, West Harrow, HA1 3XD Contents 1. Introduction 4 2. Proposed Development 8 3. Application Site Overview and Context 12 4. Planning History 18 5. Pre- Application Consultation Process 19 6. Planning Policy Context 23 7. Planning Assessment 26 8. Planning Conditions and S. 106 Obligations 45 9. Planning Balance and Conclusions 48 3 Planning Statement Vaughan Road Car Park, West Harrow, HA1 3XD 1. Introduction This Planning Statement has been prepared on behalf of Dandi Nine Limited (the Applicant) in respect of a development proposal at Vaughan Road Car Park, West Harrow, HA1 3XD (the Site). Planning permission is sought from LBH (or ‘the Council’) for: Erection of part 5-storey and part 12-storey building comprising of 129 aparthotel suites (Use Class: C1), including ground floor commercial space; fifth floor restaurant; associated external amenity space; associated public realm and highways improvements; hard and soft landscaping; refuse; car parking and cycle parking; and associated works. This Planning Statement provides an overview of the proposed development, describes the context of the site and its surroundings, and highlights the relevant planning history. A summary is provided of the various pre-application meetings that were held during the design process and the key comments and feedback received, in addition to detailing the virtual community engagement consultation that was also undertaken as part of the pre-application process. The key relevant planning policies are identified against which a robust planning assessment is made, with detailed consideration given to the principle of development and the associated impact on the surrounding locality and on the amenities of neighbouring occupiers. Suggested appropriate planning conditions and S.106 obligations required in the event of the grant of planning permission are provided. This Planning Statement is structured as follows: Section 2 – Proposed Development Section 3 – Application Site Overview and Surrounding Context Section 4 – Planning History Section 5 – Pre-Application Consultation Process Section 6 – Planning Policy Context Section 7 – Planning Assessment Section 8 – Planning Conditions and S.106 Obligations Section 9 – Planning Balance and Conclusions 1.1. Dandi’s Aparthotel Offer Dandi’s approach to providing aparthotel accommodation aims to address a gap in the local market and key challenges in today’s hotel and hospitality market. Aparthotels are a growing part of the hospitality market. The sector comprises approximately 25,000 units in the UK, making it about 3% the size of the conventional hotel market. With approximately 6,000 new units scheduled to open by 2021 (13% of the total active pipeline), the sector is one of the fastest-growing parts of the UK’s overall accommodation market. 4 Planning Statement Vaughan Road Car Park, West Harrow, HA1 3XD Aparthotels are self-catering, but serviced, establishments offering autonomy along with a broad range of hotel services such as restaurants, gyms and a 24-hour reception. Aparthotels seek to deliver an experience that integrates the best of the lifestyle hotel experience with the best of Airbnb / serviced apartment living and creative co-working spaces to forge a unique destination that can serve as a social and cultural anchor for the locality. While aparthotels remain very attractive to business travellers, spacious suites with basic kitchenette facilities and the customer service provided have made them increasingly popular with travellers looking for a more home-from-home experience. The design of Dandi schemes aims to encourage social cohesion and a sense of community and will benefit from an extensive range of innovative amenity spaces, facilities and the Dandi Concierge & Community app. Dandi’s Aparthotel aims to provide a new, more accessible solution for travellers and urban professionals who want to stay close to Harrow and central London but would otherwise not be able to do so. Their vision is “Making Dandi’s Magical Living Experience Accessible”. Guests will benefit from fully furnished suites, best in class amenity spaces, an all-inclusive rate and 24/7 security and management. Communal spaces include fitness facilities, and a 5th floor external amenity roof terrace. In addition, guests will be offered the opportunity to participate in a regular series of curated social events ranging from talks, to networking events, to cooking demonstrations and wellbeing classes. As part of Dandi’s commitment to encourage guests to use the amenity spaces to entertain their friends and guests, a number of the spaces will be available for private hire. Dandi is one of the few aparthotel providers who have a guest maintenance technician at all sites, and who offers round the clock site- based security which guests truly value. 1.2. Application Submission Content The supporting material which accompanies the planning application is set out below: . Cover Letter . Application Form . Certificate of Ownership . CIL Form . Location Plan (Adam Khan Architects) . Site Plan (Adam Khan Architects) . Architectural Drawings (Adam Khan Architects) . Design