WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL BUILDING HEIGHT STUDY JUNE 2019 4224 REPORT PRESENTED BY URBAN INITIATIVES STUDIO LTD IN ASSOCIATION WITH - STATUS FINAL REPORT ISSUE NO. 05 DATE ISSUED 25 JUNE 2019 FILE NAME 4224_20190625_Westminster Building Height Study_HN.indd PROJECT DIRECTOR Hugo Nowell REVIEWED BY Matthias Wunderlich DESIGN DIRECTOR APPROVED BY DESIGN DIRECTOR This document has been prepared for the exclusive use of the commissioning party and unless otherwise agreed in writing by Urban Initiatives Studio Limited, no other party may copy, reproduce, distribute, make use of, or rely on its contents. No liability is accepted by Urban Initiatives Studio Limited for any use of this document, other than for the purposes for which it was originally prepared and provided. 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Registered in England No. 8236922 www.uistudio.co.uk CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 4 4 TALL BUILDINGS - DEFINITION 7 A PLAN LED APPROACH 62 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 4 AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 16 7.1 TALL BUILDING OBJECTIVES AND FOCUS AREAS 62 1.2 STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT 5 4.1 CONTEXT HEIGHT RATIO 16 4.2 BUILDING HEIGHT CLASSIFICATION 18 7.2 FOCUS AREA 1: PADDINGTON / CHURCH STREET / 2 BRIEF POLICY OVERVIEW 6 WESTBOURNE GREEN 65 2.1 NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY 5 WESTMINSTER SPATIAL 7.3 FOCUS AREA 2: OVERVIEW 22 TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD 70 FRAMEWORK 6 5.1 INTRODUCTION 22 7.4 FOCUS AREA 3: 2.2 HISTORIC ENGLAND - TALL 5.2 HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT 23 VICTORIA / EBURY BRIDGE 72 BUILDINGS ADVICE NOTE 7 5.3 STRATEGIC LOCATION 28 7.5 CONCLUSION 77 2.3 LONDON PLAN 8 5.4 SPATIAL STRUCTURE 29 2.4 WESTMINSTER CITY POLICIES 9 5.5 BUILDING HEIGHTS 38 5.6 SENSITIVITIES 42 3 TALL BUILDINGS - ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES 12 3.1 INTRODUCTION 12 6 WESTMINSTER DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE AND CHANGE 50 3.2 TALL BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES 13 6.1 DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE 50 3.3 TALL BUILDING CHALLENGES 14 WESTMINSTER BUILDING HEIGHT STUDY 3 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Westminster City Council (WCC) is currently The revised City Plan needs to be in general updating its planning policies through the review conformity with the London Plan. The draft new of the City Plan. WCC recently consulted on London Plan (2018) requires boroughs to provide an informal draft of the City Plan 2019-2040 a definition of what constitutes a tall building (November 2018) and is now working towards based on local context and indicate in their Local publication (Regulation 19) of the plan. Plans specific locations where tall buildings will be acceptable in principle. This study provides the The draft City Plan sets out ambitious targets for evidence base to support the new City Plan heights housing and commercial growth in the city for policy. a period up to 2040. A large proportion of this growth will be directed to the identified growth This building heights study draws on existing areas of the Victoria and Paddington Opportunity evidence, studies and data to: Areas as well as the West End (including Tottenham • Analyse the character, prevailing heights and Court Road Opportunity Area) and to housing constraints of different part of the city; renewal areas at Church Street and Edgware Road and Ebury Bridge estate. The draft City • Identify the location and height of consented Plan advocates a design-led approach to building tall buildings proposals to understand where height, but also seeks to provide clarity on what change is likely to happen; heights will be acceptable in these growth areas. As with other parts of London, Westminster has • Identify areas that may be appropriate for recently seen a number of proposals for higher higher buildings; and or tall buildings. It is recognised that building higher can help deliver growth in the city, but • Advise on parameters for appropriate building it is important that tall/higher buildings are height for different areas in the city through appropriately designed and are appropriate to simple 3D modelling. the local context. This is particularly important given the high-quality townscapes and high concentration of heritage assets in Westminster and Central London. A robust, well-evidenced policy is therefore required to ensure higher Tall buildings in Westminster must respect heritage building proposals are appropriate. assets including the Palace of Westminster 4 1.2 STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT This study is structured in the following sections: SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION SECTION 4: TALL BUILDINGS - A DEFINITION SECTION 6: DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE AND AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK CHANGE SECTION 2: BRIEF POLICY OVERVIEW This section sets out the theoretical baseline for This section sets out the development pressure The study is based on a robust understanding of the building heights study. It includes a definition that the borough is facing. It provides a summary the policy context in relation to tall buildings in of what constitutes a tall building, an approach of recent tall building proposals and their London. This section provides a brief overview of to classifying tall buildings in relation to their role locations. the national, regional and local planning policy within a place and the scope for tall buildings to context, including Historic England’s Advice Note enhance legibility, to contribute to the skyline and SECTION 7: A PLAN LED APPROACH TO TALL on tall buildings and a review of the current city image, and to form clusters. BUILDINGS tall building policy in Westminster. This section This final section considers where tall buildings also identifies where the City Plan anticipates SECTION 5: WESTMINSTER SPATIAL OVERVIEW may be appropriate across Westminster. It sets growth and intensification to meet housing and This section provides a spatial overview of the out a Plan led approach to the consideration of tall employment need. borough, identifying it’s history, spatial structure, buildings in the borough identifying a number of distribution of land uses, and public transport tall building objectives and identifying a number SECTION 3: TALL BUILDINGS - ISSUES AND accessibility. A detailed mapping of existing of Focus Areas where tall buildings may be OPPORTUNITIES building heights across the borough has been appropriate and exploring these in further detail. This section provides a brief overview of the undertaken and this illustrates the typical height opportunities that are presented by tall buildings and scale of development in Westminster, as well Recommendations on the potential for tall and balances this by identifying the issues and as where exceptional height is concentrated. buildings in these areas are made supported by challenges that they present. visibility analysis and 3D modelling work. This section also identifies areas that are The modelling work is provided within a separate potentially sensitive to tall buildings through report.. mapping of listed buildings, conservation area designations, protected vistas and local views, local landmarks and topography. WESTMINSTER BUILDING HEIGHT STUDY 5 2 BRIEF POLICY OVERVIEW This chapter provides a summary of the policy relating to tall buildings. It is not intended to be comprehensive but rather to establish a policy overview. 2.1 NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) c. are sympathetic to local character and history, National Planning Policy Framework (2018) sets out the government’s objectives for including the surrounding built environment new development. The NPPF does not have any and landscape setting, while not preventing or specific policies on tall buildings, however, it sets discouraging appropriate innovation or change out a number of more general design and planning (such as increased densities); principles which are relevant to the development of tall buildings. d. establish or maintain a strong sense of place, using the arrangement of streets, spaces, Good design is a key requirement of the NPPF. The building types and materials to create attractive, NPPF states that it is important to plan positively welcoming and distinctive places to live, work to achieve high quality and inclusive design and and visit; February 2019 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government that local authorities should develop robust and comprehensive policies that set out the quality of e. optimise the potential of the site to National Planning Policy Framework (February 2019) development that will be expected in their area. accommodate and sustain an appropriate These should be based on a clear vision for the amount and mix of development (including future of the area and upon a detailed evaluation green and other public space) and support local of the characteristics that define it. facilities and transport networks; and The NPPF promotes an urban design led approach to planning that requires buildings to respond to f. create places that are safe, inclusive and the location in which they are located rather than accessible and which promote health and prescribe specific architectural styles. well-being, with a high standard of amenity for existing and future users; and where crime Chapter 12, Well-designed places, paragraph 127 and disorder, and the fear of crime, do not notes that: undermine the quality of life or community Planning policies and decisions should ensure that cohesion and resilience.