Hybrid Planning Application Es Volume Ii: Heritage, Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment July 2020
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HYBRID PLANNING APPLICATION ES VOLUME II: HERITAGE, TOWNSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT JULY 2020 AUTHOR CITYDESIGNER DOCUMENT REF EBR-13 REVISION 00 This page is intentionally left blank EBURY BRIDGE RENEWAL, CITY OF WESTMINSTER ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT VOLUME I1: HERITAGE, TOWNSCAPE & VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 METHODOLOGY ASSESSMENT .............................................................................................................................................................. 3 3.0 HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE ............................................................................................................................................11 4.0 THE SITE AND CURRENT CONTEXT .................................................................................................................................................17 5.0 DESIGN QUALITY ......................................................................................................................................................................................27 6.0 ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS DURING DEMOLITION AND CONSTRUCTION .......................................................................33 7.0 ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS ON HERITAGE RECEPTORS................................................................................................................35 7A. CONSERVATION AREAS ...................................................................................................................................................................36 7B. LISTED BUILDINGS..............................................................................................................................................................................45 7C. REGISTERED PARKS AND GARDENS ...........................................................................................................................................73 7D. NON-DESIGNATED HERITAGE ASSETS .......................................................................................................................................78 8.0 ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS ON TOWNSCAPE RECEPTORS .........................................................................................................85 9.0 ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS ON VISUAL RECEPTORS ......................................................................................................................94 10.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RESIDUAL EFFECTS ......................................................................................................................................247 APPENDIX 1 - MILLER HARE’S METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................251 APPENDIX 2 - LISTED BUILDING DESCRIPTIONS........................................................................................................................258 APPENDIX 3 - REGISTERED PARKS AND GARDENS DESCRIPTIONS ..................................................................................270 Important Note: Images in this document have fine detail and high resolution photographs and are always printed by Citydesigner to the highest standards. Original copies are identified by Citydesigner’s dichroic hologram. Original printed copies may be available to view at the relevant Local Planning Authority offices. Photocopies or electronic file printouts should not be relied upon. ELECTRONIC COPY At the time of writing this report, Covid-19 restrictions are in place, and high quality printed copies with holograms will not be available. The reader can identify whether they have a top-quality digital version of the report by the size of the high quality pdf which is 437 MB. JUNE 2020 3 This page is intentionally left blank EBURY BRIDGE RENEWAL, CITY OF WESTMINSTER ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT VOLUME I1: HERITAGE, TOWNSCAPE & VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This Heritage, Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment report has been prepared by Citydesigner (‘the consultancy’) on behalf of Westminster City Council’s regeneration team (the ‘Applicant’) in support of a Hybrid Outline Application for the renewal of the Ebury Bridge Estate, Ebury Bridge Road, London, SW1W 8PX (‘the Site’). The Site falls within the administrative area of Westminster City Council (‘WCC’) and therefore the WCC Local Planning Authority (‘WCC LPA’) will determine the planning application. 1.2 The site (marked in red in Figs. 1.1 - 1.2) is located between Victoria Station and the Thames, bounded by railway tracks to the east and Ebury Bridge Road to the west. It comprises 12 blocks built between 1930 and 1955. The existing buildings are not statutorily or locally listed, and do not fall within a conservation area. An earlier permission in 2014 to demolish seven of the blocks was not implemented and has now lapsed. Edgson House (built in 1955) was demolished in September 2019 (planning ref: 18/08372/COFUL). BUCKINGHAM PALACE ROAD The Proposal EBURY BRIDGE PIMLICO ROAD The Hybrid Outline Planning Application proposes: 1.3 A mixed use development in outline for residential floorspace and ancillary residential facilities (Class C3) non-residential floorspace comprising flexible EBURY BRIDGE ROAD retail (Classes A1 - A4), community (Class D1), leisure (Class D2) and workspace (Class B1) floorspace; provision of basement; new pedestrian and vehicular access; and associated amenity space, open space, plant, landscaping, car and cycle parking, refuse storage, servicing area, and other associated infrastructure works; and 1.4 Detailed planning consent for Buildings 7 and 8 comprising residential floorspace and ancillary residential facilities (Class C3); provision of a basement; new pedestrian and vehicular access; and associated amenity space landscaping, car and cycle parking, refuse storage, servicing area, and other associated infrastructure works. 1.5 As part of this proposal the outline element (‘the Outline Area’) would comprise up to 36,610sqm residential floorspace (equating to an illustrative 532 residential units); and up to 3,018sqm non-residential floorspace. It is being submitted with all matters reserved. This approach has been adopted to establish the principle and character of the wider Site’s redevelopment Fig. 1.1: Location map with site boundary marked in red. Fig. 1.2: Aerial view of the site marked in red. – whilst allowing the necessary flexibility for blocks to be designed and constructed in the future with due consideration to changing context. 1.6 Within the Detailed Area 226 residential units are proposed across Blocks 7 and 8, which comprise two buildings up to 18 storeys and 17 storeys in height respectively; with a basement. As a detailed consent, construction of these two blocks can start on Site expediently, ensuring the decant and rehousing of existing residents can occur with minimal upheaval. JULY 2020 1 EBURY BRIDGE RENEWAL, CITY OF WESTMINSTER ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT VOLUME I1: HERITAGE, TOWNSCAPE & VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT 1.0 INTRODUCTION (CONTD) Purpose and Structure of this Report 1.7 This Heritage, Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment (THVIA) report, Volume 2 of the Environmental Statement (ES), assesses the heritage, townscape and visual effects of the proposed development, for the purposes of the planning application. The assessments consider potentially affected heritage assets surrounding the site, including neighbouring conservation areas, listed buildings, registered parks and gardens and non-designated heritage assets; the townscape character of the site and surrounding area; and a selection of 26 townscape views potentially affected by the proposed development. 1.8 The consultancy has assisted the architects for the scheme, Astudio (‘the architects’), by providing assessment and feedback on the design of both the detailed and outline components of the proposed development throughout the design development process. It has also provided feedback on the potential impacts and likely effects on heritage assets near the site, on the local townscape character and on townscape views. 1.9 The assessment takes into account the design quality of the proposed development and the requirements of EIA regulations and national, regional and local planning policy and guidance. 1.10 Regulation 15 of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 indicates that an applicant may ask the relevant planning authority, in this case WCC, to state in writing their opinion as to the scope and level of detail of the information to be provided in the Environmental Statement (a “scoping opinion”). A scoping exercise was undertaken in order to identify the potentially significant environmental issues relating to the site and the proposed development, thus ensuring they are subject to an appropriate level of assessment, and therefore a focus for the EIA. The Scoping Report summarising the findings of the scoping exercise and setting out the proposed scope of the EIA was sent on 20th September 2019. WCC provided a Scoping Opinion on 6th December 2019. There were no comments on the scope of the HTVIA. Fig. 1.3: Birds eye view of the site, marked in red, looking east (Bing Maps). 1.11 This HTVIA report should be read in conjunction with Volume 1 of the Environmental Statement (coordinated