Smithfield General Market), Farringdon in the City of London Planning Application No.13/01151/FULL
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planning report D&P/3101b/01 19 March 2014 301 Central Markets (Smithfield General Market), Farringdon in the City of London planning application no.13/01151/FULL 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 Change of use of the ground floor of the General Market Building, Annex and former Iron Mountain loading bay to a flexible allocation of uses to include classes A1, A3, A4 and A5, (retail use), D1 and D2 (assembly leisure, market, theatrical performance and live music performance) and B8 (storage), plus the provision of cycle parking facilities, pedestrian access and associated works. The applicant The applicants are SAVE Britain’s Heritage and The Victorian Society. Strategic issues The principle of reinvigorating the use of these historic, but long-disused market buildings and the introduction of a mix of retail, commercial and leisure uses in the Farringdon/Smithfield Area of Intensification, with its emerging public transport improvements is strongly supported in strategic planning terms. Recommendation That the City of London Corporation be advised that whilst the changes of use proposed are acceptable in principle, the application does not fully comply with the London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 73 of this report. The application does not need to be referred back to the Mayor if the Corporation resolves to refuse planning permission, but it must be referred back if the Corporation resolves to grant permission. Context 1 On 3 January 2014, the Mayor of London received documents from the City of London Corporation notifying him of a planning application 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 had until 13 February 2014 to provide the Corporation with a statement setting out whether he considers that the application complies 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 application is referable under Category 3E of the Schedule to the Order 2008:” Development- (a) which does not accord with one or more provisions of the development plan in force in the area in which the application site is situated; and (b) comprises or includes the provision of more than 2,500 sq metres of page 1 floorspace for a use falling within the following classes in the Use Classes Order-(i) class A1 (retail); (ii) class A2 (financial and professional); (iii) class A3 (food and drink); and (vi) class B1 (business).” 3 Once the City of London Corporation has resolved to determine the application, it is required to refer it back to the Mayor for his decision, as to whether to direct refusal or allow the Council to determine it itself, unless otherwise advised. In this instance if the Council resolves to refuse permission it need not refer the application back to the Mayor. 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 Mayor of London’s statement on this case will be made available on the GLA website www.london.gov.uk. Site description 6 Smithfield is the oldest and largest wholesale meat market in Europe and the last of the great medieval markets to remain on its original site. Many of the most attractive buildings in its immediate locality are related in architectural character and historic purpose to the market complex. This application relates to the former General Market and Annex Buildings within the Smithfield complex of market halls. 7 The application site comprises some 1.03-hectare of land on both the north and south sides of West Smithfield. The portion to the north is occupied by 43 Farringdon Street, the General Market Buildings bounded by Farringdon Street on the west, Charterhouse Street on the north, West Poultry Avenue on the east and West Smithfield on the south. The portion to the south comprises most of the area bounded by West Smithfield on the north, Snow Hill on the west and Smithfield Street on the east. A short distance to the south is the Grade II listed Holborn Viaduct of 1869. The General Markets stand immediately to the west of the Grade II listed Poultry Market of 1963, linked by a 1960s canopy. 8 There are three other buildings that adjoin the site, none of which have any heritage significance. These are the nondescript ten storey Atlantic House office building of the c1980s and the 1990s 6/7 storey office block - 19 Charterhouse Street (both to the west of the application site on the western side of Farringdon Street). To the south of the triangular site of annex buildings is the construction site of the new 10 storey office development - 60 Holborn Viaduct (replacing the 1967 Bath House office block and including the welcome reinstatement of the missing fourth corner block fronting Holborn Viaduct). Below the site are the Thameslink railway tunnels; the running tracks and sidings of which are situated at basement level through part of the site, beneath the General Market and Annex buildings in particular. 9 The site itself comprises a complex of five buildings, all non-designated heritage assets that make a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the Smithfield Conservation Area. They also contribute to the settings of the Hatton Garden and Charterhouse Square conservation areas in the neighbouring London boroughs of Camden and Islington respectively. They form the westernmost part of the extensive Smithfield Markets complex whose original buildings occupy the eastern half of the site, opened in 1867 which are listed Grade II*. Both the Grade II* market halls and the General Market buildings were designed by the Corporation of London’s city architect Sir Horace Jones, who also designed the iconic Tower Bridge and Leadenhall Market. The General Market Building (GMB) has frontages on Farringdon Road, Charterhouse Street and West Smithfield, with a much altered rear elevation on West Poultry Avenue linked by a rather unsightly high level corrugated plastic sheet canopy (also of the 1960s) to the copper roofed canopy of the Poultry Market. The GMB was built between 1879 and 1883 when it opened as a fish market, converted to a meat market in 1889 and later became a general market. It comprises perimeter buildings with elevations of red Fareham brick and Portland stone in the French manner, enclosing a large market hall of arched wood trusses on lattice girders supported on substantial iron columns. The markets are largely three stories in height (including a mansard roof storey). page 2 10 The north-western corner (known as Hart’s Corner) was damaged in WWII and rebuilt in Portland stone. Part of the market hall was also damaged by enemy action and made good by the addition of an elegant concrete dome in c1950. A characterful traditional timber awning spans West Smithfield linking the general markets building to a wedge-shaped smaller market building (known as the Annex, formerly a fish market) built in 1886 with a long frontage on Snow Hill. This is joined to the Red House (once a cold store - photo top row below - right) built in 1899 which has an imposing east facing façade, and the adjacent former Engine House of 1884. The lavatory block is partially visible in the right-hand foreground in the photo below right. 11 The Red House, General Market Building and the Annex closed in stages between the 1970s and the 1990s and the whole complex has been disused for many years with the exception of a barbers shop on Charterhouse Street and a café on Farringdon Street, both on short term leases. 12 The surrounding area is typified by a mix of land uses. Areas to the north, west and south consist predominantly of offices, with some retail at ground floor level. To the east is the active Smithfield Market comprising the poultry market and old meat markets; with offices, retail and residential uses beyond that. Indeed the character of Smithfield is largely shaped by its unique mix of uses. 13 The nearest section of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) is Farringdon Street itself and Holborn Viaduct (100m to the south) forms part of the Strategic Road Network (SRN). Farringdon Station is 200m north of the site and is served by the Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines, as well as Thameslink rail services. Crossrail will service the development by 2019, when the on-going Thameslink upgrade is also likely to be completed. 19 bus routes run within 450m of the site. Given its central location and proximity to public transport, the site has an estimated public transport accessibility level (PTAL) of 6b, on a scale of 1a to 6b, where 6b is the most accessible. Details of the proposal 14 The proposal is for a mixed-use development in the General Market building, the Annex and the former Iron Mountain building, comprising retail/restaurant/ licensed and hot food premises (classes A1/A3/A4 and A5); assembly and leisure (D2), together with sui generis uses including markets, theatrical and live music performances; storage, and cycle parking. The new uses amount to 6,774 square meters. The applicant has stipulated in the Design and Access Statement that A4 uses (bars) will not exceed 20% of the net internal area.