planning report 2450/01 16 December 2009 Sites E, G, I-1 & I-2, Brownfield Estate, Brownfield Street, Poplar Tower Hamlets Council Planning application no. PA/09/02100 Strategic planning application stage 1 referral (new powers) Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended); Greater London Authority Acts 1999 and 2007; Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 The proposal The demolition of 30 flats on three sites, and the construction of 144 flats and houses on four sites, including a 20-storey tower, and 150 sq.m of community space, together with associated landscaping The applicant The applicant is Poplar Harca, and the architect is PRP. Strategic issues This application is the first phase of an estate renewal, and provides an appropriate level of affordable housing, although further information on viability is required. Density and design is generally appropriate, with a tall building proposed within a conservation area, although there are some outstanding issues regarding appearance, landscaping and children’s play space. The transport and access strategies are generally appropriate, although more information is sought on disabled, electric vehicle and cycle parking and other matters. Recommendation That Tower Hamlets Council be advised that while the application is generally acceptable in strategic planning terms, the application does not comply with the London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 79 of this report; but that the possible remedies set out in paragraph 81 of this report could address these deficiencies. Context 1 On 6 November 2009 the Mayor of London received documents from Tower Hamlets Council 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 has until 17 December 2009 to provide the Council with a statement setting out whether he considers that the application complies with the London Plan, page 1 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 1C of the Schedule to the Order 2008: “Development which comprises or includes the erection of a building of one or more of the following descriptions … (c) the building is more than 30 metres high and is outside the City of London.” 3 Once Tower Hamlets Council 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; take it over for his own determination; or allow the Council to determine it itself. 4 The Mayor of London’s statement on this case will be made available on the GLA website www.london.gov.uk. Site description 5 The application includes four sites located within Poplar comprising: Site E – Willis Street car park and an adjoining area of landscaped open space (3,400 sq.m.), Site G – Former Builders Arms and bed sits (1,500 sq.m.), Site I-1 – Ida Street (575 sq.m.) and Site I-2 – Follet Street (1,120 sq.m.). Site E on the corner of Burcham and Hay Currie Streets is located north east of the other three sites, which are situated in a cluster around Ida Street. All four sites are corner sites. 6 The sites are within the Brownfield Estate, which is within a regeneration area. The wider area is bounded DLR rail line to the west and the A12 and A13 interchange to the east. Langdon Park DLR station is 150m to the north of the northern site boundary. Surrounding development comprises of residential development typically ranging two to four-storey residential development, however larger residential towers exist further to the east, namely Glenkerry House (fourteen-storey) and Balfron Tower (22-storey). The latter forms part of the Brownfield Estate and is Grade-II listed, and part of a Conservation Area in which the dominant built form was designed in the 1960s by modernist architect Erno Goldfinger. Site E also falls within the Conservation Area, and site G is adjacent to its boundary. 7 There are 7 bus services within 400m of the site and All Saints and Langdon Park DLR stations are also located within reasonable walking distance providing frequent services north to Stratford and south to Lewisham. Due to the size of the development area, the site’s Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) ranges from 2 in the east to 4 in the west, on a scale of 1 to 6 where 1 represents the lowest accessibility level and 6a the highest. Details of the proposal 8 The proposal seeks to re-develop the aforementioned four sites within the Brownfield Estate as follows: • Site E – Willis Street car park: A twenty-storey residential block providing 112 flats. There will be 1 x one-bed studio flat (Private tenure) 49 x one-bedroom units (44 private and 5 intermediate), 43 x two-bedroom units (30 private and 13 intermediate), and 19 x three-bedroom units (15 private and 4 intermediate), of which 90 will be for private sale and 22 for intermediate rent. A 150sq.m community space will also be provided on the ground floor. The existing public open space would be renewed. page 2 • Site G – Former Builders’ Arms PH and bedsits: A part four, part five-storey residential block providing 23 flats and maisonettes, (8 x two-bedroom units, 4 x three-bedroom units, 10 x four-bedroom units and 1 x five-bedroom units), all affordable rent. • Site I-1, Ida Street: A two-storey residential block providing four 4-bedroom houses, all affordable rent. • Site I-2, Follet Street: A two-storey residential block providing five houses, (2 x four- bedroom units and 3 x five-bedroom units), all affordable rent. 9 In total the proposal will provide 144 units comprised of the following mix: 32 units for social rent, 22 units for intermediate rent and 90 for private sale. This represents a total of 37% affordable housing tenure by unit and 48.5% by habitable room. The housing mix will be 1 studio unit, 49 x one-bedroom units, 51 x two-bedroom units, 23 x three-bedroom units, 16 x four-bedroom units and 4 x five-bedroom units. There would be a loss of 2 private flats and 28 affordable homes, but a net overall gain of housing. Case history 10 The proposal represents a revised version of a previous application (PDU/2217) that proposed much larger, regeneration-led development of the area. The application was withdrawn in September 2008 as a direct result of objections to, and comments from Council officers. The principal objections related to the loss of open space at Jollies Green and the height of the proposed Willis Street Tower (22 storeys). The current application does not include all of the development sites as previously proposed and a scheme for Phase 2 is currently being prepared, which will include the refurbishment of Balfron Tower. Design work is progressing on the remaining sites, which will be submitted as separate applications. 11 Pre-application meetings regarding the current application were held with GLA officers in June and October 2009. Strategic planning issues and relevant policies and guidance 12 The relevant issues and corresponding policies are as follows: • Housing London Plan; PPS3; Housing SPG; Providing for Children and Young People’s Play and Informal Recreation SPG, draft Housing Strategy, draft revised housing SPG • Affordable housing London Plan; PPS3; Housing SPG, draft Housing Strategy • Density London Plan; PPS3; Housing SPG • Tall buildings/views London Plan; View Management Framework SPG, draft Revised View Management Framework SPG • Urban design London Plan; PPS1 • Transport London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy; PPG13 • Parking London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy; PPG13 • Access London Plan; PPS1; Accessible London: achieving an inclusive environment SPG; Wheelchair Accessible Housing BPG; Planning and Access for Disabled People: a good practice guide (ODPM) • Sustainable development London Plan; PPS1, PPS Planning and Climate Change Supplement to PPS1; PPS3; PPG13; PPS22; the Mayor’s Energy Strategy; Sustainable Design and Construction SPG page 3 13 For the purposes of Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the development plan in force for the area is the 1998 Tower Hamlets Unitary Development Plan and the London Plan (Consolidated with Alterations since 2004). The Tower Hamlets Core Strategy (pre-submission stage) and draft replacement London Plan are also a material considerations. Housing and affordable housing 14 London Plan Policy 3A.10 requires borough councils to seek the maximum reasonable amount of affordable housing when negotiating on individual private residential and mixed-use schemes. In doing so, each council should have regard to its own overall target for the amount of affordable housing provision. Policy 3A.9 states that such targets should be based on an assessment of regional and local housing need and a realistic assessment of supply, and should take account of the London Plan strategic target that 35% of housing should be social and 15% intermediate provision, and of the promotion of mixed and balanced communities. In addition, Policy 3A.10 encourages councils to have regard to the need to encourage rather than restrain residential development, and to the individual circumstances of the site. Targets should be applied flexibly, taking account of individual site costs, the availability of public subsidy and other scheme requirements. 15 Policy 3A.10 is supported by paragraph 3.52, which urges borough councils to take account of economic viability when estimating the appropriate amount of affordable provision.