Ref: 2050/16/POW/PS-01 PLANNING STATEMENT Rev A FOR Designer: Gavin Mustion BSc (Hons) MCIAT BREWHOUSE AND KITCHEN HEADQUARTERS Issued: 13 th December 2016 FIRST FLOOR ALTERATIONS AND REFURBISHMENT Rev: 1st Issue AT BREWHOUSE AND KITCHEN OFFICE ABOVE THE PUB, 2A CORSICA STREET, HIGHBURY, LONDON N5 1JJ CLIENT: BREWHOUSE AND KITCHEN C/O IAN LISHMAN BREWHOUSE AND KITCHEN, OFFICE ABOVE THE PUB, 2A CORSICA STREET, HIGHBURY, LONDON N5 1JJ PHILIPS SURVEYORS LLP T: 0207 354 3761 THE OLD COACH HOUSE M: 0773 852 2267 78 LOWER STREET E: [email protected] PULBOROUGH WEST SUSSEX RH20 2AA TEL 01798 873222 EMAIL [email protected] POW/2015/15 – Refurbishment Works – The Old Coach House CONTENTS ITEM No. DESCRIPTION 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Description of Works 3.0 Site History 4.0 Need for the development 5.0 Planning Policies 6.0 Conclusions FEASIBILITY STUDY Page 2 of 7 POW/2015/15 – Refurbishment Works – The Old Coach House 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This planning statement supports an application that seeks to refurbish and alter existing first floor accommodation of a drinking establishment under Use Class A4. 1.2 The proposal seeks to improve the current first floor layout as it has become not fit for purposes with several areas in poor condition and unused. 1.3 This statement seeks to show that the proposal will be an improvement the working areas for the gastro pub chain management team, staff training and the flexibility of being able to host private functions. This is essential for the continued success and growth of the gastro-pub chain. It will also set out how the proposed work will not affect the highway or residential amenities in the surrounding area, and will bring benefits to the area in terms of employment and the running of the business. 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE WORKS 2.1 Ground floor alterations: Fire exit door to be declassified as fire exit to accommodate extension of existing bin store. 2.2 First Floor Alterations: Alterations and refurbishment of existing offices, and staff accommodation by narrowing corridor, to form new open plan office, 3No. single offices and store room by removing all staff accommodation spaces. Removal of existing offices spaces to form new licensed bar area/new private hire and flexible meeting room. In addition the removal of cold liquor tank to terrace and alterations to first floor elevation will be undertaken to suit new layout. 3.0 SITE HISTORY 3.1 This buildings was once used as part of the London transport network as a tram shed up until the tram network was abandoned 1938 in favour of trolleybuses and later buses in 1961. 3.2 Extract from British history online (Islington: Communications): The first tramway in Islington was opened in 1871 by the North Metropolitan Tramways Co. from the Nag's Head, Holloway Road, to the Angel via both Upper Street and Liverpool Road, and on to Finsbury Square. It was extended to Archway tavern and Finsbury Park in 1872, when the company opened another line from Dalston to Islington Green via Ball's Pond and Essex roads. London Street Tramways extended their routes from Camden Town to the Nag's Head in 1872 and from Kentish Town to Archway tavern in 1875. Other routes opened were from City Road along Southgate Road to Newington Green and Riversdale Road in 1874, from King's Cross to the Nag's Head along Caledonian Road in 1878, and from Highbury Corner to Old Street along New North Road in 1879. An electric tram service from Highbury station along Upper Street to the Angel and on to Rosebery Avenue was started in 1906 and extended in 1907 along Holloway Road to Archway tavern; in 1908 through services ran from Highbury to Tower Bridge via Westminster and the Elephant and Castle, and from Highbury to Kennington Gate. Motor buses had superseded horse buses on the L.G.O.C.'s routes from Highbury FEASIBILITY STUDY Page 3 of 7 POW/2015/15 – Refurbishment Works – The Old Coach House Barn and Barnsbury by 1911. Trolleybuses replaced trams from 1938, and were in turn replaced by buses in 1961 3.3 Highbury corner itself was heavily bombed during WWII and you can see the changes made to the road system following this, prior to the war the island roundabout and the southern road are shown as buildings. The new road system works were carried out in 1958, completed 1960. The image (1914 Ordnance Survey map, source: www.localhistory.co.uk ) shows the route of electric buses. The map below shows areas of bomb damage during the war (sourced same as above) Purple being damaged beyond repair and dark red being doubtable for repair. The corner of our site is shown dark red, application site marked ‘2A’. 3.4 The photo below shows Highbury corner in 1987 sourced from Islington local FEASIBILITY STUDY Page 4 of 7 POW/2015/15 – Refurbishment Works – The Old Coach House history Centre. The photo shows the old tram shed still being used for storage of transit vehicles or as a warehouse as a lorry is visible in the forecourt. 3.5 The tram shed was later converted into a public house named The Tram Shed then The Junction and later became Brewhouse and Kitchen Gastro pub in its current form. 4.0 NEED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT 4.1 The existing first floor layout currently houses the Brewhouse & Kitchen Gastro pub chain HQ offices with staff accommodation for staff training, pub manger office and the male WC’s. 4.2 The first floor has a very large corridor with a grand width of 2.86m, which is excessive when you consider the fire exit route is only 1.5m wide from the terrace down. Fire Safe Solutions have produced two reports on the current layout and the proposed layout describing how the new layout with fire alarm and material upgrades is suitable for use and comply with the fire regulations as long as the width of the corridor is no less than the width of the escape stair at 1.5m. 4.3 Currently only two of the staff bedrooms (marked on the plan as Bedroom 1 & Bedroom two are fit for purpose and are being used for staff training accommodation. At present Brewhouse and Kitchen do not require staff accommodation at the Highbury site and would like to utilize the space for the running of the Gastro-pub chain. 4.4 The proposal seek to provide a meeting room/staff training area (to seat 8) and additional office space in the form of an open plan office (12 desks) with 3No. single offices (1No. desk per office) and storage space. The current office and meeting room space is cramped and does not meet the growing needs of the business and the need for more staff to run the chain of gastro pubs. The current main office houses 4 desks with another two single offices adding another two desk/workspaces with a total of 6 workspaces and 1 meeting room table. The meeting room table is not fit for private meeting as it is linked to the main office space. A Separate meeting/staff training room would be beneficial. FEASIBILITY STUDY Page 5 of 7 POW/2015/15 – Refurbishment Works – The Old Coach House 4.5 The proposal for moving the offices to the rear portion of the first floor means the offices can be enlarged while maintaining good distance to the fire exit. This would also allow Brewhouse and kitchen to form a new licensed bar area/private function room within the first floor the pub is lacking this at present to the ground floor this gives them the flexibility to hold private functions and utilizes it for extended training areas if required. 4.6 The Ground floor would have minor works to increase the size of the bin store to better waste manage and reduce the risk of arson by fully enclosing the bins. No increase of the bin sizes or numbers are proposed. 4.7 Therefore, alterations to reduce the width of the corridor makes better use of the wasted space rather than an excessive corridor. It also allows for storage areas to be formed. The relocation of the offices forming an open plan office and 3 single offices increases office space which is much needed as well as opening-up the front section of the first floor for private function. 5.0 PLANNING POLICES 5.1 According to Islington’s local plan policy map the site falls within an Employment Growth Area and Rail Safe Guarding Area. It also abuts a Local Shopping Area and an SINC (Bough Grade2) (Site of Importance for Nature Conservation) to the railway line and associated embankment. The building is not listed and does not fall within a conservation area. 5.2 The proposed alterations have been designed to consider local and national planning policies. 5.3 Islington Council Core Strategy Policies • Strategy CS 5 – Highbury Corner and Holloway Road. The site falls partly within the key area relating to ‘Change in employment floor space by type in key area’. • Strategy CS 13 – Employment spaces 3.4 Employment Employment spaces for businesses 3.4.1 The current economic situation has exposed London's and the UK's close links with the global economy. Whilst the Core Strategy does not directly influence job creation, it does influence the locations and types of spaces for those jobs. As the objective in Chapter 1 sets out, the council wishes to support the continued development of a strong and diverse local economy which expands the job opportunities for residents and for people in the wider London region.