planning report PDU/2126/01 8 February 2011 Excalibur Estate, Catford in the London Borough of Lewisham planning application no. DC/10/75973 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 Hybrid application for the demolition of the existing buildings and provision of 371 residential units in buildings ranging from 1 to 3-storeys in height with associated car and cycle parking, highway infrastructure, landscaping and open space. The applicant The applicant is London and Quadrant Housing Group, and the architect is Hunter and Partners. Strategic issues The principle of renewing this estate is strongly supported and in the interest of good strategic planning in London. The proposal is broadly consistent with London Plan policies; however, the proposal would benefit from some design alterations. Further information and discussion is also required on access, child play space, energy and transport. Recommendation That Lewisham 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 66 of this report; but that the possible remedies set out in paragraph 68 of this report could address these deficiencies. Context 1 On 13 January 2010 the Mayor of London received documents from 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 23 February to provide the Council 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 1A of the Schedule to the Order 2008:”Development which comprises or includes the provision of more than 150 houses, flats or houses and flats”. page 1 3 Once Lewisham 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 6.7 hectare site is located to the east of Forester Memorial Park and to the south of Catford town centre. The site comprises 178 post war pre fabricated homes, which were erected in 1946 and intended to have a 10 year life span. The site is an infill site and with the exception of the access roads and the children’s nursery, is entirely bounded by rear garden fences. The site is not located in a Conservation Area. 6 The site is located on borough roads approximately 1kilometre from the A21 Bromley Road and the A205 South Circular Road, both of which form part of the Transport for London road network. The nearest railway stations are Grove Park and Bellingham, although as these are both located over a kilometre away, they are not considered to be within an acceptable walking distance of the site. The site is directly served by one bus route, with bus stops located throughout the estate. As such, it has been demonstrated that the site records a very poor public transport accessibility level of 1, on a scale of 1-6, where 6 is the highest. Details of the proposal 7 Permission is sought to redevelop the existing pre-fab estate to provide a new residential development comprising a mixture of flats and houses ranging from 1 to 3-storeys in height. 8 The site has been split into two phases. The first phase is a detailed planning application for 152 residential units and the second phases is an outline application fixing the siting, access, scale and massing of the proposal for 219 units. 9 A breakdown of the units is shown below. Social Intermediate Market Total rent 1bed - 11 29 40 11% 2 bed 118 61 104 283 76% 3 bed 33 - - 33 9% 4 bed 15 - - 15 4% Total 166 72 133 371 45% 19% 36% Case history 10 On 13 March 2008 a pre-application meeting was held between the applicant and GLA officers to discuss the redevelopment of the estate. After which advice note PDU/2121 was issued. The advice note concluded that the proposal was broadly consistent with London Plan policy; however, further information and discussion was required on housing, playspace, design page 2 and energy. The need for a follow up pre-application meeting was also expressed by both the applicant and GLA officers, although one never took place. Strategic planning issues and relevant policies and guidance 11 The relevant issues and corresponding policies are as follows: Estate renewal and London Plan; PPS1;PPS3; Housing SPG; Housing Strategy; affordable housing interim Housing SPG; Housing SPG EiP Density London Plan; PPS3; Housing SPG; Interim Housing SPG; Housing SPG EiP draft Urban design London Plan; PPS1 Access London Plan; PPS1; Accessible London: achieving an inclusive environment SPG; Planning and Access for Disabled People: a good practice guide (ODPM) Child play space London Plan; Providing for Children and Young People’s Play and Informal Recreation SPG, Climate change London Plan; PPS1, PPS1 supplement; PPS3; PPG13; PPS22; draft PPS Planning for a Low Carbon Future in a Changing Climate; the Mayor’s Energy Strategy; Mayor’s draft Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies; Mayor’s draft Water Strategy; Sustainable Design and Construction SPG Transport London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy; PPG13 12 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 Lewisham Unitary Development Plan 2004 and the London Plan (Consolidated with Alterations since 2004). 13 The following are also relevant material considerations: The draft replacement London Plan, published in October 2009 for consultation. The Core Strategy Development Plan submission draft (2010). Estate renewal and affordable housing 14 The provision of residential accommodation on this site is supported by policy 3A.1, which seeks to increase London’s supply of housing. Policy 3A.3 seeks to ensure that development proposals achieve the maximum intensity of use compatible with the local context, the design principles in policy 4B.5 of the London Plan and with public transport. 15 Policy 3A.15 of the London Plan resists the loss of housing, including affordable housing, without its planned replacement at existing or higher density. Paragraph 3.75 of the London Plan gives further advice on the Mayor’s approach to estate renewal. This approach is carried through to the draft replacement plan in policy 3.13 (B) and paragraph 3.75. More detailed guidance is set out in Section 20 of the Housing SPG. This clarifies that there should be no net loss of affordable housing, which can be calculated on a habitable room basis and should exclude right to buy properties. Replacement affordable housing can be of a different tenure mix where this achieves a better mix of provision. page 3 16 Private housing that forms part of estate renewal schemes need not provide the normal level of additional affordable provision, where this is necessary to cross subsidise redevelopment. This would need to be justified through a financial appraisal. 17 The site contains 178 existing residential units, of which 152 are social rented and 27 having been purchased from the local authority are now freeholder properties. The proposal will provide 238 affordable units. As such there will be a net gain of 83 affordable units, this is broken down into a net gain of 11 social rented units and 72 intermediate units. Overall the proposal will provide 67% affordable housing by habitable rooms. 18 The applicant has produced an economic viability assessment to demonstrate that the proposal includes the maximum reasonable amount of affordable housing. This is based on the L&Q Housing Group receiving grant funding for the proposal. GLA officers understand (on advice from the applicant) that providing planning permission is granted before the end of the financial year grant funding by the Homes and Communities Agency will be approved. However, if grant funding is not available the applicant requests the right to sell the intermediate units at market value to make up the short fall. Whilst this may be necessary to make the project viable, the S106 agreement should be carefully worded to ensure that there is no reduction of the 166 social rented units. 19 All of the existing pre-fab units are two bedroom units and the majority of the new proposal will also be two bedroom units, however, the applicant has also provided three and four bedroom social rented units and some 1-bedroom intermediate and private units. As such the proposed mix fits broadly within the Mayor’s London wide preferred housing mix. It also takes account of the needs of the existing residents to be re-housed and is the product of extensive consultation with local residents and Lewisham Council. 20 There is some opposition to the proposal from local residents especially those who have lived in the units since their erection in 1946; who wish to see the pre-fab estate retained as a piece of living history from the second world war. However, Lewisham Council’s justification for renewal is supported.