APPENDIX 8 – BRENTFORD FC PLANNING COMMITTEE REPORT Agenda Item 5 PLANNING COMMITTEE 5 December 2013 References: P/2013/1811 00703/A/P11 Address: Land at Lionel Road South, Brentford, TW8 9QR Proposal: Full Planning Permission for the demolition of all existing buildings and the erection of a stadium with ancillary accommodation (D2 Use Class), associated infrastructure including a new vehicular and pedestrian bridge from the eastern corner of the site into Capital Interchange Way, reopening of an existing pedestrian underpass from Kew Bridge Station beneath Lionel Road South and the construction of a new covered, open sided link from that underpass to the stadium external concourse, vehicular and pedestrian circulation areas, public realm improvements, 60 car parking spaces, 400 cycle parking spaces and landscaping; and Outline Planning Permission for the demolition of all existing buildings and erection of associated enabling development, comprising up to 910 residential units (C3 Use Class), up to 1,200sqm retail/other floorspace (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, D1 and D2 Use Classes), a hotel of up to 160 bedrooms (C1 Use Class), vehicular and pedestrian circulation areas, up to 775 car parking spaces, cycle parking, associated hard and soft landscaping and public and private amenity spaces (all matters reserved). This application has been referred to Planning Committee as a planning application subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment, which departs from the Development Plan, and would require a legal deed if approved. Application received: 3 June 2013 1.0 SUMMARY 1.1 The application proposes a new stadium for Brentford Football Club (BFC), moving its home ground to Lionel Road South. The proposal also includes housing on surrounding land, with this helping to fund the stadium. Other associated transport, public realm improvements, car parking and commercial development, including a hotel are proposed. 1.2 The two main elements of the application are: (i) A 20,000 seat football stadium with ancillary and community uses. (ii) Housing development on adjoining and surrounding land to provide funding for the stadium comprising up to 910 dwellings, commercial uses and a 160 room hotel. 1.3 Full planning permission is sought for the football stadium and associated uses including hospitality and function space, club management, training facilities, car parking, public realm improvements and accommodation for community uses with an association with the club, these being the Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, the Learning Zone and the Hounslow Interim Education Centre. 10 1.4 Outline planning permission is sought for the housing and hotel development with car parking. These uses would be located around the stadium, with all matters (layout, scale, appearance, access, and landscaping) relating to the buildings being reserved at this stage. Twelve tower blocks ranging from 7 to 17 storeys are proposed. 1.5 The application has been submitted with an Environmental Statement, and it has been advertised as a departure from the Council’s Development Plan. 1.6 The development would be phased over ten years, with obligations requiring the stadium to be completed prior to the housing. The club would retain ownership of the stadium but sell the housing sites to fund the stadium’s construction. 1.7 Owing to the current viability of the development, no affordable housing is proposed, and the ability to fund other planning obligations is reduced. As a phased scheme, an obligation is proposed requiring viability to be retested over different stages of its delivery, to ensure that if viability improves to a level that would enable affordable housing and other community contributions to be provided, that these can be secured. 1.8 A major proposal of this nature raises numerous issues relating to both the stadium and the housing, with the scheme attracting much public interest with large numbers of submissions for and against it. Various statutory consultees and local amenity groups have also commented. 1.9 This assessment takes into account relevant Development Plan policies, the National Planning Policy Framework, information in an Environmental Statement and other environmental information including that submitted in accordance with Regulation 22 of the EIA Regulations 2011, and considers the three elements of sustainable development, the economic, social and environmental impacts. 1.10 The proposal would assist in the regeneration of the area through optimising use of brownfield sites and enhancing the local economy. Importantly it would be an opportunity to improve the financial sustainability of BFC, retaining its home in the Borough, which will maintain its heritage and identity and help secure and expand its existing wide ranging community and sporting role in the region. New housing, commercial uses and environmental improvements would add to this regeneration and provide housing choice and spur local economic activity. 1.11 The provision of a large spectator venue and high density housing will have significant implications for future residents and impacts on the character and amenity of the surrounding area and local transport network, with this including concerns about impacts on the townscape including views from neighbouring conservation areas and views from the World Heritage listed Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, the living conditions of neighbours, noise and disruption, pressure on local infrastructure and parking, as well as traffic and public transport congestion. 1.12 Given these impacts, and the nature and scale of the scheme and its uses, significant mitigation through conditions and obligations under a s106 deed would be 11 necessary if the application was approved, in order to secure high quality architecture and minimum housing quality standards, and so that the wider regeneration and community benefits of the proposal are achieved. This would also ensure harm is minimised in respect of match-day activity and general transport effects. 1.13 Ultimately where harmful impacts from the development remain as is the case for some effects, it is necessary for Members to balance these against other material planning considerations, in particular the public benefits of the scheme, to consider if these outweigh the harm. 1.14 Taking all these matters into account, and balancing the benefits of the development against the harm, approval is recommended, owing to the overall positive social, economic and environmental impacts. This approval is subject to conditions recommended to safeguard the details of the development, secure mitigation measures and to restrict the proposals to the parameters assessed in the environmental impact assessment and planning application. A legal deed is also required to secure delivery of the stadium and its community benefits and other mitigation, including community infrastructure. 1.15 Following a resolution by the Committee, the application must be referred to the Mayor of London for him to determine whether he is content for the Council to determine the application, direct its refusal, or if he wishes to determine it himself. 2.0 SITE 2.1 The application site has an area of 4.7 hectares and is comprised of three plots of land adjoined by railway lines, Lionel Road South and Capital Interchange Way. Lionel Road South is a one-way north to south route linking Chiswick High Road (just to the north of Kew Bridge) to the Great West Road (A4) and the elevated M4 motorway to the north (N.B. the first 50m at northern end is two way). Kew Bridge railway station adjoins the southern end of the site. 2.2 The central area of the site (“the Central site”) is a roughly triangular shaped plot bounded by railway lines to the northwest and east, with Lionel Road South running along its southern and southwest side. This site has a variety of industrial type uses, and is principally used for waste transfer with construction waste being sorted and recycled . Other uses include vehicle repair, car hire, construction hire and engineering. Much of the site is unsurfaced, with stockpiles of various waste materials amongst a number of pre-fabricated buildings. A two-storey brick building c1870s adjoins Lionel Road. This site is owned by the applicant. 2.3 The second plot is a smaller triangular shaped site to the southwest of Lionel Road. This site is also bounded by railway lines on two sides. It is occupied by a builder’s yard and has a number of two-storey buildings and sheds. This site is owned by Duffy Group PLC/ (“the Duffy site”). 2.4 The third and final plot is an irregular shaped plot to the east of the main site, which has railway lines to the west and Capital Interchange Way to the east. It has a four- storey office building, Capital Court, which is one of a pair of 1980s office buildings, 12 the other building having recently been converted to a secondary school (“the Capital Court site”). This site is under contract of sale to the applicant. 2.5 The Duffy site is shown on the proposals map of the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) and the Brentford Area Action Plan (BAAP) for ‘waste management’. A small area of footpath at the far southern end of the site, is within Kew Bridge Conservation Area. The site has no other specific designations in the UDP. The Central site is referred to in the BAAP as a site for a new stadium for BFC with associated mixed use development. 2.6 Owing to its location between railway lines and the low lying nature of the land, the site is relatively isolated and self-contained from the surrounding environment. The character of the surrounding areas differ significantly with these displaying diverse uses, and varying urban grain, building scale and form. 2.7 The adjoining areas to the north and west form part of the A4/M4 corridor and contain the elevated motorway and large commercial buildings, which are largely replacements of earlier industrial development.