planning report GLA/4758/01 14 January 2019 Site north west of Leamouth Road in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets planning application no. PA/18/03089 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 Erection of 18 storey building (up to maximum height of 64.250 metres AOD) to provide a 350 room hotel (Use Class C1) together with ancillary restaurant and bar, car parking, cycle parking and landscaping. The applicant The applicants are Marick Real Estate Limited and Mill Lane Estates and the architect is Dexter Moren Associates. Strategic issues Land use principles: The proposed hotel in this accessible location within the Lower Lea Valley Opportunity Area is supported in strategic planning terms (paragraphs 16 & 17). Urban design & heritage: The height, massing and architecture is supported. The scheme is dominated by surface car parking which significantly compromises the design and is contrary to policy; this must be reduced. The proposed landscape strategy should be revised to increase areas of meaningful soft landscaping and public realm. No harm would result to nearby heritage assets (paragraphs 19-24). Sustainable development: The extent of hard surfacing should be reduced with a view to maximise urban greening and contribute towards the reduction of the heat island effect. Details of planting and a calculation of the proposal’s Urban Greening Factor should be provided. The proposal should seek to achieve the urban greening target as set out in draft London Plan Policy G5 (paragraphs 29-35). Transport: The proposed level of parking generates a mode share of 33.4% of trips by car, which does not comply with the intent of the draft London Plan. Car parking should be reduced and the Transport Assessment should be revised to reflect a higher proportion of trips by foot, cycle or public transport, in line with the Mayor’s strategic targets (paragraphs 36-41). Further information is sought with respect to energy (paragraphs 26-28) and drainage (paragraphs 29 -31). Recommendation That Tower Hamlets Council be advised that, whilst the principle of the proposal is supported, the application does not comply with the London Plan and draft London Plan for the reasons set out in paragraph 46 of this report, however possible remedies set out in that paragraph can address those deficiencies. page 1 Context 1 On 13 November 2018 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 Order 2008’) the Mayor has to provide the Council with a statement setting out whether he considers that the application complies with the London Plan and draft 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 the following Categories of the Schedule to the Order 2008: • Category 1B: “Development with a total floorspace of more than 15,000 sq.m.”. • Category 1C: “Development which comprises or includes the erection of a building more than 30 metres high outside the City of London.” 3 Once the 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 site, referred to as ‘Plot 8’, is located to the north of the Leamouth Circus Roundabout, bounded by Leamouth Road to the east, Sorrel Lane to the north and Oregano Drive to the west and south. The site is broadly rectangular and covers an area of 0.35 hectares. At present, the site is clear, with no permanent structures. 6 The area surrounding the application site comprises the Telehouse Data Centre Campus and a Travelodge hotel located on Coriander Avenue, to the north-west of the application site. Outline planning permission has been submitted for the redevelopment of the Travelodge site for a new data centre building. The site and surrounds lie within the Lower Lea Valley Opportunity Area and the Poplar Riverside Housing Zone. The site is within the setting of the Grade II listed East India Dock Wall and Gateway, which sits to the north-east. 7 The site has a Public Transport Access Level (PTAL) of 4, measured on a scale of 0-6b where 6b is the highest. East India Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station is located approximately 400m to the south west of the site and Canning Town station is located approximately 900m to the east. The site is also served by three bus routes and the cycle superhighway 3 (Barking to Tower Gateway) which runs directly to the north of the site along Sorrel Lane. 8 The A13 East India Dock Tunnel runs diagonally beneath the site from the south-west to north- east. TfL have imposed a development loading restriction zone above this tunnel, which also spans 15m on either side. page 2 Details of the proposal 9 It is proposed to construct a 18 storey (64.2m) hotel with 350 rooms, which would be operated by Travelodge. The hotel would also incorporate a first floor ancillary bar & restaurant and 82 surface level parking spaces. 10 The proposal forms part of a wider development proposal by Telehouse, which enables the extension to their data centre campus. Telehouse are proposing to demolish the existing Travelodge hotel at Coriander Avenue, to construct a new data centre on this site. The existing hotel is a five- storey building, comprising 232 rooms and 89 parking spaces. It is proposed to re-provide the Travelodge on the currently vacant site, known as ‘Site 8’ (the application site) owned by Telehouse. Planning history 11 The site benefits from an extant planning permission (ref: PA/14/00074/A1) for the redevelopment of ‘Plot 6’ and ‘Plot 8’ located on Oregano Drive. The planning permission granted approval for a 10-storey data centre building on site 6 and a 12-storey office development (59m maximum height) at site 8. A link bridge was proposed to the existing Telehouse campus buildings. 32 parking spaces, including 4 disabled bays, were proposed for Plot 8. Whilst it is noted that the 10- storey data centre has been established at site 6, the permission for the 12-storey office building has not commenced at Plot 8. The associated car parking has also not been brought forward. As it stands, planning permission PA/14/00074/A1 has been implemented. 12 A pre-planning application meeting was held on 8 August 2018, with written advice issued on 30 August 2018. In summary, the proposed hotel use was considered acceptable in strategic planning terms. The proposed massing and heights were also accepted. Notwithstanding this, the excessive provision of 82 surface level parking spaces was not considered to respond to the Mayor’s vision for good growth, or policies relating to sustainable transport. The applicant was strongly advised to reduce the provision of on-site parking and explore opportunities to enhance pedestrian permeability and the delivery of meaningful soft landscaping. 13 A follow-up pre-planning meeting was held on 4 September 2018. It was noted that there were no reductions to the provision of car parking (82 spaces). Discussions at the meeting focused on the provision of car parking and opportunities for landscaping to reduce the visual impact of the surface parking area. Strategic planning issues and relevant policies and guidance 14 The relevant strategic issues and corresponding policies and guidance are as follows: • Opportunity areas London Plan; Town Centres SPG • Visitor infrastructure London Plan • Urban design London Plan; Character & Context SPG • Inclusive access London Plan; Accessible London SPG; • Sustainable development London Plan; Sustainable Design and Construction SPG; London Environment Strategy; • Transport and parking London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy; 15 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 Tower Hamlets Core Strategy (2010), Managing Development Document (2013) and the London Plan (Consolidated with Alterations since 2011). The revised National Planning Policy Framework (July 2018), National Planning Practice Guidance and draft London Plan (consultation draft, December 2017 incorporating early suggested changes published August 2018) are also relevant material considerations. page 3 Land use principle 16 London Plan Policy 4.5 directs hotel provision to Opportunity Areas and CAZ fringe locations with good public transport. This intent is reflected in draft London Plan Policy E10. It is estimated that London will need to build an additional 58,000 bedrooms and serviced accommodation by 2041, which is an average of 2,230 bedrooms per annum. The proposal would be consistent with this strategic policy objective. The hotel use in this Opportunity Area location would be appropriate and would not lead to an over-concentration of such uses in this area. The ancillary restaurant / bar use would also be appropriate to support the hotel use. The proposed hotel and ancillary uses are therefore supported in line with London Plan policy. 17 Tower Hamlets have confirmed that the principle of the development also meets Local Plan Policies. Urban design 18 Good design is central to all objectives of the London Plan.