planning report PDU/2786/01 5 September 2011 Former Cat Hill Campus, Cockfosters in the London Borough of Enfield planning application no. TP/11/0904 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 Full planning permission for redevelopment of site, comprising demolition of college campus buildings and construction of a residential scheme containing 272 units in a range of houses and flats, with associated access roads, parking, amenity space and landscaping. The applicant The applicant is London and Quadrant and the architect is Formation Architects. Strategic issues The principle of a residential development on this site is acceptable, subject to confirmation from Enfield Council that there is no ongoing or future demand for the education use. Further clarification is required in relation to the affordable housing offer, and confirmation that the housing mix, and tenure meet local housing needs. There are a number of other planning issues that will also need to be resolved before this application can be considered to fully comply with London Plan policy, including design, children’s play space, climate change and transport. Recommendation That Enfield Council be advised that the application does not comply with the London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 88 of this report; but that the possible remedies set out in paragraph 90 of this report could address these deficiencies. Context 1 On 1 August 2011 the Mayor of London received documents from Enfield 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 11 September 2011 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. page 1 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.” 3 Once Enfield 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 former Cat Hill Campus comprises accommodation for Middlesex University, located at the junction of Cat Hill and Chase Side, in the borough of Enfield. The site is 4.9 hectares in area and contains an approximate 17,000 sq.m. of educational buildings dating back to 1969, and including the Museum of Domestic Architecture. The university has vacated the site this summer and has relocated to new purpose built facilities on the university’s Hendon Campus and the museum is relocating to Beaufort Park. 6 The site contains a significant number of mature trees, and two landscaped ponds. The site slopes down from the roads to the south-west corner of the site. The site is bounded by a school to the south, playing fields to the east on the opposite side of Chase Side, and semi- detached and detached residential properties to the west and north. 7 The site is equidistant between Oakwood and Cockfosters London Underground stations, on the Piccadilly Line. Buses to Southgate and Barnet stations also pass the site. The PTAL (public transport accessibility level) of the site ranges across the site from 1b, 2 and 3 (where 1 is low and 6 is high). This equates to a poor to moderate level of access to public transport. Fig 1 and 2: Site location plan and aerial photo (source: submitted D&A statement) Details of the proposal 8 A detailed planning application is being submitted for redevelopment of the site to contain 272 residential units. page 2 9 The scheme includes a mix of flats and houses, in a series of terraced houses and blocks of flats, ranging in height from two to six storeys in height. 10 A network of estate roads are proposed, including adopted, private and home zones. A total of 308 parking spaces are proposed, to be located at surface level or in basements below the 6-storey crescent blocks. Fig 3: Layout and tenure (source: submitted D&A statement) Case history 11 A pre-application meeting was held with GLA officers in May 2011 where it was advised that the principle of introducing a residential development to this area was acceptable in strategic terms, subject to consideration being given demand for school land in the area and local employment policies. Issues were raised in relation to the housing provision, the protection of trees, the treatment of the flatted blocks, parking layout and landscape design and where revisions were requested in order to comply with the London Plan. Strategic planning issues and relevant policies and guidance 12 The relevant issues and corresponding policies are as follows: Principle of development London Plan; PPS1 Housing/affordable housing London Plan; PPS3; Housing SPG; Housing Strategy; interim Housing SPG; Housing SPG EiP draft Density London Plan; PPS3; Housing SPG; interim Housing SPG Urban design London Plan; PPS1 Child play space London Plan; Providing for Children and Young People’s Play and Informal Recreation SPG Access and inclusive design London Plan; PPS1; Accessible London: achieving an inclusive environment SPG; Planning and Access for Disabled People: a good practice guide (ODPM) Sustainable development 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 page 3 Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies; Mayor’s draft Water Strategy; Sustainable Design and Construction SPG Biodiversity London Plan; the Mayor’s Biodiversity Strategy; PPS9; draft PPS Planning for a Natural and Healthy Environment Transport London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy; PPG13 13 The development plan in force for the area is the 2010 Enfield Core Strategy and saved UDP policies, and the London Plan (2011). Principle of development 14 The site presently comprises education and community uses that were until recently used by Middlesex University for an arts and design faculty, which has recently relocated to Hendon. The Museum for Domestic Architecture was also previously located here until it closed recently to relocate to Beaufort Park, Colindale in October 2011. Policy 3.18 of the London Plan seeks to resist the net loss of, and increase the provision of, social infrastructure and community facilities such as schools to meet future demand and existing deficiencies unless it can be demonstrated that there is no ongoing or future demand. 15 The site has become vacant due to the relocation by Middlesex University, which sold the site to the applicant. The applicant has provided a commentary that confirms that it is highly unlikely that another similar education operator would be able to purchase the site in the short or medium term given the potential funding issues facing education institutions at present. The site has a low accessibility level, which it is acknowledged could also limit interest from educational institutions. 16 In order to address the Council’s previous comments about the loss of employment use on the site, the applicant has submitted an appraisal from the property agent that marketed the site on behalf of the University and also carried out its own research. The reports confirm the lack of an office market in the area, and that the size of the site would be unlikely to attract a leisure facility, food store operator, or care home, for instance. Any proposed user would be expected to share the site with a complementary user, and only the house building sector submitted offers for the site. Given that the site is not protected for employment or educational uses, and subject to confirmation from Enfield Council that the site is not required to meet any educational need, on balance, the use of the site for housing is acceptable in principle. Housing 17 The scheme proposes 272 residential units, made up of the following mix: Unit Private Affordable Shared Rent to buy Total Type rent ownership 1-bed 29 (15% 3 (13% 6 (20%) 6 (20% 44 16% ) ) ) 2-bed 66 (35% 6 (25% 2 (7%) 14 (47% 88 32% ) ) ) 3-bed 48 (26% 6 (25% 22 (73%) 10 (33% 86 32% ) ) ) 4-bed 45 (24% 9 (38% 0 0% 0 0% 54 20% ) ) page 4 Total 188 69% 24 9% 30 11% 30 11% 272 100% 18 London Plan policy 3.3 seeks provision of at least an annual average of 33,400 additional homes across London up to 2015/16. Table 3.1 sets annual average housing provision monitoring targets for London boroughs, of which Enfield’s is 560 units additional homes per year between 2011 and 2021. The proposed development represents 48% of Enfield’s annual housing target, and is welcomed in principle. Affordable housing 19 London Plan policy 3.12 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 current and future requirements for affordable housing at local and regional levels, its own overall target for affordable housing provision, and the need to encourage rather than restrain residential development.