ADDRESS: 36-46 Albert Embankment Application Number: 19/03500/FUL Case Officer: Rositsa Malinova Ward: Prince’s Date Received: 19.09.2019 Proposal: Demolition of all structures associated with the petrol filling station and redevelopment of the site to comprise the retention and refurbishment of Vintage House (Class B1 floor space) and development of ground plus 24 storeys in the form of two no. towers, linked at ground to fifth floor, and consisting of hotel accommodation (up to 600 bed spaces) together with ancillary restaurant, bar and hotel and car and bicycle parking and all necessary ancillary and enabling works. Applicant: Agent: Ocubis Limited On Behalf Of Hotchkiss Limited CBRE RECOMMENDATION: 1. Resolve to grant conditional planning permission subject to the completion of an agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) containing the planning obligations listed in this report and any directions as may be received following referral to the Mayor of London. 2. Agree to delegate authority to the Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Development to: a. Finalise the recommended conditions as set out in this report, addendums and/or PAC minutes; and b. Negotiate, agree and finalise the planning obligations as set out in this report, addendums and/or PAC minutes pursuant to Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended). 3. In the event that the committee resolves to refuse planning permission and there is a subsequent appeal, delegated authority is given to the Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Development, having regard to the heads of terms set out in this report, addendums and/or PAC minutes, to negotiate and complete a document containing obligations pursuant to Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) in order to meet the requirement of the Planning Inspector. 4. In the event that the Section 106 Agreement is not completed within 6 months of committee, delegated authority is given to the Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Development to refuse planning permission for failure to enter into a section 106 agreement for the mitigating contributions identified in this report, addendums and/or the PAC minutes. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The application site is located on the eastern side of Albert Embankment north of Glasshouse Walk, and comprises a Texaco petrol filling station and Vintage House - a four-storey office building. The site is bounded by the Vauxhall-Waterloo railway viaduct to the east, with the surrounding area comprising a mix of residential, hotel, public house and commercial uses that are housed within buildings of varying scale, age and architectural styles. 50m to the southeast is the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. The application site benefits from an extant planning permission for a residential led scheme (ref. 16/00795/FUL). The scale and building design of the proposed development is very similar to the approved scheme. This means that the proposed scheme would not have any additional impacts compared to the approved scheme in terms of townscape, heritage, daylight and sunlight and outlook impacts. The application proposes the demolition of the Texaco petrol filling station and erection of a 25-storey hotel building (plus four basement levels) and refurbishment of Vintage House, which would retain its office use. The new building would be in hotel use (use class C1) and it would have an ancillary restaurant/bar at ground floor level. The proposed hotel (with ancillary restaurant/bar) would be approximately 24,000sqm in area, with up to 600 bed spaces, resulting in an increase of approximately 300 FTE jobs. A hotel use of this scale is consistent with planning policy, which promotes larger hotel uses in the Central Activity Zone (CAZ) and the Vauxhall opportunity area. In addition, the proposal would not have any unacceptable impacts on local amenity or the balance of land uses that would warrant refusal of the application. The proposed ancillary restaurant/bar would provide an active frontage at ground floor level and is supported, subject to conditions to mitigate any potential impacts from noise and disturbance. The refurbishment of Vintage House is supported because it would improve the existing employment premises, and accommodate up to approximately 150 FTE jobs. The proposed hotel building would be of a high quality contemporary design and it would contribute positively to the surrounding townscape. The proposed development would sit comfortably within the context of the surrounding area and it is officer opinion that it would not result in any harm to any heritage assets. Nonetheless, a list of the public benefits that arise from the development is set out in the report, in the event that the decision maker concludes that the proposal would result in harm that would need to be outweighed by public benefits. The GLA was of the view that the proposed hotel building would result in less than substantial harm to the setting of the Albert Embankment Conservation Area, but that this was outweighed by the public benefits flowing from the scheme. The proposed building would be set back from the nearest residential properties to the north by approximately 20m and to the east by approximately 40m. The massing and form of the building has already been approved under ref. 16/00795/FUL. Officers remain of the view that the proposal would not result in unacceptable amenity impacts including loss of daylight or sunlight, outlook or undue sense of enclosure and unacceptable loss of privacy. In terms of increase of noise, conditions have been recommended to ensure that it is mitigated to an acceptable level. The application site is located within an area of very good public transport accessibility (PTAL score of 6/6a) and future occupiers and visitors are expected to use sustainable modes of transport. A travel plan would be secured and monitored via a s106 obligation. The proposed development would use consolidated servicing and the servicing would be outside of peak hours, which would ensure there is no unacceptable impact to local streets from servicing and delivery activities. Officers consider that the proposal would be in compliance with the development plan. There are no material considerations of sufficient weight to dictate that the application should be refused. Officers are therefore recommending approval of the application, in accordance with the presumption in favour of sustainable development conferred upon local planning authorities by the National Planning Policy Framework. The permission would be subject to planning conditions and a Section 106 agreement. APPLICATION DETAILS Site Designations Relevant site designations: Listed Building Westminster World Heritage Site Locally Listed Building Vintage House Conservation Area (CA) Vintage House within the Albert Embankment CA57 Flood Risk Flood Zone 3 Archaeological Priority Areas APA A2 North Lambeth Prehistoric settlement Protected Views (London View Not applicable. Management Framework (LVMF) Local Views Panorama from Brockwell Park; and Palace of Westminster (Policy Q25, Lambeth Local Plan 2015) Other Vauxhall Opportunity Area Opportunity Area – Vauxhall London Plan Thames Policy Area TLRN – Albert Embankment A3036 Land Use Details Site area (ha): 0.19 ha Non-Residential Details Use Class Use Description Floorspace (sq.m) (Gross Internal Area) Existing Use class B1(a) Office 1357 sq.m. Use class sui generis Petrol Station 129 sq.m. Proposed Use class B1(a) Office 1357 sq.m. Hotel 24,588 sq.m. Use class C1 Ancillary Restaurant/Bar 266 sq.m. Parking Details Car Parking Car Parking % of Bike Spaces (General) Spaces (Disabled) EVCP Spaces Existing 5 (Excludes pump, wash and vacuum spaces) Proposed 0 8 20% active – 2 80 80% passive - 6 Legal Services Clearance AUDIT TRAIL Consultation Name/Position Lambeth Date Sent Date Received Report Cleared department Susan Boucher Legal Services 29.12.2019 29.12.2019 09.01.2020 Lawyer OFFICER REPORT Reason for referral to PAC: The application is reported to the Planning Applications Committee in accordance with (1)(ii) of the Committee’s terms of reference as it relates to a major application for a building providing more than 1,000 square metres floor space. 1 The site and the surrounding area 1.1 The application site comprises a Texaco petrol filling station and Vintage House - a four-storey office building. The site is bound by Albert Embankment (A3036) to the west; National Rail track to the east; The Rose public house to the north and Glasshouse Walk to the South. 1.2 There are no statutory or locally listed buildings on the site. Vintage House is located within the Albert Embankment Conservation Area (CA) to which it is a positive contributor. The Texaco petrol filling station sits outside the CA. Figure 1 – the application site in context with recent redevelopments highlighted in blue 1.3 Relevant planning designations are that the site is located within: the London Central Activities Zone (CAZ); the Vauxhall, Nine Elms and Battersea Opportunity Area Planning Framework (VNEB OAPF); a number of views identified in the London View Management Framework and Policy Q25 of the Lambeth Local Plan 2015; the safeguarding area for London Heliport at Imperial Wharf; and the wider setting of the Westminster World Heritage Site 1.4 The application site is located on Albert Embankment, which is part of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) and Glasshouse Walk, which is a borough road for which Lambeth is the highway authority. The site has a PTAL of 6b, representing an excellent level of accessibility owing to the nearby rail, tube and bus services of the Vauxhall gyratory as well as bus services along the Albert Embankment. 1.5 Nearby buildings are characterised by a mixture of uses (residential, hotel and commercial) usually within larger scale building of varying architectural styles and periods.