planning report PDU/2738/01 18 August 2011 Sea Containers House, Southbank in the London Borough of Southwark planning application no. 11/AP/1955 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 Part refurbishment and redevelopment of Sea Containers House to provide office, retail, hotel (358 bedrooms) and gym. The proposals include 29 vehicle parking space, 22 motorcycle parking spaces and 176 bicycle parking spaces. The applicant The applicant is Archlane Limited and the architect is tp Bennett. Strategic issues The key strategic issues relate to the impact on Central Activities Zone functions through a reduction in office floor space, urban design including heritage and townscape views, access, climate change and transport, including the requirement for a crossrail contribution. Recommendation That Southwark be advised that the application does not comply with the London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 63 of this report; but that the possible remedies set out in paragraph 65 of this report could address these deficiencies. Context 1 On 8 July 2011, the Mayor of London received documents from Southwark 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 18 August 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. 2 The application is referable under Category 1C of the Schedule to the Order 2008: “Development which comprises or includes the erection of a building of one or more of the following descriptions— page 1 (a) the building is more than 25 metres high and is adjacent to the River Thames.” 3 Once Southwark 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 relates to the existing Sea Containers House, located on the south bank of the River Thames in the Borough, Bankside and London Bridge Opportunity Area and within the Central Activities Zone (CAZ). The building was originally constructed as a hotel in the 1970’s but was subsequently converted to provide 36,898 sq.m. office space in the early 1980’s. The building comprises two basement levels, ground floor plus fourteen upper floors. The building is T-shaped with 120 metres of River Thames frontage. 6 The site context is mixed commercial and residential in character. The most significant landmarks include the River Thames to the north, the Oxo Tower to the west and the Kings Reach Tower to the south. Blackfriars Bridge is located to the east. The site abuts the Old Barge House Alley Conservation Area to the west, which forms the setting of the Oxo Tower and Barge House. The Riverside Walk provides potential for direct access into the building from the river frontage. Currently, whilst there is surveillance at ground level there are no active uses along this frontage with the main office entrance to the rear of the building from Upper Ground, a local access road. 7 The site is approximately 500 metres from Southwark London Underground station. Blackfriars (with a new Southbank entrance) and Waterloo Stations are also within walking distance, providing access to Northern, Jubilee, Bakerloo, Waterloo & City, District, Circle and National Rail services. Thameslink improvements will result in new additional national rail services from Blackfriars from 2018. 8 The site is served by bus routes 381, RV1, 63, 100 and 45, with many additional services available at Waterloo. River bus services are available from Bankside Pier located 400m away where services operate towards the London Eye Millennium Pier and North Greenwich Pier. The site has a public transport accessibility level (PTAL) of 6b, on a scale of 1 to 6 where 6 is the most accessible. The nearest Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) is the A201 Blackfriars Road and the A3200 Stamford Street. Details of the proposal 9 The proposals are for the part refurbishment and redevelopment of Sea Containers House to provide office, retail, hotel and gym uses. The proposals include new construction to the rear of the site above the existing basement car park. The new mix of uses will be as follows: page 2 Table 1 land use mix use sq.m. (net internal area) Office B1 existing building 21,914 Office B1 new build 5,959 Retail (A1, A3, A4) 1,176 Hotel C1 16,817 Figure 1 proposed ground floor (source: tp bennett Design and Access Statement) Case history 10 Initial pre-application advice was issued by the GLA on 2 February 2011 with follow-up advice on design, access and energy provided following a meeting on 2 June 2011. The strategic issues raised included the potential for comprehensive development, impact on CAZ functions through the reduction in office floor space, impact of localised concentration of hotel uses, design, layout and access; impact on strategic and local views, climate change and district heating and power networks; and transport matters including the need for a Crossrail contribution. Strategic planning issues and relevant policies and guidance 11 The relevant issues and corresponding policies are as follows: page 3 Urban design London Plan; PPS1 Mix of uses London Plan Regeneration London Plan; the Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy Transport London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy; PPG13 Crossrail London Plan Alteration; Crossrail SPG Parking London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy; PPG13 Access London Plan; PPS1; Accessible London: achieving an inclusive environment SPG; Planning and Access for Disabled People: a good practice guide (ODPM) Equal opportunities London Plan; Planning for Equality and Diversity in Meeting the spatial needs of London’s diverse communities SPG; Diversity and Equality in Planning: A good practice guide (ODPM) Tall buildings/views London Plan; RPG3A, Draft Revised View Management Framework SPG 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 Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies; Mayor’s draft Water Strategy; Sustainable Design and Construction SPG River Thames/flooding London Plan; Mayor’s draft Water Strategy; PPS25, RPG3B Historic Environment London Plan; PPS5 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 Southwark Plan (as saved) Southwark Core Strategy (2011) and the London Plan (2011). The draft Bankside, Borough and London Bridge SPD is also a material consideration. Principle of development Central Activities Zone/Opportunity Area 13 The application site falls within the Central Activities Zone (CAZ) and within the London Bridge, Borough and Bankside Opportunity Area as identified in the London Plan (Map 2.3, Map 2.4 and Annex one Table A1.1 ref 18). Southwark Council consulted on the draft Bankside, Borough and London Bridge SPD in February 2010, and recently finished a further round of consultation on the same document. It is, however, the Council’s intention to revisit the SPD in collaboration with various stakeholders, including the GLA, TfL and local residents. Therefore, the planning policy framework for this area and its form (SPD/OAPF/other policy document) may change. Currently the emerging local site specific policy for the site is set out in section 5.12 of the draft SPD. Here, a mixed use approach is supported which includes an increase in office provision, a mix of retail, leisure, entertainment and cultural uses at lower levels and opportunity for residential provision. In the wider context the SPD identifies Blackfriars Road North for commercial intensification including provision of hotel uses and significant public realm improvements. 14 Annex one of the London Plan sets out the strategic policy direction for the opportunity area, specifically that “There is scope to develop the strengths of the area for strategic office provision as well as housing, especially in the hinterland between Blackfriars and London bridges.” 15 London Plan Policy 4.2 A c) and d) Offices states that boroughs should “encourage the renewal and modernisation of the existing office stock in viable locations to improve its quality and page 4 flexibility ”and “seek increases in current stock where there is authoritative, strategic and local evidence of sustained demand for office based activities“. 16 Policy 2.10 Central Activities Zone – strategic priorities also seeks, “in appropriate parts of the CAZ… ensure that development of office provision is not strategically constrained and that provision is made for a range of occupiers especially the strategically important financial and business services”. Policy 2.11 Strategic functions also seeks to ensure that development complements and supports the cluster of other strategically important specialised CAZ uses. 17 The site comprises an existing office building of 36,898 sq.m. (net internal area). At present the proposals would result in a net loss in office provision of approximately 9,025 sq.m. As set out above, CAZ is prioritised for this type of land use and the London Plan promotes the area for strategic office supply.