planning report D&P/3648/01 20 October 2015 The Monico Site, Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster planning application no. 15/07092/FULL 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 Full application for the demolition of existing buildings and demolition behind retained facades of 19 and 20 Denman Street facades; realignment of 4-6 Glasshouse Street, 1 Sherwood Street, 8 Glasshouse Street and 11-17 Shaftesbury Avenue facades; and retention of Piccadilly Circus advertising screens. Construction of a replacement six storey building (plus 6th floor mezzanine office) with three basement levels to create a mixed use scheme comprising office (Class B1) at part ground to sixth storey mezzanine; retail (Class A1) at part basement one, part ground and part first floor; up to seven residential units (Class C3) at part first floor, part second floor and part third floor; and plant and cycle storage within the basement. Associated works including mechanical plant within roof enclosure and loading facilities. The applicant The applicant is Land Securities Victoria Properties Ltd, the architect is Fletcher Priest, and the agent is Jones Lang LaSalle. Strategic issues The proposed mixed use development on this inefficiently used site is strongly supported in strategic planning terms; however issues with respect to housing; affordable housing; urban design, inclusive design; transport; climate change and air quality should be addressed before the application is referred back to the Mayor at his decision making stage. Mixed use; retail and leisure; historic environment; and strategic views policies are also relevant to this application. Recommendation That Westminster City Council be advised that while the application is generally acceptable in strategic planning terms, the application does not yet comply with the London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 74 of this report; but that the possible remedies set out in that paragraph could address these deficiencies. page 1 Context 1 On 9 September 2015, the Mayor of London received documents from Westminster 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 20 October 2015 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 Categories 1B(b) and 1C(c) of the Schedule to the Order 2008: 1B “Development (other than development which only comprises the provision of houses, flats, or houses and flats) which comprises or includes the erection of a building or buildings (b) in Central London (other than the City of London) and with a total floorspace of more than 20,000 square metres.” 1C “Development which comprises or includes the erection of a building of (c) more than 30 metres high and is outside the City of London”. 3 Once Westminster 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 0.34 hectare triangular-shaped site is bounded by Denman Street to the north; Shaftesbury Avenue to the south-east; and Sherwood Street/Glasshouse Street/Piccadilly Circus to the south and south-west. The site includes the entire block, apart from four buildings at the corner of Denman Street and Sherwood Street. The site is named after the Monico restaurant and hotel, which once fronted Shaftesbury Avenue within the site. 6 Most of the buildings on the site are identified as ‘buildings of merit’ in the Soho and Chinatown Conservation Area, apart from the seven storey former National Westminster Bank building on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Denman Street, and the adjacent four storey red brick 1970s block. The southern corner of the block includes the iconic advertising screens attached to the exterior of 1-17 Shaftesbury Avenue and 44-48 Regent Street, fronting onto Piccadilly Circus. Much of the space behind the advertising screens is empty and undeveloped. Uses on the site are retail (A1-A5), a nightclub, office and residential. 7 The site is within the Soho and Chinatown Conservation Area, with the Regent Street Conservation Area to the south and west. It also neighbours a number of listed buildings, including the Grade II listed former County Fire Office to the south-west; the Grade II listed former Regent Palace Hotel to the west; the Grade II listed London Pavilion to the east; and the Grade II listed 20- 24 Shaftesbury Avenue to the north-east. The site also lies within the Protected Vista of strategic view panorama 4A.2 from Primrose Hill to the Palace of Westminster, a Landmark Viewing Corridor, as identified in the Mayor’s ‘London View Management Framework’ SPG (2012). 8 The site is within the Central Activities Zone. page 2 9 The site has frontages onto Shaftesbury Avenue, Denman Street, Sherwood Street and Glasshouse Street. Of these, only Shaftesbury Avenue constitutes part of the Strategic Road Network, and the closest part of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) lies some 940 metres eastwards, on Victoria Embankment (A3211) and 1,350 metres westward, at Park Lane (A4202). Piccadilly London Underground Station lies immediately to the south-west of the site, with Green Park, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Oxford Circus, Charing Cross and Tottenham Court Road Stations all within walking distance. A wide range of bus services are also available, including those serving the eastbound bus stop which lies on the site’s southern frontage onto Shaftesbury Avenue. Consequently, the site has an excellent public transport accessibility level (PTAL) of 6a, on a scale of 1 to 6, where 6(b) is the most accessible. Details of the proposal 10 The proposal involves the demolition of the existing buildings, other than demolition behind retained facades of 19 and 20 Denman Street; retained and altered facades of 4-6 Glasshouse Street, 1 Sherwood Street, 8 Glasshouse Street and 11-17 Shaftesbury Avenue; and retention of the existing Piccadilly Circus advertising screens. A replacement building of up to six storeys (plus 6th floor mezzanine) will be constructed, with three basement levels, to create a mixed use scheme comprising office (Class B1) at part ground to sixth storey mezzanine; retail (Class A1) at part basement one, part ground and part first floor; seven residential units (Class C3) at part first floor, part second floor and part third floor; and plant and cycle storage within the basement. Outdoor terraces are included at sixth floor and mezzanine levels, with views towards Piccadilly Circus. Associated works include mechanical plant within the roof enclosure and loading facilities. 11 The Piccadilly Circus advertising screens will remain in operation during construction, as will the recently refurbished retail space below the screens at 44-48 Regent Street. Case history 12 On 5 June 2015, a pre-application meeting was held at City Hall for demolition and redevelopment for office, retail and residential uses, retaining and adjusting the facades of most historic buildings. The GLA’s pre-application advice report of 1 July 2015 concluded that the principle of a mixed use development to make better efficient use of this inefficiently used site was strongly supported; however the applicant was requested to ensure that the issues raised in the report with respect to housing; affordable housing; historic environment, urban design and strategic views; inclusive design; transport; and climate change should be fully addressed prior to the submission of any future planning application. 13 The proposal was also presented to the Mayor on 3 July 2015. Strategic planning issues and relevant policies and guidance 14 The relevant issues and corresponding policies are as follows: Mix of uses London Plan; draft Central Activities Zone SPG Retail/town centre uses London Plan; Town Centres SPG Tourism/leisure London Plan Housing London Plan; Housing SPG; Housing Strategy; Shaping Neighbourhoods: Character and Context SPG Affordable housing London Plan; Housing SPG; Housing Strategy Density London Plan; Housing SPG Historic Environment London Plan page 3 Urban design London Plan; Shaping Neighbourhoods: Character and Context SPG Tall buildings/views London Plan, London View Management Framework SPG Transport London Plan Parking London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy Crossrail London Plan; Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy; Crossrail SPG Inclusive design London Plan; Accessible London: achieving an inclusive environment SPG Climate change London Plan; Sustainable Design and Construction SPG; Mayor’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy; Mayor’s Climate Change Mitigation and Energy Strategy; Mayor’s Water 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 Westminster City Plan: Strategic Policies (2013); the saved policies in the Westminster Unitary Development Plan (2007, saved 2010); and the 2015 London Plan (Consolidated with Alterations since 2011). 16 The following are also relevant material considerations: The National Planning Policy Framework and accompanying Planning Practice Guidance. The 2015 draft Minor Alterations to the London Plan. Principle of development Office-led, mixed-use development 17 The site is within the Central Activities Zone (CAZ) and the West End International Centre.