Subject: Moxy Hotel (14/000310/FUL) Meeting date: 16 December 2014 Report to: Planning Decisions Committee Report of: Anne Ogundiya, Senior Planning Development Management FOR DECISION This report will be considered in public 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1. This report considers a submission seeking full planning permission for an 8 storey 279 bedroom hotel comprising 9,735m2. The hotel is called Moxy; a collaboration between the Marriott Hotel Group and Ikea. The premise is to introduce a new type of modern budget hotel. The application is a joint application between Westfield and Inter Hospitality Holding B.V. 1.2. The application site is situated off Great Eastern Road and is located between the 2 – 14 storey Unite Student Housing scheme and the 33 storey Legacy Towers residential block. The principle of development of this scale and form has previously been established through the Cherry Park mixed residential and commercial use Outline Planning Permission (CPOPP) (reference 13/00275/VAR formally 10/90061/OUMODA) which covered the application site. Although the submission is a standalone application for full planning, the proposed quantum of development would not exceed the bulk and massing parameters approved in the CPOPP. The proposed hotel use is defined as a ‘main town centre use’ appropriate to this town centre location. 1.3. The design has been subject to rigorous review from initial inception to submission by the Quality Review Panel (QRP) resulting in it being revised. Consequently in terms of design and appearance there is now greater visual impact arising from a strongly defined corner entrance façade, the use of colour in the external cladding finishes, large glazed windows exposing the ground floor lounge and library facilities encouraging and inviting a relationship with the environment outside the hotel. Officers consider the proposals would create a distinctive and vibrant hotel. It is considered that the design is suitable for this location. There will be no adverse impacts on the townscape of Stratford. 1.4. In sustainability terms the development is policy compliant; constructed using cross laminated timber (CLT). It is also car-free, save for the provision of Blue Badge parking, and thus will have little or no impact on traffic conditions within the locality. 1.5. The key issues in considering the submitted details are: principle of the development; design and appearance; amenity (daylight and sunlight); accessibility and inclusive design; transport and public realm; sustainability; heads of terms; and convergence. 1/42 1.6. The application has been extensively consulted on and no objections have been received as a result. 1.7. Officers are satisfied that the issues raised have been robustly addressed and that the proposal is acceptable and amendments requested where appropriate 1.8. The proposal is considered to be acceptable in planning policy terms. As such, it is recommended that planning permission is granted. The applicant has agreed to enter into a s.106 legal agreement which will secure social infrastructure facilities such as improvements to the public realm including additional cycle parking in the public realm, a contribution to Stratford Regional Station improvements, wayfinding, including employment opportunities such as training/apprenticeships, and travel plan measures. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1. It is recommended that the Planning Decisions Committee: APPROVE the application for the reasons given in the report and grant planning permission subject to; The satisfactory completion of a legal agreement under s.106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and other enabling powers to secure the planning obligations set out in the recommended heads of terms which are set out in this report; and The Finalisation of the recommended legal agreement under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and other enabling powers as set out in this report, including refining, adding to, amending and/or deleting the obligations detailed in the heads of terms set out in this report (including to dovetail with and where appropriate, reinforce the final conditions and informatives to be attached to the planning permission) as the Director of Planning Policy and Decisions considers reasonably necessary; and The completion of the section 106 legal agreement referred to above and issue the planning permission. 3. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 3.1 There are no financial implications. 4. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS If Members agree the recommendation a legal agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) will be required to be completed before the grant of planning permission. 2/42 Site Plan © Crown copyright and database rights 2012 Ordnance Survey 100050265 Location: Great Eastern Road, Stratford London Borough: Newham Applicants: InterHospitality Holding B.V./Stratford City Development LTD Agent/Design Team: Peter Brett Associates LLP / Suttonca Architects 3/42 5. SITE & SURROUNDINGS 5.1. The site has an area of approximately 0.156ha and is a roughly rectangular shaped plot but with the depth of the site increasing to the east towards Angel Lane. It is located on the northern side of Great Eastern Road to the west of the junction with Angel Lane immediately to the north of Stratford Town Centre. The land is a cleared vacant site, its last use being as part of the construction site compound for the Westfield Shopping Centre development/Angel Lane bridgeworks. 5.2. There are development sites immediately to the east and south west of the site. To the east the Unite student housing development (reference 12/00221/FUM) is under construction up to the junction with Angel Lane. To the south west is the site of the 33 storey Telford Homes development (reference 13/00322/FUL) where preliminary site works are underway. The Unite scheme includes an access road from Great Eastern Road adjacent to the south west boundary of the Moxy Hotel site which then runs to the rear of and serves all the development sites between Angel Lane and the Town Centre Link Bridge. 5.3. To the rear of the application site and rear access road is the East Anglia mainline railway corridor; to the south is Great Eastern Road, which is one way in an easterly direction as it passes the site. The site falls within the boundary of Zone 1 of the Stratford City development area. 5.4. The junction of Angel Lane with Great Eastern Road is controlled by traffic signals and incorporates a Toucan pedestrian and cycle crossing with a central triangular refuge island. The designated cycle route runs on pavement along the northern side of Great Eastern Road. 5.5. To the east of Angel Lane there is mainly three storey residential property on the northern side of Great Eastern Road and fronting onto Oxford Road. To the north of this is the Stratford Eye, an elliptical-shaped residential development of 20 storeys. 5.6. To the south of Great Eastern Road is a nine storey residential development known as The Heights and the Stratford Centre multi storey car park. The entrance to The Heights is from the east, within Gerry Raffles Square off Theatre Square, within which is the Theatre Royal Stratford East, a Grade II* listed building. 5.7. Land immediately to the south opposite the application site is the subject of current development proposals (see Relevant History). 5.8. To the west of the site are Stratford Regional Station and the Town Centre Link Bridge which crosses the railway from Meridian Square to the Westfield Stratford Shopping and Leisure Centre, also being part of Zone 1 of Stratford City. To the north of the railway lines is a future development site known as Chobham Farm South, which is currently vacant having last been used in conjunction with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games for coach parking. 6. DESCRIPTION OF DEVELOPMENT 6.1. This report considers a submission seeking planning permission for the erection of an 8 storey hotel building comprising a total of 279 bedrooms together with ancillary hotel facilities on the ground floor and accessible parking facilities. The application has been amended since being submitted. The changes have been principally to the design and elevational treatment and the scheme described below is the amended scheme. 6.2. The building is of 8 storeys plus a roof level with screened plant. The overall height is 29m from ground level (including screened plant) (36m AOD). The ground floor public areas have a floor to ceiling height of 4m and the increased ground floor height 4/42 allows for mezzanine level plant and service areas away from the public frontage space. 6.3. The footprint of the building covers 9,735m2 and is in the form of a V shape with the main elements of the building along the Great Eastern Road frontage and the rear of the site. These two parts of the building enclose an internal triangular shaped landscaped courtyard above the lower level mezzanine floors and which is enclosed to the east by the Unite building. 6.4. The ground floor provides a public reception and lobby area which extend over most of the Great Eastern Road frontage and the west facing part of the building facing the access road. These areas have full height glazing and folding / sliding doors onto the street frontage. The main public entrance is on the south west corner of the building. At the rear of the building two blue badge parking spaces are provided within the footprint of the building. The parking spaces and the building itself is fully accessible. 6.5. Typical upper floors have 42 single rooms and are served by 3 lifts and 3 staircases. The corner rooms above the main entrance have private terraces which are recessed into the corner of the building overlooking Great Eastern Road.