+ planning report PDU/2373/01 27 January 2009 12-14 New Fetter Lane & 43 Fetter Lane in the City of London planning application no. 08/00778/FULMAJ 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 Demolition of the existing buildings and redevelopment of the site to provide 19, 622 sq.m. of office floor space over 12 floors with 322 sq.m. of retail uses located at ground floor. The applicant The applicant is Great Capital Partnership, and the architect is Hamiltons. Strategic issues This proposal provides high quality office and retail accommodation in the Central Activities Zone. The proposal is also of a high design quality. The uplift in office accommodation from that currently provided on the site generates the need for a Crossrail contribution. There are outstanding detailed issues relating to transport and climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation. Recommendation That the City of London Corporation be advised that the application does not comply with the London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 46 of this report; but that the possible remedies set out in paragraph 48 of this report could address these deficiencies. The application does not need to be referred back to the Mayor if the City of London Corporation resolve to refuse permission, but it must be referred back if the City of London Corporation resolve to grant permission. Context 1 On 19 December 2008 the Mayor of London received documents from the City of London Corporation 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 30 January 2009 to provide the Corporation 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 4 of the Schedule to the Order 2008: ”Development in respect of which the local planning authority is required to consult the Mayor by virtue of a direction given by the Secretary of State under article 10(3) of the GDPO.” 3 Once the Corporation 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; or allow the Corporation to determine it itself, unless otherwise advised. In this instance if the Corporation resolves to refuse permission it need not refer the application back to the Mayor. 4 The environmental information for the purposes of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999 has been taken into account in the consideration of this case. 5 The Mayor of London’s statement on this case will be made available on the GLA website www.london.gov.uk. Site description 6 The site is located on New Fetter Lane and bound to the west by Fetter Lane and Plough Lane to the North. Fleet Street, part of the Strategic Road Network (SRN), and the A201 Farringdon Street, part of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN), lie short distances to the south and east respectively. 7 The site has a public transport accessibility level (PTAL) of 6b on a scale of 1 to 6 where 6b is the highest. There are a wide range of bus, underground and rail services within walking distance of the site. Chancery Lane is the nearest London Underground Station, providing access to the Central Line, Farringdon, Blackfriars and Temple are also near-by. National Rail services are available from Farringdon, City Thameslink and Blackfriars. 8 The site is currently occupied by two buildings, that currently provide 7,574 sq.m. of office floorspace, and areas of car parking at ground level. The site is a triangular shape and is 0.16 hectares in size. 9 The area is characterised by commercial buildings containing both office and retail developments, with some residential accommodation located nearby. The site is not in a conservation area although the Chancery Lane Conservation Area is located to the west of the site and the Fleet Street Conservation Area to the south of the site. The Grade II * listed former Public Record Office is also located to the south of the site. The New Street square and Rolls Building redevelopments are in the surrounding area of the site. 10 The site is located within the Landmark Background Assessment Area for the geometrically defined view of St Paul’s from Greenwich Park. Details of the proposal 11 Demolition of the existing buildings and redevelopment of the site to provide 19,622 sq.m. of office floor space over 12 floors with 322 sq.m. of retail uses located at ground floor. No on-site car parking will be provided and 77 cycle spaces will be provided at basement level. The application will also result in the partial stopping up of Plough Place with that part of the highway becoming part of the development site. The footpaths surrounding the site will be repaved as part of the proposal and additional public realm improvements are under discussion. page 2 Townscape and visual assessment (Miller Hare July 2008) Case history 12 There is no relevant strategic planning history. Strategic planning issues and relevant policies and guidance 13 The relevant issues and corresponding policies are as follows: • Economic development London Plan; the Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy • Employment London Plan; PPG4; draft PPS4; Industrial Capacity SPG • World city role London Plan • Mix of uses London Plan • Retail London Plan; PPS6; PPG13 • Urban design London Plan; PPS1 • Tall buildings/views London Plan; View Management Framework SPG • Sustainable development London Plan; PPS1, PPS Planning and Climate Change Supplement to PPS1; PPS3; PPG13; PPS22; the Mayor’s Energy Strategy; Sustainable Design and Construction SPG • Transport London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy; PPG13 • Crossrail draft London Plan Alteration; draft Crossrail SPG • Parking London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy; PPG13 page 3 14 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 2002 City of London Unitary Development Plan and the London Plan (Consolidated with Alterations since 2004). 15 The Core Strategy, which is at pre-submission stage, is also a material consideration. Principle of the use 16 Policy 5G.2 of the London Plan recognises that the Central Activities Zone (CAZ) and the northern part of the Isle Of Dogs Opportunity Area are the heart of London’s world city offer and seeks to promote and coordinate their development so that together they provide a competitive, integrated and varied business location. Policy 3B.2 seeks the renovation and renewal of existing stock to increase and enhance the quality and flexibility of London’s office market offer. Therefore, the principle of an office development in this location, as well as an increase in quantum over that provided by the existing buildings on-site, complies with the London Plan. 17 The provision of retail at ground floor, and the benefits of an active frontage that this brings, is welcomed. Urban design 18 Good design is central to all objectives of the London Plan and is specifically promoted by the policies contained within Chapter 4B which address both general design principles and specific design issues. London Plan Policy 4B.1 sets out a series of overarching design principles for development in London. Other design polices in this chapter and elsewhere in the London Plan include specific design requirements relating to maximising the potential of sites, the quality of new housing provision, tall and large-scale buildings, built heritage, views, and the Blue Ribbon Network. 19 The application is for the demolition of two existing, undistinguished and outdated offices. This building will have a tall ground floor level which will include the main building entrance, retail accommodation and service bay with 12 floors of office located above. A double stacked plant room is located on the top of the building bringing its height to 59.35 m above Fetter Lane. 20 The building responds well to its surrounding context and acts as an intermediary between the scale of development in the New Street Square development and the lower scale development on Fetter Lane. The building is arranged around a vertical hinge to the southern frontage from which a stepped fan configuration rises from 4 storeys on Fetter Lane to 13 stories. This creates a series of triangular roof terraces. 21 At ground floor level the street frontages are clad in glass with the retail frontages clad in clear glazing and inactive frontages clad in white translucent glass and light grey black opaque back painted glass. The twelve floors of offices are clad in clear high performance glazing with expressed metal cladding to the floor edges. The roof level plant enclosure is clad in light grey opaque back painted glass panels to the walls with a roof screen of natural anodised aluminium fin blades. The office floorplates have been designed to maximise natural daylight. Overall the proposed design will create an attractive contemporary office building that responds appropriately to its context. 22 The proposed building on the site has the potential to be visible in three of the designated London Panorama views: Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park and Blackheath point.