Planning Service Public Protection Division Environment and Regeneration PO Box 3333 222 Upper Street London N1 1YA PLANNING COMMITTEE AGENDA ITEM NO: DATE: 29th July 2010 Non-Exempt Site Address: 2, 4 & 4A, Tufnell Park Road and rear of Odeon Cinema, 419 Holloway Road, Islington, London, N7 Application number P100956 Demolition of existing buildings on the site fronting onto Tufnell Park Road and replacement with the erection of a five storey building with basement (block A) and six storey building with basement (block B) to provide 31 Proposal residential flats and 538 m² floorspace (B1/A1/A2/ specified D1) floor space together with the provision of cycle provision, refuse, servicing, parking, associated outdoor amenity space/landscaping and other associated works and alterations. RECOMMENDATION That the Committee resolve to GRANT planning permission as set out in Appendix 1. INTRODUCTION Site 1. The application site is an imperfect triangular shape, covering an area of approximately 0.14ha (1,400 sqm) located at the northern end of Tufnell Park Road in close proximity to the junction with Holloway Road (A1). The site has one street frontage, namely Tufnell Park Road to the south. For ease of reference the application site described above and shown within the Appendix ‘Site Location Plan’ shall hereafter be referred to as the ‘site’. 2. The site currently consists of three main elements, 2 buildings and a car parking area. The most prominent is the 2 storey rectangular building known as 2-4 Tufnell Park Road which was formerly used as offices being last occupied as the Area Housing Office for Homes for Islington. This building is located centrally on the site. To the west and attached to that building is number 4a Tufnell Park Road which is a single storey building last occupied as a vehicle repair shop/garage. This building currently has an independent access and crossover from Tufnell Park Road. To the east of the site and separated by a brick built wall located north to south across the site is an area of land which is currently in use as a surface parking area providing 22 car parking spaces. The buildings on the site are currently vacant, the car parking facilities are well used. 3. One prominent mature horse chestnut tree is located on the site in close proximity to the footway and crossover from Number 2-4 with Tufnell Park Road. Another is located in extremely close proximity to the site within the garden of number 6 Tufnell Park Road adjoining the western part of the site. Located on the footway in front of the site is a street tree of much smaller stature. 4. The buildings on the site are not located within a conservation area, the land which is currently used as a car park area in the western section of the site is located within the conservation area. The site is surrounded to the south and east by the Mercers Road/Tavistock Terrace Conservation Area. 5. The majority of the site is also within the Nags Head Town Centre area. The site has a Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) rating of 4/5. 6. The existing building on the site are not statutory listed. Surroundings 7. To the north of the site is a 5 storey converted warehouse building known as 433 Holloway Road, this building is currently in use as offices and flats. 8. To the east of the site is the adjacent Grade II listed Odeon Cinema building which forms prominent landmark in the area on the junction of Tufnell Park Road and Holloway Road. This Grade II listed building consists of different elements, on the Tufnell Road elevation this includes a larger tower section, rectangular in plan, on the corner of Holloway Road and faced with a faience detailing. A lower wing to the tower also faced with faience detailing on Tufnell Park Road, and finally a main auditorium brick block building adjoining the site. 9. To the south of the site on the opposite side of Tufnell Park Road is a terrace of Grade II listed properties consisting of Victorian villas and infills. These properties are predominantly 2 storeys in height. To the west of the site is a row of detached, paired properties of 3 storeys in height. 10. In the wider context the site is located in close proximity to the junction of Tufnell Park Road and Holloway Road. Holloway Road is one of London’s major arterial Roads and is a busy commercial area designated as a Town Centre within the Islington UDP 2002. To the west of the site along Tufnell Park Road are the housing blocks of Hollins House and McCall House (5 storeys) and further tot the west Margery Fry Court (5-7 storeys). Proposal 11. The proposal is for the complete demolition of the existing buildings on the site and the erection of 2 new buildings providing 31 residential dwellings, approximately 538 square metres of flexible floorspace and underground car parking and cycle parking facilities. 12. The proposed buildings which will front onto Tufnell Park Road consists of 2 blocks referred to as Block A and Block B. Block A is a 5 storey building featuring a part set back at 4th storey level and a set back across the whole of the 5th storey level. Block B is a larger building of 6 storeys in total featuring a part set back at 4th floor level on its western section and a set back storey at 5th floor level. 13. The external elevations of the building can be divided into 3 main elements. At ground floor level within Block B is a recessed mainly glazed frontage which provides the shopfront to the commercial activities proposed at this level. Above this within Block B and from ground level within Block A are the main facades which comprise of an acrylic render and a pre oxidised copper material. The proposed set back elements towards roof level of the proposed buildings consist of a lateral arrangement of hardwood screening surrounding glazing. Included within the design is the installation of a living green wall to be located from ground to 5 storey level on part of the eastern elevation of block B facing onto the Odeon Cinema building. 14. The proposed development includes excavation works to provide a lower ground/basement level which will be located across the footprint of both block A and block B. This level will consist of car parking, flexible commercial floorspace, bike storage space and plant room. 15. The proposed buildings will create 31 residential dwellings, comprising 9x1, 17x2, and 5x3 bedroom flats. 11 of these units will be provided within block A and 20 units within block B. In total (as measured by habitable rooms) the scheme will provide for 40% affordable housing. The tenure for the affordable housing element would be split 59.5% social rented accommodation and 40.5% intermediate housing. All of the affordable housing will be located within block A of the proposal with the private housing located within block B. 16. Of the 31 residential units 3 will provide wheelchair accessible housing, a total percentage of 10.8% of the total number of habitable rooms. The scheme will include the provision of a communal garden at the rear of the proposed building, 2 small private gardens for the ground floor units within Block A and will provide external balconies of a significant amount to 17 of the residential units located above ground floor level. 17. The flexible (B1/A1/A2/ specified D1) floor space will be located at ground floor level within block B of the development and at lower ground/basement floor level. The specified operations within the D1 use class could include the following: day care centre, doctor’s surgery and health clinic. 18. At basement level 8 car parking spaces are provided. 6 of these parking spaces will be allocated for the residents of the development including 1 allocated for the wheelchair accessible unit within block B. The further 2 parking spaces will be allocated to the flexible commercial use at basement and ground floor with 1 of these allocated for persons with mobility impairments. A further 2 car parking spaces will be provided at ground floor level, these spaces will be allocated to the wheelchair associable units located at ground floor level within Block A. 19. The scheme aims to achieve level 4 Code of Sustainable Homes rating and is expected to secure a percentage CO2 reduction of 20%. Relevant History of the Site 20. The site has been subject to the following previous planning applications; 21. LBI Reference P091833 (2, 4 & 4A, Tufnell Park Road and rear of Odeon Cinema, 419 Holloway Road, Islington, London, N7) Full planning permission refused on the 11th May 2010. Application considered at North Area Planning Sub Committee on the 27th April 2010. Description of Development; Demolition of existing buildings on the site fronting onto Tufnell Park Road and replacement with the erection of a five storey building with basement (block A) and seven storey building with basement (block B) to provide 36 residential flats and 538 m² (GIA) floorspace (B1/A1/A2/A3/D1/D2) floor space together with the provision of cycle provision, refuse, servicing, parking, associated outdoor amenity space/landscaping and other associated works and alterations. Reasons for Refusal REASON 1: The proposed development would provide for a poor mix of unit types, an insufficient level of affordable housing and inappropriate tenure split within the affordable housing provision. The development in these aspects fails to meet the housing needs of the borough and the Council’s aim to secure balanced and mixed communities, contrary to policy 3A.5, 3A.9 and 3A.10 of the London Plan 2008, policies H3, H14 and H15 of the Islington Unitary Development Plan 2002, the Islington’s Local Housing Needs Assessment (2008) and the GLA’s Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance to the London Plan (2005).