planning report D&P/1046g/01 9 July 2018 82 West India Dock Road in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets planning application no. PA/18/01203 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 planning application for the erection of a part 8 storeys, part 30 storeys building, comprising a 400 bedroom hotel; 66 residential units; and 71 sq.m of retail/community floorspace; together with highway and public realm works. The applicant The applicant is West India Property Investments, and the architect is Simpson Haugh. Strategic issues summary Principle of development: The principle to include hotel and residential uses as part of a high density mixed-use development, with associated landscape improvements, is supported in line with the London Plan, the Isle of Dogs and Poplar OAPF, and the draft London Plan. Details of the landscape contributions and maintenance arrangements must be provided and secured. Affordable housing: 35% made up of affordable rent (ten units) and intermediate (eight units). Subject to investigation by the applicant of the availability of grant funding, and confirmation of the affordability of tenures, the proposal would meet the requirements for the ‘fast track’ route and would not be required to submit a viability assessment or be subject to a late stage viability review, in line with the draft London Plan and the Mayor’s Affordable Housing and Viability SPG. Urban design, strategic views, and historic environment: The height, layout, massing and architecture of the building is supported and raises no concerns about strategic views. ‘Less than substantial’ harm will be caused to heritage assets, which would be outweighed by public benefits, subject to confirmation of public realm improvements. Transport: The proposed improvements to the public realm are supported; however, they do not fully reflect the aspirations set out in the emerging Isle of Dogs and South Poplar OAPF, or reflect the Mayor’s Healthy Streets agenda, and further measures to improve crossing facilities and reduce severance on West India Dock Road should be investigated. The applicant proposal to replace the Westferry DLR Station staircase is supported in principle, subject to DLR agreement. Climate change: Further information is required on energy efficiency; the district energy network; worksheets; the site heat network; and photovoltaics. Recommendation That Tower Hamlets Council be advised that the application does not yet comply with the London Plan; however the possible remedies set out in paragraph 67 of this report could address these deficiencies. page 1 Context 1 On 4 June 2018, the Mayor of London received documents from Tower Hamlets 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 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(c) and 1C(c) of the Schedule to the 2008 Order: • 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 (c) outside Central London and with a total floorspace of more than 15,000 square metres.” • 1C “Development which comprises or includes the erection of a building that is (c) more than 30 metres high and is outside the City of London”. 3 Once Tower Hamlets 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 environmental information for the purposes of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 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 0.26 hectare island site is located immediately to the north of the elevated Westferry DLR Station and viaduct; with West India Dock Road to the north-east, Westferry Road to the south-east, and residential buildings of up to six storeys to the west on Salter Street and Mandarin Street, which includes six on-street car parking spaces. To the north, there is an existing bus route and bus stop, which dissects a paved area of land, with a further five car parking spaces positioned along the eastern side of Salter Street. The site was formerly occupied by office and light industrial buildings but has been vacant since their demolition in 2008 as part of the works approved under a previous application (LPA ref: PA/09/02099). The site has an extant permission for a hotel of up to 16 storeys, which has been implemented (see ‘case history’ below). 7 The area surrounding the site is mixed in character, with residential, industrial, commercial, retail, community, and leisure uses. Further south, the scale of development increases as Westferry Road approaches Canary Wharf, initially with buildings of 15-25 storeys approximately 250-300 metres from the site. 8 The site lies within the Isle of Dogs and South Poplar Opportunity Area. West India Dock Conservation Area lies approximately 70 metres to the south-east; while St. Anne’s Church Conservation Area, Lansbury Conservation Area, and Narrow Street Conservation Area are all approximately 100 metres from the site. 9 The Island site is bounded by West India Dock Road, Westferry Road, Limehouse Causeway and Salter Street, which are all Borough roads. The nearest section of the Transport page 2 for London Road Network (TLRN) is the A1261 West India Dock Road, approximately 200 metres to the south-east of the site. The nearest section of the Strategic Road Network (SRN) is the A1011 Silvertown Way, approximately 3 kilometres to the east of the site. The entrance to Westferry Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Station is located at the south-west corner of the site. This provides DLR services to Bank, Tower Gateway and Canary Wharf. The nearest London Underground station is Canary Wharf (Jubilee Line), which is approximately 1 kilometre to the south-east of the site. The nearest National Rail station is Limehouse, approximately 1 kilometre to the north-west of the site. This is served by c2c services to London Fenchurch Street. The nearest bus stop is on Salter Street, approximately 20 metres to the north of the site, which is served by routes 135, 277, D3 and D7. Due to the aforementioned public transport connections, the public transport accessibility level (PTAL) of the site is 6a, (where 1 represents the lowest accessibility level and 6 the highest). 10 The site is also served by the Mayor’s cycle hire scheme. The nearest docking station is ‘Westferry DLR’ (41 cycle capacity), located approximately 20 metres south of the site. Cycle Superhighway 3 can be accessed on Limehouse Causeway at the southern edge of the site. Details of the proposal 11 A full planning application for the erection of a part 8 storey (ground plus 7 storeys), part 30 storeys (ground plus 29 storeys) building, comprising 15,639 sq.m. of hotel floorspace (consisting of 400 bedrooms), 8,537 sq.m. of residential floorspace (consisting of 66 homes), and 71 sq.m. of flexible retail and community floorspace (Use Class A1/D1). The proposals include the creation of a new 'left turn only' vehicular access from West India Dock Road, hard and soft landscape improvements to the adjacent areas of highway and public realm. 12 Public realm improvements to land outside the ownership of the applicant would be funded and delivered through a section 106 agreement. This could include the provision of a replacement DLR staircase, subject to agreement. 13 The main differences to the scheme that is currently subject to an appeal (see ‘case history’ below) are as follows: • Decrease of 10,492 sq.m. floorspace (approximately 36%). • Reduction in height of 7 storeys. • Reduction in residential apartments (from 199 to 66). • Increase in hotel bed spaces (from 320 bed spaces to 400 bed spaces). • The taller element of the building is now located on the eastern side of the site. Case history 14 An application was submitted in July 2004 (LPA ref: PA/04/01038) for the demolition of the existing buildings and redevelopment of the site with a part 7, part 20 storey building comprising 120 residential units and 1,442 sq.m. of commercial use. The proposal was considered by the Mayor of London in February 2006 (GLA ref: PDU/1046/01), who advised Tower Hamlets Council that the scheme was broadly acceptable in strategic planning terms, subject to the resolution of energy and transport issues. An appeal was lodged following non- determination and the application was granted consent in May 2007. 15 A further application (LPA ref: PA/09/02099) was submitted in October 2009 for a 14- 16 storey building to provide a 252 bed hotel. This was considered by the Mayor of London in June 2010 (GLA ref: PDU/1046b/02), who advised Tower Hamlets Council that he was content for it to determine the case itself. Planning permission was subsequently granted, and page 3 implementation works commenced involving the erection of hoardings and groundworks but no buildings were constructed.