Agenda item
Sites adjoining Birchdown, Denbury and Huntshaw House, Devons Road, London, E3 (PA/18/02822)
Minutes:
An update report was tabled.
The Area Planning Manager (East) introduced the report which concerned an application for residential development across 3 small sites on the Devons Estate to provide a total of 18 dwellings across these sites. He advised that, since there had been no registrations to speak in objection to the application and since the application was recommended for approval, the matter would be considered on the basis of the written report and officer presentation.
The Planning Case Officer then presented the report informing the Committee of the relevant planning considerations related to the application. These were, land use, design, loss of parking, scale and amenity including privacy, enclosure, sunlight/daylight and comunal/play space. Members were advised that the sites had no special features, characteristics or designation to which the Committee must have regard. Planning consultation was carried out as required and 4 letters of objection and 2 petitions had been received; a late representation was received after the agenda had been published.
Then, responding to Members’ questions the following additional information was provided:
· Parking that had been lost due to the development of the sites would be absorbed in the existing estate provision. However disabled parking had been factored.
· Play space would be provided across the sites in the following ways: enhancement of existing amenity space at site 1, provision of designated self-contained amenity space at site 2 and there would be provision at site 3 via private balconies and a roof terrace.
· Use and management of the roof terrace at site 3 would be overseen/controlled by the Registered Provider (Poplar HARCA). However Members could mandate additional conditions if necessary.
· No open space would be lost on the Devons Estate since the existing spaces were all hard surface spaces.
· Ground floor kitchens at Chagford House would experience loss of light arising from development of site 3. However since these kitchens were under 13sqm they did not qualify for daylight/sunlight testing under BRE guidelines.
· The rationale for submitting a combined application across the 3 sites was that the total number of the dwellings that would be provided would enable a proportion of the dwellings proposed to be designated as affordable housing.
· The sites to be developed were owned by Poplar HARCA.
Members then debated the application.
Some Members remained concerned around whether there would be adequate communal/play space across the developments and around the daylight/sunlight impacts on some of the existing properties that were near to site 3.
However a Member expressed support for the application offering the rationale that the complexity of the proposal was mitigated by the need for affordable housing in the borough.
The Chair then proposed that Members vote on the officer recommendation and on a vote of 2 in favour and 2 abstentions, the Committee
RESOLVED
That the application at 3 sites adjoining Birchdown, Denbury and Huntshaw House, Devons Road, London, E3 be GRANTED for construction of 18 dwellings over 3 sites within the Devons Estates as detailed below, subject to conditions and informatives:
Site 1: Redevelopment of surface car park to the rear of Birchdown House, Rainhill Way by a 3 storey building to provide 8No. flats.
Site 2: Demolitions and development of car parking garages and surface car park adjacent to Denbury House, Devons Road by erection of 3 x 3 storey houses.
Site 3: Demolition and redevelopment of car parking garages and electricity substation adjacent to Huntshaw House by erection of a 4 storey building to provide 7No.flats.
Supporting documents: