Issue - meetings
Central Foundation Girls School Lower School, College Terrace, London, E3 5AN 9 (PA/12/02576, PA/12/02577 and PA/12/02578)
Meeting: 14/08/2013 - Development Committee (Item 7)
Decision:
On a unanimous vote, the Committee RESOLVED:
1. That planning permission PA/12/02577 Conservation Area Consent PA/12/02576 and Listed Building Consent PA/12/02578 at site at Central Foundation Girls School Lower School, College Terrace, London, E3 5AN 9 be GRANTED for:
· PA/12/2577 - Full planning permission for a change of use of existing sixth form school (Use Class D1) to provide 36 residential dwellings (Use Class C3) comprising 10 x 1 bedroom,13 x 2 bedroom, 12 x 3 bedroom and 1 x 4 bedroom units with communal amenity space. Part demolition and replacement of existing infill building and refurbishment of Grade II Listed Building.
· PA/12/2576 - Conservation Area Consent for Part demolition and replacement of existing infill building.
· PA/12/2578 - Listed Building Consent for change of use of existing sixth form school (Use Class D1) to provide 36 residential dwellings (Use Class C3) comprising 10 x 1 bedroom,13 x 2 bedroom, 12 x 3 bedroom and 1 x 4 bedroom units with communal amenity space. Part demolition and replacement of existing infill building and refurbishment of Grade II Listed Building.
Subject to:
2. The prior completion of a legal agreement to secure the planning obligations set out in the committee report .
3. That the Corporate Director Development & Renewal is delegated power to negotiate the legal agreement indicated above.
4. That the Corporate Director Development & Renewal is delegated power to impose conditions and informatives on the planning permission to secure the matters set out in the committee report.
5. That, if within 3-months of the date of this committee the legal agreement has not been completed, the Corporate Director Development & Renewal is delegated power to refuse planning permission.
(Councillor Denise Jones could not vote on this item having not been present at the introduction of the item).
Note: The Planning Application Reference numbers have subsequently been amended to correct a typographical error in the Committee report.
Minutes:
Update report tabled.
Paul Buckenham (Team Leader, Planning Services) introduced the application regarding the Central Foundation school, E3 5AN for the change of use of sixth form school to provide residential units including the part demolition and replacement of existing infill building and refurbishment of Grade II Listed Building.
Shahara Ali-Hempstead (Planning Officer) presented the report. She explained the key features of the scheme including the site location. The application had been subject to a local consultation and in response five letters of objections had been received regarding loss of education use, density, impact on the listed building, highways and amenity. She addressed each point and the material planning issues.
A key issue for consideration was the land use and the loss of an education use. Officers considered that the application was acceptable on these grounds given the sixth form college had been re-provided at 41- 47 Bow Road and that the area surrounding the site was mostly residential in character.
The plans would preserve the layout of the listed building with internal works to convert to residential units. The 1970s’ infill building would be demolished and replaced with new build dwellings. This was the only proposed demolition. The Council’s Conservation Design Officer had no objections to the loss of this building given the lack of architectural quality. Overall, the proposal would not cause any major harm to Grade II Listed building.
The impact on amenity was negligible (in terms of privacy, overlooking, outlook, sense of enclosure, overshadowing light and noise) given the separation distances between the neighbours and that there would be no increase in height or bulk of the building.
The housing mix broadly complied with policy given the offer of 35% affordable housing. Within this, there was an overprovision of family housing at social rent levels as well as policy compliant level generally across the tenures. The location of the different housing tenures within the development was explained.
The community and child play space exceeded the requirements in policy. As a result, it was considered that the level of recreational space was acceptable taking into account the lack of private amenity space due to the listed building constraints where intervention would be undesirable.
The site had good transport links and the scheme would be car free. The obligations fully complied with the Council’s Supplementary Planning Document.
Officers were therefore recommending that the scheme be granted planning permission.
In response, Members sought clarity on the use of the New Homes Bonus funding. Officers agreed to report back to the Committee to clarify this. The site did not have an allocation in the Council’s Managing Development Document as a school site. Therefore, the argument around loss of an educational use would be difficult to defend especially as the sixth form was being relocated. Officers also confirmed the plans to cross subsidise the new sixth form at 41-47 Bow Road and the main school with the proceeds from the sale of the land.
On a unanimous vote, the Committee RESOLVED ... view the full minutes text for item 7