Agenda item
313 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9LQ (PA/12/00623 and PA/12/00624)
- Meeting of Development Committee, Wednesday, 12th September, 2012 7.00 p.m. (Item 7.3)
- View the background to item 7.3
Decision:
On a unanimous vote, the Committee RESOLVED:
That planning permission (PA/12/00623 and PA/12/00624) at 313 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9LQ be DEFERRED
It was resolved that the application be deferred to allow Officers to discuss further with the Applicant the appearance of the northern part of the proposed building to address Members concerns over its contemporary appearance and to bring the application back to a future meeting with a revised design.
(The Members that voted on this item were Councillors Helal Abbas, Shiria Khatun, Kosru Uddin, Md. Maium Miah and Peter Golds)
Minutes:
Jerry Bell (Applications Manager) introduced the proposal regarding 313 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9LQ (PA/12/00623 and PA/12/00624)
The Chair invited registered speakers to address the Committee.
Tom Ridge speaking in opposition stated that had looked at the case file. According to this, 26 people not just the 21 recorded in the report had objected to the scheme along with the petition against with 12 signatures. He disputed that the criteria in policy for demolishing buildings in the conservation area had been properly applied. Particularly:
- The adequacy of the efforts to the maintain the building in use (point 4) - There was no mention of this in the report. The upper floor had already been adjusted as a hotel so this could be easily done. But this had not been fully explored;
- The suitability of any proposed replacement building (point 5) - This was a very standard design that conflicted with the historic buildings.
The proposal would dominate the historic gardens and spoil the setting of the Museum of Childhood. The latter would no longer be the tallest building in the area. It would ruin the cluster of protected buildings and gardens that formed a harmonious square. It would spoil the balance of the area. In response to Members questions, he stated that he was unaware of any consultation done by the applicant, other than the standard consultation carried out by the Council.
Mark Hogdson spoke in support of the application. The applicant had been working with Officers for over a year on the scheme. The plans sought to replace an out of date building with a new hotel that respected the area. The applicant had carried out a detailed heritage assessment and had tested the height and massing of the scheme given the sensitive nature of the area. The Conservation area experts were satisfied with the proposal and English Heritage had not raised any concerns. Officers considered that a five storey scheme in the area was acceptable. The plans would provide 27 new jobs, increase tourism with a commitment to use local firms. The design consisted of two elements– a dark brick section with a leaf detailed northern element to match the trees and Museum of Childhood. It would make a positive contribution to the heritage assets and the landscape.
In reply to Members, Mr Hogdson reported that the Applicant had spoken to the ward Councillors, but had not directly contacted residents themselves. However, the residents were consulted by the Council. He emphasised the purpose of the ‘leaf design’- to fit in with that part of the site and also compensate for any loss of greenery. It was required that details of the design be submitted for approval. Such work would be undertaken by a design specialist.
Benson Olaseni (Planning Officer) presented the report with a power point presentation. He explained in detail the proposal, the site location and surrounding area and the proximity with the surrounding protected buildings including the Museum of Childhood. He explained the outcome of the consultation, the objections raised and the material considerations. In terms of land use, the proposal was considered acceptable given the site was not designated, was unsuitable for employment uses, the good transport links and the policy support for a hotel in this area. The Conservation team had raised no objections to the demolition given the lack of historic value of the existing building. The design and materials respected the area with the mix of traditional and contemporary brick work. It protected amenity with mitigation to restrict the hours of operation. The scheme was car free and there were no plans for onsite coach parking as the development would use the existing on street bays. Highways had raised no objections.
In response, Members expressed concern at the northern part of the proposed building. It was felt that the contemporary design, especially at the upper parts, was out of keeping with the conservation area and the more traditional museum of childhood. The design for this section was too overpowering. Whilst they were satisfied with the scheme as a whole and the scale and bulk, it was felt that this aspect of the scheme should be reviewed to find a design more in keeping with the area. Members were satisfied with the scale and bulk of the scheme.
In response, Officers considered that the design fitted in well with the area. The aim of the design was to blend in with the buildings and respect the greenery. The relevant Council experts had considered this design and felt that it was appropriate.
On a unanimous vote, the Committee RESOLVED:
That planning permission (PA/12/00623 and PA/12/00624) at 313 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9LQ be DEFERRED
It was agreed that the application be deferred to allow Officers to discuss further with the Applicant the appearance of the northern part of the site to address Members concerns over its contemporary design and to bring a revised application back to a future meeting.
(The Members that voted on this item were Councillors Helal Abbas, Shiria Khatun, Kosru Uddin, Md. Maium Miah and Peter Golds)
Supporting documents: