Agenda item
Site at north east of Blackwall Tunnel Northern Approach and Twelvetrees Crescent, Twelvetrees Crescent, London E3 (PA/15/01470)
Proposal
Provision of a new 300 place Arts and Music Academy for 16-19 year olds. The facility will include recording studios, performance spaces, classrooms, a café and other associated facilities. The proposal also includes a comprehensive landscaping scheme, bin storage, a substation, two disabled parking bays and cycle parking.
Recommendation:
That the Committee resolve to GRANT planning permission, subject to a legal agreement and conditions
Decision:
Update report tabled.
Councillor Marc Francis proposed an additional condition seconded by Councillor Shiria Khatun preventing parking on Maltings Close by patrons and staff from the development. On a unanimous vote, this was agreed.
On a unanimous vote, the Committee RESOLVED:
1. That planning permission at Site at north east of Blackwall Tunnel Northern Approach and Twelvetrees Crescent, Twelvetrees Crescent, London E3 be GRANTED for the provision of a new 300 place Arts and Music Academy for 16-19 year olds including recording studios, performance spaces, classrooms, a café and other associated facilities, a comprehensive landscaping scheme, bin storage, a substation, two disabled parking bays and cycle parking (reference PA/15/01470) subject to
2. That the Corporate Director Development & Renewal and the Service Head (Legal Services) are delegated power to negotiate and complete the legal agreement indicated above acting within normal delegated authority including the obligations in the update report.
3. That the Corporate Director Development & Renewal is delegated power to impose conditions and informative on the planning permission as set out in the Committee report and in the update report and the additional condition agreed by the Committee to prevent parking on Maltings Close by patrons and staff from the scheme.
4. Any other conditions and informatives considered necessary by the Corporate Director Development & Renewal.
Councillor Suluk Ahmed did note vote on this item having not been present at the start of the item.
Minutes:
Jerry Bell (Applications, Team Leader, Development and Renewal) introduced the application for the provision of a new 300 place Arts and Music Academy for 16-19 year olds.
The Chair then invited registered speakers to address the Committee.
Councillor Andrew Cregan spoke in opposition to the application on behalf of the Maltings Close Residents Association. He expressed concern about the loss of access to the communal passageway particularly during the construction phase. He also expressed concern about parking from the scheme in Maltings Close given the high levels of parking there especially from the nearby school. As a result, the Councillor requested that additional conditions be added to address these issues. In response to questions from Members, he clarified his concerns about unauthorised parking in Maltings Close preventing residents from accessing their car parking spaces.
Eion O’Connor (Applicant’s Agent) spoke in support of the application. Whilst recognising the need to close the passage way for essential works during the construction phase, the residents would be given adequate notice and the closures would be kept to a minimal only for restricted periods. The scheme would be car free as required in the school travel plan. So the impact on parking should be minimal. In response questions from Members about the pathway, he commented on the proposed frequency of the closures and the type of work that it would closed for. He also answers questions about the measures to enforce and monitor the car free agreement and arrival and exits, including a requirement for all users of the facility to sign up to this, and the admission policy.
Tim Ross, (Pre - applications Team Leader, Development and Renewal) presented the report explaining the nature of the proposed specialist school. It was expected that most of the pupils would come from Tower Hamlets and Newham. The Committee were advised of the site location, including the proximity to Malting Close, the vehicle access routes to the site and the location and condition of the pedestrian access routes. The site was relatively well serviced by public transport. They also noted images of the proposed building, the design and the layout of the building that minimised overlooking, the proposed facilities, the servicing and refuse arrangements.
Consultation had been carried out and the issues raised were noted relating to the increased parking on Maltings Close amongst other matters.
In terms of the land use, the scheme complied with policy that supported the provision of an educational facility on the site. The proposed teaching hours were noted including the proposals to accommodate afterschool activities and five late night events only per year.
It was considered that the height scale and massing of the scheme was appropriate for the site. The scheme would be car free and it was expected that all of the staff and pupils would arrive by sustainable means. Due to these limitations, the impact on highway would be acceptable. Attention was also drawn the measures in the update report regarding energy and efficiency and environmental health.
Overall, given the merits of the scheme Officers were recommending it be granted planning permission.
In response to Members, Officers answered questions of clarity about the travel plan and the high number of pupils expected to arrive on foot. As a result, it was felt that the number of cycle spaces was appropriate. The travel plan would be updated on an annual basis. They also answered questions about the school admission policy favouring local children (as explained by the speaker) and the comments of Children Services who supported the proposal given the need for a specialist school in the area. They also highlighted some of the pitfalls of requesting that the applicant fund a vehicle barrier to control parking that was contrary to policy. There were measures to prevent anti social behaviour.
Whilst noting these points, Members expressed concern about increased parking from the scheme in Maltings Close given the objections around the existing levels of parking stress in that area depriving residents of car parking spaces. Accordingly, Councillor Marc Francis proposed an additional condition seconded by Councillor Shiria Khatun preventing parking on Maltings Close by patrons and staff from the development. On a unanimous vote, this was agreed.
On a unanimous vote, the Committee RESOLVED:
1. That planning permission at Site at north east of Blackwall Tunnel Northern Approach and Twelvetrees Crescent, Twelvetrees Crescent, London E3 be GRANTED for the provision of a new 300 place Arts and Music Academy for 16-19 year olds including recording studios, performance spaces, classrooms, a café and other associated facilities, a comprehensive landscaping scheme, bin storage, a substation, two disabled parking bays and cycle parking (reference PA/15/01470) subject to
2. That the Corporate Director Development & Renewal and the Service Head (Legal Services) are delegated power to negotiate and complete the legal agreement indicated above acting within normal delegated authority including the obligations in the update report.
3. That the Corporate Director Development & Renewal is delegated power to impose conditions and informative on the planning permission as set out in the Committee report and in the update report and the additional condition agreed by the Committee to prevent parking on Maltings Close by patrons and staff from the scheme.
4. Any other conditions and informatives considered necessary by the Corporate Director Development & Renewal.
Councillor Suluk Ahmed did note vote on this item having not been present at the start of the item.
Supporting documents: