Agenda item
27-29 and 33 Caroline Street, London, E1 0JG (PA/15/02164)
- Meeting of `, Development Committee, Wednesday, 9th March, 2016 7.00 p.m. (Item 5.1)
- View the background to item 5.1
Proposal:
Demolition of existing buildings at 27-29 and 33 Caroline Street and erection of two buildings up to 9 storeys in height to provide 56 residential units and landscaped amenity space, cycle parking and associated works.
Recommendation:
That the Committee resolve to GRANT planning permission subject to the prior completion of a legal agreement, conditions and informatives set out in the Committee report.
Minutes:
Paul Buckenham, (Development Manager, Development and Renewal) introduced the application for the demolition of existing buildings on the site and the erection of two buildings up to 9 storeys in height to provide a residential led scheme. Members were reminded that at it’s meeting on 13 January 2016 the Committee resolved not to accept the planning application for the following reasons:
· Insufficient provision of affordable housing.
· High residential density in excess of London Plan.
· Height and Scale of the development.
· Quality of child play space and communal amenity space.
As a result, the application stood deferred for consideration of a supplemental report. The report now before Members included a slightly different housing mix, changes to the landscaping to increase the community and child play space (taking into account the revised housing mix) clarifications as well as suggested reasons for refusal should Members be minded to refuse the scheme.
Brett McAllister, (Planning Officer, Development and Renewal) presented the report explaining the nature of the site. Members were reminded of the changes to the housing mix prior to the January Committee to provide 30% affordable housing and of the further amendments to provide 34.2% affordable housing that was closer to the Council’s strategic policy target of 35%. It was also explained that the scheme provided the maximum amount of affordable housing that it could provide. Therefore a refusal based on lack of affordable housing would be difficult to defend at appeal.
In terms of the density of the scheme, the scheme had been rigorously assessed and while it exceeded the London Plan, it was found that the impacts of the scheme would be acceptable and that the density was broadly comparable to recently approved schemes in the area. Therefore it was considered that the density was appropriate. Furthermore, the scheme was of a high quality design that responded well to the area and the height compared favourable to surrounding developments.
Whilst the level of child play space marginally fell short of the policy targets, despite the changes, it was considered that this was acceptable given that the children would have access to community space that exceeded policy and there would be a degree of overlap between the child and the community play space. Images of the roof top play area were shown, a common feature of many new schemes.
Officers remained of the view that the scheme should be granted but if they were minded to refuse the application, the suggested reasons in the report were recommended.
In response to questions, Officers confirmed the changes to the housing mix to address the previous concerns, requiring the removal and replacement of units and the reconfiguration of the layout of the scheme to comply with the policy standards. The changes had not simply been achieved by converting the one bed units to into the new two bed properties. It was noted that the density of the scheme exceeded the targets in policy. However, due to the nature of the site, (including a railway line that would act as a buffer zone and provide breathing space), and the lack of undue impacts this was considered acceptable. Furthermore, the massing of the buildings had been sensitively designed to lessen the impacts.
Overall, the scheme would optimise use of a constrained site without any undue impacts, in compliance with policy.
Consideration had been given to the merits of reducing the height of the development but it was found that this would impact on the level of affordable housing that could be afforded by reducing the profitability of the application.
Officers were mindful of the shortfall in child place space within the scheme, but given the decision to prioritise the door step play space, its allocation for the different age ranges and the site constraints Officers felt that the approach to child play space was acceptable.
On a unanimous vote, it was RESOLVED:
1. That planning permission be GRANTED at 27-29 and 33 Caroline Street, London, E1 0JG (PA/15/02164) for the demolition of existing buildings at 27-29 and 33 Caroline Street and erection of two buildings up to 9 storeys in height to provide 56 residential units and landscaped amenity space, cycle parking and associated works subject to:
2. The prior completion of a legal agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended), to secure the planning obligations set out in the13 January 2016 Committee report and the revised housing mix in paragraph 3.11 of the 9 March 2016 Committee report.
3. Any other planning obligation(s) considered necessary by the Corporate Director Development & Renewal
4. That the Corporate Director, Development & Renewal is delegated authority to negotiate and approve the legal agreement indicated above.
5. That the Corporate Director Development & Renewal is delegated authority to issue the planning permission and impose conditions and informatives to secure the matters set out in the 13 January 2016 Committee report.
6. Any other conditions/ informatives considered necessary by the Corporate Director Development & Renewal.
Supporting documents:
- Caroline Street Deferred Item DRAFT PB, item 5.1 PDF 1 MB
- Caroline Street final, 13/01/2016 Development Committee, item 5.1 PDF 976 KB
- Update Report, 13/01/2016 Development Committee, item 5.1 PDF 67 KB