Agenda item

Comprehensive redevelopment of site to provide three buildings of part 7 storeys and part 5 storeys comprising 208 residential units, 190 sq.m (approx) of Use Class B1 floorspace with associated public and private amenity space, hard and soft landscaping, lower ground floor parking for vehicles and bicycles, and alterations to 9 High Street to form new pedestrian route (involving demolition of all existing buildings other than no.9 High Street).

Recommendation: Delegated Authority to approve subject to a legal agreement and Stage II referral to the Greater London Authority.

Comprehensive redevelopment of site to provide three buildings of part 7 storeys and part 5 storeys comprising 208 residential units, 190 sq.m (approx) of Use Class B1 floorspace with associated public and private amenity space, hard and soft landscaping, lower ground floor parking for vehicles and bicycles, and alterations to 9 High Street to form new pedestrian route (involving demolition of all existing buildings other than no.9 High Street).

Officers directed the Committee to note the changes set out in the Addendum sheet circulated at the meeting and recommended that Condition 7 be amended torequire details of play spaces to be included, in order to ensure that the designing of spaces were safe and secure.An additional informative was also suggested to advise the applicant that this development in highways terms had been considered on its merits and any other development would need to be considered on its own merit.

Members expressed concerns about the height, density and mass of the proposed development.  Concerns were also raised about insufficient provision of amenity space and the usability and suitability of the proposed roof-top amenity space.

Further concerns were raised that with the schemed being so crammed, it would not be possible for windows to be fitted at a 45 degree angle in one of the units, which would therefore require some re-designing. 

Officers advised that one defensible space had been proposed on the ground floor and that all of the children’s play space located on the ground floor were in accordance with the Mayor of London’s requirement. The standards for children’s play area accorded also with the London Plan.  With regard to the roof-top areas, it was suggested these could be of benefit for future occupiers to sit out, so long as they were managed by management agent and balustraded. This had been covered by Condition 7 which required clear arrangements to show how this would be managed.

In response to queries raised about parking, officers advised that the proposed parking was compliant with the required parking standards and in line with the London Plan (July 2011).

The Legal Advisor added that with regard to Members’ concerns about the issue of parking spaces and how this might impact on the highway, the Committee should note that future occupiers would not be entitled to apply for parking management scheme and the Council’s parking management measures would help to mitigate parking pressures.

Members indicated that allocated parking should be provided for office and business units.

A Member suggested that details about car parking stackers should have been submitted with the application in order to ensure they met required standards, as the width of the stackers may affect the layout of parking. Officers advised that Members could ask for the details of parking stackers to be reported back to a Committee meeting to be discharged.

Members raised safety concerns about the pedestrian link and access to the High Street and the level of traffic emanating from Tavistock Road. Officers advised that the pedestrian crossing was staggered and based on additional trips, a total of 50 trips would be generated during peak hours.

A Member suggested that the two windows in the two-storey pitched roof building would need to be re-designed in order to be compliant. Officers advised that in relation to the scale of the development, minor changes could be resolved with Grampian conditions.

The Legal Advisor advised the Committee that where minor changes were being sort, these could be secured by condition, if however substantial changes were required, officers would need to go back to the applicant to agree the changes.

It was moved, seconded and agreed that the application be deferred for further details as follows:

It was moved, seconded and agreed that the application be deferred for further details as follows:

• Additional detail on design of, or the deletion of pedestrian link to the high street
• Further information on car park stackers
• Clarification on outlook of habitable room windows adjacent to Comag
• Further information on play spaces, defensible and security
• Clarification on trip generation
• Investigate provision of a car parking space for the B1 unit (office and business unit)
• Further information on the management of the roof terraces.

Resolved – That the application be deferred to enable further clarification to be sought from the applicant as set out above.