Agenda item

Hybrid planning application for: FULL application seeking planning permission for demolition of existing buildings (excluding the Tudor Centre and the Old Creche) and redevelopment of the site to provide the new Hillingdon Hospital (Use Class C2), multi-storey car park and mobility hub, vehicle access, highways works, associated plant, generators, substation, new internal roads, landscaping and public open space, utilities, servicing area, surface car park/ expansion space, and other works incidental to the proposed development; and OUTLINE planning application (all matters reserved, except for access) for the demolition of buildings and structures on the remaining site (excluding the Grade II Listed Furze) for a mixed-use development comprising residential (Class C3) and supporting Commercial, Business and Service uses (Class E), new pedestrian and vehicular access; public realm, amenity space, car and cycling parking.

Details: Comprising a maximum height of 8 storeys, 79,594sqm of Hospital Building (GIA) plus 23,034sqm of Multi-Storey Car Park, 327 residential units and 800sqm of commercial floorspace.

Recommendation: Approve + Sec 106

RESOLVED: That the application be approved.

Hybrid planning application for: FULL application seeking planning permission for demolition of existing buildings (excluding the Tudor Centre and the Old Creche) and redevelopment of the site to provide the new Hillingdon Hospital (Use Class C2), multi-storey car park and mobility hub, vehicle access, highways works, associated plant, generators, substation, new internal roads, landscaping and public open space, utilities, servicing area, surface car park/ expansion space, and other works incidental to the proposed development; and OUTLINE planning application (all matters reserved, except for access) for the demolition of buildings and structures on the remaining site (excluding the Grade II Listed Furze) for a mixed-use development comprising residential (Class C3) and supporting Commercial, Business and Service uses (Class E), new pedestrian and vehicular access; public realm, amenity space, car and cycling parking.

Officers introduced the application and delivered a detailed presentation outlining the proposals and the Committee report.

Subsequently, Members’ attention was drawn to the addendum where an amendment to Heads of Term number 13 was proposed to show on-site affordable housing levels of 50% rather than the 54% indicated in the report, in addition to this a verbal update was given to Heads of Term 13 in that the 70% figure should be for social rent and 30% for intermediate and shared ownership. A further verbal update was given to add an informative to seek best endeavours to accommodate key workers within the affordable housing delivery; it was noted that this was not something that the local planning authority could currently mandate.

It was also highlighted that the new hospital was proposed to achieve a 31% carbon reduction, which was below the 35% required, this had resulted in a large carbon offset contribution of £4.5m was included within the Heads of Term. It was proposed that the Trust would be given the opportunity at the detailed design stage to improve the carbon offset further; it was also proposed that the Trust would be given the opportunity to use the carbon offset contribution to make energy efficiencies within their own buildings. The addendum proposed an amendment to Heads of Term number 8 to ensure that those efficiencies would be achieved either on-site or at an equivalent scheme for another NHS site within Hillingdon. Members and officers further noted that S106 monies for carbon offset would be spent within Hillingdon rather than surrounding Boroughs.  A verbal update was given in that the addendum should read £95/tonne rather than £90/tonne, it was noted that when the section 106 agreement was to be drafted, the correct sum would be captured.

Through the addendum officers proposed the addition of a new informative in that, during scheduled maintenance of the back up electricity supply generators, the applicant would be advised to consider the opportunity for redistribution of the power generated to alternative users and/or National Grid where feasible. 

Additionally, officers proposed an amendment to condition 28 to ensure that all ambulance parking was to have active electric vehicle charging provision.

Officers noted that in response to the public consultation carried out with circa 3913 local residents, the proposals advertised in the local press, and site notices posted on site, only 24 public comments had been received, with 10 in support, 8 in objection, and 6 that were deemed to be neutral.

Councillor Roy Chamdal was in attendance and addressed the Committee as Ward Councillor for Colham & Cowley. Key points raised in their address included:

• The redevelopment of Hillingdon Hospital was welcomed and was considered well overdue.
• The proposals were praised for the detail and quality of the development.
• It was highlighted that the proposals would have a significant visual impact on neighbouring residents.
• There were existing issues around parking within the vicinity and surrounding areas of the hospital and concerns were raised regarding the 161 parking spaces that could potentially be lost in future if the hospital were to develop further. Additionally, concerns were raised regarding parking and the 327 residential units that were proposed.  The Ward Councillor sought to ensure that, once the new development was in operation, parking pressures were appropriately mitigated.
• Another existing issue pertained to traffic congestion around access to the hospital, specifically in Pield Heath Road. The Ward Councillor welcomed the bus routes that would directly serve the site as a way of reducing congestion pressures and sought to ensure that traffic could flow through the site would be appropriately maintained.
• Surface water drainage was raised as an existing issue and the Ward Councillor sought to see betterment of the current situation within the new development.
• The Ward Councillor also requested that a mechanism be put in place for local residents to speak to someone, should there be an issue with the development.

Councillor Ekta Gohil was in attendance and addressed the Committee as Ward Councillor for Colham & Cowley. Key points raised in their address included:

• Officers were thanked for their extensive hard work in putting bringing the application to Committee for determination.
• Hillingdon Hospital was highlighted as the heart of the Borough and its redevelopment was entirely welcomed.
• The Ward Councillor was pleased to see that the report had effectively mitigated their previous concerns with regard to surface water drainage, particularly on Pield Heath Road which was currently prone to flooding, and noise levels emanating from the site.
• The report had noted that it was assumed that the buses running through the site would be electric vehicles (EVs) or hydrogen powered EVs. The Ward Councillor requested whether it would possible to explore conditioning this to ensure that it was the case.
• The Ward Councillor was also pleased to see the proposed addendum point ensuring that the carbon offset funds would be used within Hillingdon.

The Member of Parliament for Uxbridge & South Ruislip, Boris Johnson, had submitted a written statement that had been circulated to the Committee and was read at the meeting. Key points included:

• Hillingdon Hospital was no longer fit for purpose and required modernisation to drive excellence in patient care. It was therefore deemed vital that the application was granted planning permission to redevelop the ageing site.
• There was full support from local stakeholders, including the North West London Integrated Care Board, the North West London Acute Collaborative, and NHS London.
• The development would implement modern methods of construction which adopted standard, repeatable and interoperable designs, enabling offsite manufacture and efficient processes to deliver better outcomes and manage costs.
• It was also welcome that the proposed layout of the new hospital will provide significantly more floor space in comparison to the current site.
• There was a real urgency to progress the development as 80% of the present site required replacement soon or was considered inoperable – this had a detrimental impact on patient safety and experience, staff recruitment and the financial position of the Trust.

The Committee were supportive of the development, noting that it was much needed and would bring immense benefits to residents of the Borough and beyond. Members highlighted that the scale of the development would inevitably result in a visual impact upon neighbours which was unavoidable, but it was noted that these factors had been mitigated somewhat through the design process. The Committee highlighted that perhaps the relatively small number of responses to the public consultation was indicative of recognition that residents feel that there is an inevitable need for the redevelopment of Hillingdon Hospital.

Officers noted that the local planning authority had received information regarding the temporary arrangements for staff and visitor parking during construction in that, there would be 322 spaces remaining available on the hospital site, the Trust would also move some services over to Mount Vernon hospital during construction where there would be a further 127 parking spaces available. The residential phase of development would have a maximum of 0.75 parking spaces per unit. Officers confirmed that they had not yet received a finalised plan regarding the temporary arrangements for staff and visitor parking during construction, however Members were reassured that Heads of Term number 2 secured that construction would not start until this plan was in place ensuring adequate car parking availability.

Highways officers confirmed that public travel needs would be satisfied by the proposed mobility hub, the new bus service serving the site, the Santander cycle hire facilities, and an abundance of cycle parking; the Highways authority were also confident that the travel capacity and car parking numbers would cope with future demand from hospital staff and visitors. Members sought to improve public transport capacity going to and from the site once the new hospital was operational, suggesting that some of the bus routes could adopt double decker buses rather than the single deck buses currently seen for example on the U1 route. Officers confirmed that TfL would be driven by demand and the anticipated increase in demand for transport to the new hospital should facilitate TfL increasing capacity, the Committee sought to add an informative seeking improvements to bus capacity and routing. Officers also commented that they would intend on working with TfL to potentially brand buses serving the new Hillingdon Hospital to advertise that certain routes would be regularly serving the hospital.

With regard to surface water drainage which currently caused flooding issues on and around the site, officers noted that they had extensively worked with the developers in securing betterment for the site in both the hospital phase and the residential phase of development; namely that the area of hardstanding had been heavily reduced and the ability of the site to absorb surface water will be significantly improved from its current standpoint. Members were encouraged that there would be an improved situation with regard to flood risk for neighbouring residents.

With regard to Councillor Chamdal’s request for residents to be able to raise any issues during construction, officers highlighted that there was a Construction Environmental Management Plan which would seek to provide contact details for someone that residents can go to should they have any grievances and complaints.

Regarding Councillor Gohil’s request that the Committee condition the need for buses running through the site to be EVs, it was noted that Transport for London’s (TfL) 2034 strategy was to ensure that the entire TfL bus fleet would be EVs, officers advised that it would not be necessary for the Committee to mandate this.

On matters of pedestrian safety and accessibility, officers noted that as the healthy streets contribution is spent, it would be done so in consultation with the Council’s Principal Accessibility Officer who would offer expert advice on the provision of appropriate accessibility levels.

The Committee sought assurances that HGVs accessing the site would not burden local roads and increase congestion around the site which had been noted as a concern by the Ward Councillors. Officers informed Members that the Constriction Environmental Management Plan would secure the routing of HGVs and the hours of delivery to the site which would take account of the capacity of local roads and mitigate the impact on local residents. Members sought to also add wheel washing as a criteria to proposed condition 14 regarding the Construction Environmental Management Plan.

Members raised concerns that the noise emanating from the site could pose an impact on the children attending the nearby special educational needs school on Royal Lane. The Committee sought to add an informative ensuring that the hospital would consult with the school on the Construction Environmental Management Plan and the hours of operation.

The officers recommendation, inclusive of the amendments listed in the addendum, the verbal updates given by officers, and the changes discussed by the Committee, were moved, seconded, and when put to a vote, unanimously agreed.

RESOLVED:

1)    That the application be approved as per the officers recommendation and the amendments listed in the addendum;

2)    That an amendment be made to Heads of Term number 13 to read 70% social rent and 30% shared ownership;

3)    That an informative be added to encourage the proposed affordable housing to be provided to key workers;

4)    That condition 28 be amended to ensure all ambulance parking is to be served by active electric vehicle charging capabilities;

5)    That and amendment be made to Heads of Term number 8 to read £95/tonne;

6)    That an informative be added to seek improvements to bus capacity and routing frequency to be responsive to demand;

7)    That condition 14 be updated to include wheel washing as a criterion;

8)    That an informative be added to request that Meadow School are consulted upon the Construction Environmental Management Plan ahead of its submission to the local planning authority.