Application Number: 17/P0296                  Ward: Abbey

Officer Recommendation: GRANT Planning permission subject to S106 agreements and conditions

PAC Resolved that application 17/P0296 is:

Deferred to a future meeting, the reasons will be detailed in the minutes

Proposal: Redevelopment of site to create 20 x self-contained flats within a six storey residential block with new frontage to ground floor commercial unit

The Committee noted the officer’s report and presentation and the additional information in the Supplementary Agenda - Modifications

The Committee received verbal presentations from three residents, who shared 6 minute speaking time, and from the applicant’s agent and architect who shared six minute speaking time.

The comments of the Objectors are summarised as follows:

·         The Planting and Landscaping proposed are not sustainable. The proposed species are not suitable and wrong for the proposed planting areas and methods.

·         The Development proposed does not include any of the recommendations from the Wimbledon Green Coffee Checklist for Sustainable Buildings.

·         The proposal is poorly designed, it only achieved Amber at DRP, and still ignores policy

·         The Metropolitan Police have asked for the residents’ entrance to be moved from the side to the front

·         There is no separation between commercial waste and domestic waste

·         There is no affordable housing, at least the previously granted application did provide affordable housing

The Applicant’s Agent and Architect made points including:

·         There is no affordable housing because sales values have decreased in the last 3 to 4 years. This is a larger building and so has bigger build costs

·         An Amber from DRP does not preclude planning permission being granted. Since the last DRP meeting applicants have worked closely with the Council’s Design and Case Officers to improve the design

·         Applicants have also sought to improve the design from that of the extant proposal

·         The Agent accepted the comments made by the objector regarding the landscaping and planting proposals and will be happy to work with the Tree Warden to improve this

·         The proposal has many sustainable features including solar cells on the roof, a 35% reduction of carbon emissions, higher than recommended insulation, recycling has been considered and ventilation systems considered.

In answer to Members Questions the Planning Team Leader North gave replies including:

·         The Balconies project 1.5m

·         In terms of privacy the development has other residential developments around it. Privacy screens at the back will be secured by condition, as will obscure glazing to secondary windows

·         The Commercial servicing will be down the side of the building, and this is a shared space with the residential use

·         We can’t say if this application would achieve the Secured by Design Certificate, but as the extant application has a similar entrance on the side of the building it would be difficult to enforce a change. We have not asked the applicant to move the entrance. The Police advice is included in the report

·         If the applicant is not following the Police advice, this would be a difficult reason to refuse on, especially as the extant application has the entrance in the same place.

·         The building does not need a separate disabled access as it would have level access to the entrance and then has lifts. A disabled parking space has not been sought owing to space limitations

·         Servicing and refuse collections will be done on the street, as they are for the current building.

·         There have been extensive negotiations with the design officer since the DRP Amber rating

·         The viability assessment for this application concluded that the proposal could not support affordable housing or contribution. However, in –line with current guidance for the Mayor of London, a clawback mechanism is included, so that the provision of affordable housing will be reviewed prior to occupation

·         The Broadway has a variety of residential and commercial buildings, and this application is suitable for the area.

Members made comments including:

·         Concern was expressed about position of the entrance, and that this should be considered by the applicant.

·         Concern was expressed about the Police advice, and the fact that it this advice had been requested but not acted upon.

·         It was noted that the applicant had done work on the design and had listened to comments made this evening regarding landscaping, but they had not done anything about the entrance and the police advice.

 A member expressed the view that the 20 homes proposed by this scheme were excellent for the area, close to public transport and employment and so highly sustainable. He was concerned about the lack of affordable housing but noted the clawback scheme.

The Committee discussed if they could refuse the scheme or if they should defer for the entrance issue to be resolved. The Committee noted that the advice from the Police was not available last time the application was at Committee, and that some members wanted to defer the application to give the applicant a chance to consider the Police conditions and the entrance position. This was not unanimous as other members thought a decision should be made.

The Committee voted, and agreed to Defer the application so that further consideration could be given to the Police Conditions and proposed side entrance

The Committee noted that if this scheme was refused then the extant scheme could still be built, with the entrance on the side

RESOLVED

The Committee voted to Defer this item so that there can be further consideration of the Metropolitan Polices advice regarding the entrance