Application No: 23/P2711

Ward: Merton Park  

Officer Recommendation: GRANT Permission subject to Section 106 obligation or any other enabling agreement

Planning Officer introduced the report

 

Members of the Public spoke on the application

 

-       They welcomed investment in Merton, but did not feel this was sthe right project

-       The cons outweighed the benefits

-       The traffic at the junction is already a challenge, more taxis will exacerbat the situation, no parking for residents, and deliveries may force cars to park elsewhere.

-       The footpath will be reduced to accommodat planters

-       The windtunnel effect is already apparent, the surveys appear to misrepresent the situation

-       The property overlooks gardnes

-       67% of the frontage is along Windermere, a residential street

-       The property is too hgih and its mass is too great for the location, the lived reality does not match the details in the reports.

 

Cllr Mercer spoke on the applciation, highlighting the following points:

 

-       All buildings nearby are 2 stoerys high, Morden Station is 4 storeys

-       Planning policy should avoid large discrepancies, there are no other high rise buildings in the area, this building will add 7 storeys abruptly and inappropriately

-       Residents are keen for redevelopment, but not this.  The civic centre should be an exception

 

The applicant highglighted the following points:

 

-       This will be an 87 bedroom, part 4 storey, part 7 storey building

-       2 public consultations have been held, which were well attended, demosntrating a local desire for change

-       The developers have listend and reflected opinion in the scheme

-       The premises will be highly accessible to bus and tube stations nearby, will bring investment to Morden and job opportunities for local people

 

Officers infomred the committee that:

 

-       Most residents are expected to arrive by public transport rather than taxis or private vehicles.

-       No articulated trucks will attend the premises, only food and linen service deliveries

 

In response to questions it was confirmed that:

 

-       Living wage for workers on the development of the site is up to the applicant

-       The travel plan for staff and residents makes clear that there’s no parking and only 2 disabled bays, there are other parking options in the area

-       There will be trucks delivering/collecting linen twice a day

-       TfL are repsonsible for approving construciton delivery and service plans and setting when vehicles can come and go

-       BRE accepted guidance allows 2 hours of light for neighbours

-       Public access to toilet provision is a matter for the applicant.

-       The Council cnanot conduct its own wind survey, have to rely on evidence provided by the applicant.  The survey does not say that there is not a wind issue in the area, only that the building will not worsen any existing state

-       The closest properties are 25m away

 

The applicant confirmed that:

 

-       The main contractor will be repsonsible for wages, can’t say how much workers will be paid

-       An industry recognised programme was used to 3d model the impact of the buidling on wind, the analysis allows a comparison with what happens now, it considers annual data and during higher wind months.  The modelling cannot take into account infrequent events or particularly strong gusts.

-       Climate data comes from Heathrow and London City Airports, over a number of years, to inform the model

-       A condition could give authority control over signage on the building

 

In repsonse to questions it was confrimed that:

 

-       2009 proposal to change the site to a car hire facility was refused as it was a 24 hour operatoin, while the hotel will be open 24 hours, most guests will be in bed before midnight,

-       A taxi rank would be a distinctivley different use attracting late night revelers from in town

-       The hotel is epxected to be used for a hotel chain, nothing suggests it oculd become temporary emergency house for immigrants.

-       It’s 30 minutes to cnetral London on the tube, similar to travel from Marylebone

 

The applicant informed the committee that:

-       Vehcile movements will be limited, and would accept a condition to address concerns, it won’t be like amazon/couriers to residences which can come at any time

-       No issues in genral with a limitation on wekend working if it’s common practice to do that

 

In response to further questions it was confirmed that:

 

-       There’s an area allocated on the drawings for signage, the occupant would be confirned to that area

-       Deliveries would be expected to avoid peak times, and require a consultaiton with TfL

-       Deliveery drivers are not expected to try to navigate Windermere Rd,

-       The living wall can be conditioned with a design to be submitted for approval

-       106 agreement for toilets has to pass the test to mak the development acceptable, it would not be reasonable to say that hotel would not be acceptable without a public toilet.

-       Smoking areas would be a deicsion for the occupant

-       There is no defintie policy on building heights in Merton

-       It would be an operational deicison, rather than a planning matter, on whether toilets in the restaurant were open to non-customers

-       The first iteration of the plan was for 9 storeys, it was bene scaled back with stepping, the distance to neighbouring gardens is acceptabl ein planning terms

-       Future schemes unrelated to this plan would need to consider their impact on wind and prepare their own mitigation

 

Members commented that:

 

-       The devleopment is next to the town centre and edge of the regeneration zone, which has yet to receive any regeneration.  The 2014 development plan supprots this kind of development.  Would like to see the Victoria bulding stones incorporated in some way

-       This is a positive application and welcome

-       There’s a lot to like not against the hotel, but it is a big jump from 1920s housing to a large landmark hotel. Concerns around congestion and wind remain

-       It is positive that residents are for regeneration, but regenreation requires commerical interest.

-       This could be a catalyst for development, tourist will stay in Morden knowing they are close to central London

 

The following conditions were agreed:

 

-       Amendment ot include a green wall a thte rear, and details of ongoing maintenance to officer satisfaction

-       Applicant and operator to bring forward plans around dleivery windows/times

-       Tree planting in Windermere to be reviewe dby a tree officer

-       Informative to ask the developer to incorporate the Victoria Bulding flagstones

-       Swfit boxes

-       Foul water details to be added

 

Members voted, 1 against,0 not voting, 8 and the chair in favour