Officers have secured support for the report to be considered as an urgent item by the Chair of the Planning Applications Committee.

This item is reported to Committee as an urgent item. The need to consider the application at the March Committee is considered vital in order that any delay does not impact adversely on the applicant’s on-going commitment to work with the Council in delivering a new public library for Colliers Wood.

1. Reason for Urgency - The Chair had approved the submission of this report as a matter of urgency for the reasons detailed below –

The need to consider the application at the March Committee is considered vital in order that any delay does not impact adversely on the applicant’s on-going commitment to work with the Council in delivering a new public library for Colliers Wood.

2. Proposal - Erection of a part five, part six and part seven storey building to provide: 540 sq.m of library and community space, (Use within Class D1), and 270 sq.m of floorspace for uses within Class within A1 (Retail) Class A2 (Financial and professional services), and D1 (Non-residential institutions) at ground floor level and 54 residential units above with a detached three storey building to the rear to provide 6 additional residential units.  Access to parking spaces (6 disabled bays) cycle parking, servicing and flats off Cavendish Road with a further pedestrian access off Valley Gardens.

3. Affordable Housing – There was considerable discussion about the proposal delivering only 10% affordable housing compared to the Council’s policy to seek 40% affordable housing.  Officers confirmed the viability of the scheme had been subject to independent review and advised that this had had to factor in the provision of the new public library and community facilities and other factors such as the site being located near London Underground tunnels.

3. New public library and community facilities - There was also considerable discussion on the value of these proposed new facilities in relation to assessing the scheme’s viability and the amount of affordable housing to be provided.  Planning officers present explained that the new library facilities would be owned by the developer and that the negotiations for leasing of the new library facilities had been carried out by the Council’s Head of Libraries and Head of Property Services.  The applicants representative advised that Heads of Terms had been agreed with the Head of Libraries for a lease of 25 years at £60k initially.

4. Approval – Following extensive discussion on the above matters and a number of other issues including the type of affordable housing proposed, the location of the affordable housing as a separate building within the site, the standard of accommodation, the housing density of the scheme, the building’s height and impact on the neighbourhood, the application was approved by 7 votes to 2 (Councillors David Dean and Ross Garrod dissenting).

Decision: Item 18 - ref. 14/P4222 (Cavendish House, High Street, Colliers Wood, SW19 2HR)

GRANT PERMISSION subject to S.106 Obligation and the conditions set out in the officer case reportand the tabled modifications sheet.