Agenda item
18/0321 Former Northfield Industrial Estate & units 2-18 Beresford Avenue & Abbey Works Estate, Wycombe Road, Wembley, HA0 & Ace Corner & Capital House, North Circular Road, London, NW10
Minutes:
PROPOSAL: Hybrid planning application for the redevelopment of Northfield industrial estate:
Outline planning permission for the demolition of existing buildings and structures on the site, all site preparation works and redevelopment to provide new buildings ranging from 35.75m AOD to 111.95m AOD in height, with a total floorspace (GEA) of up to 309,400 sq m (excluding basement up to 42,000 sq m GEA) to accommodate 2,900 homes (Use Class C3), business and storage and distribution (Use Classes B1a, B1c and B8), commercial (Use Classes A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5), community and leisure (Use Classes D1 and D2) including
community centre and nursery, new basement level including energy centre, associated storage, cycle and vehicle parking, new vehicular accesses, associated highway works to Beresford Avenue, landscaping and creation of new public and private open space, ancillary facilitating works, various temporary meanwhile uses, interim works and infrastructure.
Full planning permission for demolition of existing buildings and structures on the site, all site preparation works and the development of Phase 1 (Buildings A, B, C and D ranging from 1 to 14 storey in height) to comprise 400 homes (Use Class C3); 910 sq m (GEA) of business floorspace Use Class B1a); 1,290 sq m (GEA) of commercial floorspace (Use Classes A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5); and 1,610 sq m (GEA) of community and leisure floorspace (Use Classes D1 and D2), including a community centre and nursery; together with new basement level including energy centre, associated storage, cycle and vehicle parking, new vehicular accesses, associated highway works to Beresford Avenue, landscaping and creation of new public and private open space, ancillary facilitating works, various temporary meanwhile uses, interim works and infrastructure
RECOMMENDATION: That the Committee resolve the GRANT planning permission subject to:
Any direction by the London Mayor pursuant to the Mayor of London Order
Any direction by the Secretary of State pursuant to the Consultation Direction
The prior completion of a legal agreement to secure the obligations set out within the report.
That the Head of Planning be granted delegated authority to negotiate the legal agreement indicated in the report.
That the Head of Planning be granted delegated authority to issue the planning permission and impose conditions and informatives to secure matters set out within the report.
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That the Head of Planning be granted delegated authority to make changes to the wording of the Committee’s decision (such as to delete, vary or add conditions, informatives, planning obligations or reasons for the decision) prior to the decision being actioned, provided that the Head of Planning is satisfied that any such changes could not reasonably be regarded as deviating from the overall principle of the decision reached by the Committee not that such change(s) could reasonably have led to a different decision having been reached by the Committee.
If the legal agreement has not been completed prior to the target determination date of this application the Head of Planning be granted delegated authority to refuse planning permission.
That the Committee confirms that adequate provision has been made, by the imposition of conditions, for the preservation or planning of trees as required by Section 197 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990
Mr Colin Leadbeatter (Principal Planning Officer) introduced the application and answered members’ questions. He focussed on the detailed application for phase 1. He referenced the supplementary report which set out amendments to factual wording in the main report, the proposed tenure of the dwelling units and clarified a number of points raised by Members during the pre-application briefing including a community centre, employment, fire safety and service charges.
Mr George Tilotson (Divisional land Director) and Ms Claire Hammond (Development Director) addressed the Committee on behalf of the applicants and responded to Members’ questions. Mr Tilotson informed the Committee that phase 1 of the scheme was scheduled for completion by 2022 and would provide a total of 400 homes, total affordable of 114 homes (29%) and would deliver a community centre and a range of facilities including nursery, restaurant, café and car parking and amenity spaces. The proposed development would deliver affordable housing total of 35% and generate around 650 jobs, with a target 20% from local residents under the Employment and Training Plan.
Members then had an extensive discussion on the scheme after which they sought clarifications on the pertinent issues of the scheme and to which Mr Leadbeatter responded as set out below.
He informed the Committee that the applicant had confirmed that the Northfields Community Centre would be run as an independent Local Development Trust which would work in close partnership with the Council, private businesses and other community groups. He clarified that the proposed management strategy would involve the establishment of two Boards; a shadow board responsible for setting the overall strategic direction of the community centre and an active board, made up of key members from the existing community and new residents who will be responsible for the strategic vision set by the shadow board. A community centre manager will be employed who will source volunteers, work with the active board to identify revenue generating uses for the various rooms in the community centre.
On employment, Mr Leadbeatter informed members that based on all of the employment generating floorspace proposed (employment, retail and community/leisure uses), the applicants proposals were expected to generate up to 650 jobs. The vast majority of these jobs were expected to be generated by the employment floorspace, principally The Generator and Building L. In addition, the S106 Agreement will require St George to prepare an Operational Employment and Training Plan that will include a target to employ 20% local people (from the Borough) during the operational phase. Members noted that around 500 jobs per year were expected to be created by the construction works covering a range of construction skills.
In respect of fire safety, he advised that the applicants had confirmed their discussions with Brent Building Control and London Fire Brigade from a very early stage in the design process. A Fire Strategy (prepared by MSA), for the planning application had demonstrated that the proposal would accord with Draft London Plan Policy D11. He continued that the applicants had confirmed that the Fire Strategy had been developed with particular reference to current legislation, regulation and guidance, drawing members’ attention to the summary of some of the key measures that would be implemented to provide a robust fire strategy.
Mr Leadbeatter explained that a detailed waste strategy for the outline component would be designed as each Reserved Matters Application came forward. Additionally, a condition was proposed which would require each detailed waste management strategy to be prepared in line with LB Brent policy on waste management unless otherwise agreed in writing with the LPA.
Members were informed that service charge estimates would be provided at the point of sale to give greater certainty to prospective purchasers (as required by the Consumer Code for Home builders) and the applicants have confirmed that they have already started to review what these service charge levels would be. The applicants had also confirmed that Estate Managers would be employed to liaise with managing agents to facilitate good working relationships.
DECISION: Granted planning permission as recommended.
(Voting on the recommendation for approval was unanimous)
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