Issue - meetings

The Chair exercised his casting vote to grant planning permission subject to:

·       The conditions and informatives as set out in the main Committee report.

·       Stage 2 referral to the Mayor of London along with the prior completion of a satisfactory s106 legal agreement to secure the planning obligations as detailed within the report.

PROPOSAL

Demolition of existing hotel building and community centre and erection of a part 6, part 8 and part 10 storey 318 room aparthotel plus basement accommodation with associated ancillary facilities, community floorspace (Use Class F1/F2), servicing, landscaping and cycle and refuse storage.

RECOMMENDATION

That the Committee resolve to GRANT planning permission subject to:

(1)  The conditions and informatives as set out in the main Committee report; and

(2)  Stage 2 referral to the Mayor of London along with the prior completion of a satisfactory s106 legal agreement to secure the planning obligations as detailed within the report.

James Mascall (Career Grade Planning Officer) introduced the planning application committee report, detailing the proposal for the demolition of existing hotel building and community centre and erection of a part 6, part 8 and part 10 storey 318 room aparthotel plus basement accommodation with associated ancillary facilities, community floorspace (Use Class F1/F2), servicing, landscaping and cycle and refuse storage. Attention was drawn to the supplementary report which set out the receipt of an additional petition containing 10 letters of support which referenced the economic benefits and design of the scheme from properties along High Road, following the publication of the committee report. Minor alterations and corrections to the main report were also detailed within the supplementary report.

The Chair thanked James Mascall for introducing the report and then invited Simon Fowler (who had registered to speak as the applicant’s representative) to address the Committee in relation to the application, who highlighted the following points:

• The redevelopment proposals had initially been discussed with officers of the Council in 2020, focusing on the masterplanning of the site and surrounding area, and exploring various options.

• A number of workshops had been conducted to identify how the area could transition over time. Once these principles were embedded within the local plan, it was noted that positive meetings had been subsequently held with the Council’s planning team & design officers.

• The applicant’s representative highlighted that the collaborative approach between teams guided the process, resulting in numerous iterations of the scale and transitions of massing within the development and to adjacent properties. Efforts were made to minimise impacts on neighbours and ensure that the comprehensive masterplan anticipated in the site allocation could continue to progress.

• Simon Fowler expressed that the proposed scheme was designed to respond to the changing character of Wembley town centre, with the height and mass being transitional to the scheme to the south at 6 St. Johns Road, which Members first resolved to grant in April 2022. It was noted that throughout the application, it was demonstrated that a tall building on this site was contextually appropriate, with no substantial harmful short-term effects, and that the scheme aligned with the anticipated masterplanned redevelopment.

• In detailed terms, Simon Fowler further emphasised that significant efforts were made regarding materiality, the façade of the building, and creating an active frontage. Collaboration with officers had focused on integrating the scheme into the townscape, including revisions to servicing and the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5