Issue - meetings

Senate House, Tyssen Street/Ramsgate Street

 

 

Meeting: 01/07/2009 - Planning Sub-Committee (Item 9)

9 Senate House, Tyssen Street, Dalston, E8 2ND pdf icon PDF 165 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED that:-

 

A)  Planning permission be GRANTED, subject to conditions.

 

B)  The above recommendation be subject to the applicant, the landowners and their mortgagees entering into a deed of planning obligation by means of a Section 106 Agreement of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended), in order to secure the following matters to the satisfaction of the Interim Assistant Director (Planning) and the Interim Head of Legal Services.

 

C)  That in the event of the Section 106 agreement referred to in Recommendation B not being completed by 7 July 2009, the Interim Assistant Director (Planning) be given the authority to refuse the application.

 

 

 

Minutes:

Erection of four and five storey buildings to facilitate a mixed use development of 27 residential units (3 x 1 bed, 14 x 2 bed, 6 x 3 bed, and 4 x 4 bed) and 595 sqm of commercial floorspace (Class B1) and associated landscaping, cycle parking, and refuse/recycling storage.

 

AMENDMENTS:

§  Letter dates 26th May 2009 changing the use class of the commercial floor space.  On the application form it stated A1 and B1 flexible.  The applicant requested this be changed to B1 only.

§  Letter dated 4th June 2009 providing amended plans (stated above under ‘drawing numbers’) amending some façade and materials treatments, in line with comments received by the Council’s Sustainability and Design Team.

 

(Councillor Desmond arrived during the discussion of this item and therefore did not take part in the vote).

 

9.1  The Planning Officer introduced the report, as set out within the agenda.  It was explained that this application had come back to committee as the applicant had now changed the use class of the commercial floor space from A1 and B1 flexible to B1 only.  The development would also be 100% affordable.

 

9.2  Tim Gaskell, agent, was in attendance to answer any questions that arose.

 

9.3  The Chair raised concern about the loss of employment space and questioned whether the £75,000 being offered by the applicant towards an employment scheme, affordable workspace and/or business support project was appropriate for the amount of employment space being lost in a key employment area.  He also wished to clarify whether the protection of mixed use developments were covered within the London Plan.

 

9.4  The Planning Officer explained that the development was still a mixed use scheme and that the London Plan did not cover loss of employment space and therefore the scheme was in accordance with policy. 

 

9.5  The Interim Assistant Director (Planning) also acknowledged that there was limited policy that covered the loss of employment space and that the Council were currently awaiting the adoption of the Core Strategy.  His understanding was that the Core Strategy would focus on the quality of employment space being offered, as opposed to the quantity being provided.

 

9.6  The Chair accepted that there would be an improvement in the quality of workspace provided, but felt that there would be a significant loss of employment space in the heart of Hackney’s only major town centre.

9.7  The Agent explained that in order to make the scheme financially viable in the current economic climate, they had now taken out the basement and made the development 100% affordable, with split tenures.  He added that they had the contractor and funds in place. 

 

9.8  In response to a query regarding how the figure of £75,000 was reached, it was explained that there was a formula that was used and that the Council had to take into consideration that it was Housing Corporation money and also the current economic climate.

 

9.9  Reference was also made to the estimated highways contribution detailed within the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9