Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor Klute welcomed everyone to the meeting including Councillors Craig and Jeapes who were recently appointed to the Committee by Annual Council on 11 July 2024. Members of the Committee and officers introduced themselves and the Chair outlined the procedures for the meeting.

There were no apologies for absence.

There were no declarations of substitute members.

If you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest* in an item of business:

§  if it is not yet on the council’s register, you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent;

§  you may choose to declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest that is already in the register in the interests of openness and transparency. 

In both the above cases, you must leave the room without participating in discussion of the item.

If you have a personal interest in an item of business and you intend to speak or vote on the item you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent but you may participate in the discussion and vote on the item.

*(a)  Employment, etc - Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.

(b)    Sponsorship - Any payment or other financial benefit in respect of  your expenses in carrying out duties as a member, or of your election; including from a trade union.

(c)    Contracts - Any current contract for goods, services or works,    between you or your partner (or a body in which one of you has a beneficial interest) and the council.

(d)     Land - Any beneficial interest in land which is within the council’s area.

(e)     Licences- Any licence to occupy land in the council’s area for a month or longer.

(f)      Corporate tenancies - Any tenancy between the council and a body in which you or your partner have a beneficial interest.

 (g)    Securities - Any beneficial interest in securities of a body which has a place of business or land in the council’s area, if the total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body or of any one class of its issued share capital. 

This applies to all members present at the meeting.

Councillor Craig declared a personal interest with regards to item B2, William Martin Court, 65 Margery Street, London, WC1X 0JH as she works with Great Ormonds Street Hospital, London treating Maltese children and would not be participating in the decision making process.

The order of business would be B2, B1 and B3.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 4^th June 2024 be confirmed as an accurate record of proceedings and the Chair be authorised to sign them subject to amending the resolution which states that the application be deferred instead of stating that the application be refused planning permission.

Demolition of existing buildings and erection of a building (Use Class E) including basement levels and provision of Makerspace (Sui Generis) and flexible and mixed Use Class E / Sui Generis floorspace, highways, landscaping and public realm works and all associated and ancillary works and structures.

(DEPARTURE FROM THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN)

(Planning application number: P2024/0844/FUL)

In the discussion the following points were made:

·Planning Officer informed the meeting that since the publication of the report, representations has been received on behalf of one individual primarily raising procedural matters, noting that this is no new material planning issues have been raised.

·In addition to the above, meeting was advised that applicant has proposed to include W/C and Kitchenette within the makerspace; revised basement plan to include gender neutral lockers; additional annotation on rooftop level plan; provision of a further 6 short stay cycle bringing the total to 27 short stay cycle parking spaces on York Way.

·Planning Officer clarified the total number of long stay cycle parking space within the basement is 132 spaces rather than 127 stated in the report. Meeting was advised that all amendments have been accepted by the Council’s Inclusive design and Inclusive Economy.

·In addition to the above, Planning Officer reiterated that officers agree with the GLA assessment which notes the impacts on the wider heritage assets including the Kings Cross Conservation Area and a locally listed building.

·A correction to BREEAM, life sciences area will achieve a rating of ‘Excellent’ with an overall score of 75.11% rather than 83.50%, to be secured through condition.

·Site is located on the eastern side of York Way fronting Randell’s Road to the north and Bingfield Street to the south and currently consists of a former petrol station and car sales outlet, car wash and sui generis two storey buildings and structures.

·Meeting was advised that site boundary adjoins an empty plot at 57-65 Randell’s Road, with extant consent ref: P2015/2834/FUL for 6no. residential units and application site is not listed or locally listed and is not in a conservation area.

·Site is located in a highly urbanised area with a diverse mix of land uses and building types and heights, within the context of the site, including a substantial provision of residential and commercial uses within close proximity.

·There are purpose built residential developments opposite the site on the western side of York Way, in the London Borough of Camden at Rubicon Court and also Saxon Court. Rubicon Court has a building height of part 11 storeys, part 15 storeys and Saxon Court of part 8 storeys, part 16 storeys.

·Planning Officer informed Committee that site is heavily constrained below ground, with major railway infrastructure lying directly below the majority of the site.

·Planning Officer advised that key planning considerations include land use, design and appearance, neighbouring amenity, transport and highways, energy and sustainability and planning balance.

·In terms of land use consideration, the proposed use will include the erection of a new eight storey commercial building providing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 127.

Change of use of existing staff hostel (sui generis) to temporary accommodation for Maltese residents receiving medical treatment in the UK and their families (sui generis), alongside provision of single storey roof extension, external and internal alterations; and associated new plant, parking, landscaping and related works

(Planning application number: P2024/0239/FUL)

Cllr Craig declared a personal interest with this item and did not participate in the deliberations or decision making.

In the discussion the following points were made:

·The site is located on the south-eastern side of Margery Street and is bounded by Wilmington Street to the east, Yardley Street to the west and the rear gardens of residential properties on Wilmington Square to the south.  The Site contains a three-storey building with a basement car park accessed from Yardley Street

·Meeting was advised that application seeks permission for the change of use of vacant staff hostel (sui generis) for temporary accommodation for maltese residents receiving medical treatment in the UK and their families (sui generis).

·It was stated that the change of use previously approved through planning permission ref: P2021/3255/FUL, dated 12/05/2022 is still extant although yet to be implemented and is a material consideration.

·Loss of existing hostel use is considered acceptable.

·Proposed use does not meet need identified within development plan but results in merits which are not expressly recognised in planning policy terms in that it meets a need on a larger than local level and on an international level which is beneficial in planning terms.

·Meeting was reminded that the bi-lateral agreement between the UK and Maltese Governments for patients to receive NHS care in the UK is a material consideration.

·In addition, Planning Officer stated that evidence submitted by applicant and letter of support from Great Ormond Street Hospital suggests the proposed units would be fully occupied almost immediately.

·Meeting was advised that officers have recommended that an obligation be included within the legal agreement which would restrict occupation of the proposed development solely to those eligible persons connected with the Puttinu Cares Charity.

·Key planning considerations include land use, design and appearance, neighbouring amenity, transport and highways, energy and sustainability and planning balance.

·With regards land use, Planning officer advised that the unique circumstances of the proposed sui generis use as temporary living accommodation solely for use by Puttinu Cares secured through a legal agreement ensures that, despite not providing accommodation that meets a need identified in the development plan, the proposal would not raise a conflict with the aims of local policy that could act as an undesirable precedent elsewhere in the borough. It is, therefore, considered that the proposed change of use continues to be acceptable.

·Meeting was advised that a number of elevational alterations are proposed to the existing building, including the removal of the visually hostile steps and brick wall at the southern edge of the pavement, a softening of the perimeter with landscaping behind new back edge of pavement railings, new windows, rear elevational extensions, and a roof extension.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 128.

Stopping-up and Diversion of Highways - Sections 247 and 253 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 for three narrow sections of footway along the building line of the proposed building

(Planning application number: P2024/1611/DOV)

In the discussion the following points were made:

·Meeting was advised that since the publication of the report a second despatch agenda has been published amending the description of the proposal to read ‘ Stopping Up Order of existing highway/footway for three narrow sections of footway along the building line of the proposed building to enable the redevelopment of 1 Torrens Street site for an office-led use.

·The areas of land to which the application to stop up the highway and footway relates are three modest areas of footway which border the building line of the proposed building.

·Planning Officer advised that the areas were previously part of the adopted footway and while they would still essentially form part of the footway, they are now in between pillars under the overhang of the proposed building. Area A is a triangular shaped area of some 0.125sqm in size. Area B is 7.31m in length and 0.58m in width, while Area C is 5.89m long and 0.45m wide.

·The planning application for 1 Torrens Street (planning application reference P2022/0871/FUL) has recently been approved and the development is under construction.

·Planning Officer advised that the proposal relates to the stopping up of sections of the footway along Islington High Street and City Road under Section 247 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in connection with the implementation of the planning permission ref: P2022/0871/FUL that granted:

·Meeting was advised that the council’s Highway Officer has no objection to the proposed stopping up of the relevant sections of footway on City Road and Islington High Street.

·Planning Officer acknowledged that no public or external consultation has been carried out by the Council in respect of the current stopping up application, however should the Committee resolve to approve the stopping up before making the Orders, the council would carry out consultation as required by Section 252 of the Act.

·Any consultation would involve consulting statutory undertakers, posting site notices and publishing the proposed orders in a local newspaper and the London Gazette. A 28-day consultation period would allow interested parties to respond.

·Meeting were reminded that section 247(2A) of the Act provides that the council of a London borough may by order authorise the stopping up or diversion of any highway within the borough if it is satisfied that it is necessary to do so in order to enable development to be carried out in accordance with planning permission granted under Part III of the Act.

·It was reiterated that the layout of the proposed development of 1 Torrens Street has already been considered and approved under application ref P2022/0871/FUL following a full statutory public consultation exercise and that the approved layout plans would require the stopping up of the areas of land that are the subject of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 129.