Agenda item

P2015/0330/FUL:

Redevelopment of the site consisting of demolition of the existing garage structure, refurbishment of the Grade II listed former Verger's Cottage and former Sunday School building to provide 413 square metres (GIA) of office floorspace (Use Class B1), refurbishment and conversion of the Church building to provide 7 private residential units (2 x 1-bed, 4 x 2-bed and 1 x 3-bed) and construction of a new 5-storey building with basement below to provide 792 square metres (GIA) of community floorspace (Use Class D1) and ancillary cafe,132 square metres of office floorspace (Use Class B1) and 18 affordable residential units (7 x 1 bed, 9 x 2 bed and 2 x 3 bed), resulting in a total of 25 residential units (9 x 1-bed, 13 x 2-bed and 3 x 3-bed), along with associated landscaping, access, parking and public realm works.

P2016/5054/LBC:

Refurbishment and conversion of Grade II listed former Verger's Cottage and refurbishment of former Sunday School building to provide 413 square metres (GIA) of office floorspace (Use Class B1), including repairs to and reinstatement of window glazing and frame, along with demolition of link extension to the rear.

(Planning application number: P2015/0330/FUL & P2016/5054/LBC)

In the discussion the following points were made:

·         On 27 April 2017, Planning Committee resolved to grant planning permission subject to conditions in the Officer’s report along with an additional condition regarding the continued use of the work space by the Arts Centre.

·         The Planning Officer informed Members that due to an administrative error, Exan a car repair company which occupied the site had not been invited to present their verbal objections to the Committee.

·         There had been no changes to the scheme since it was considered at the meeting on 27 April 2017 and the objections raised by Exan were considered in the planning officer’s Committee report.

·         The objector on behalf of Exan stated that as the site is in a designated Employment Growth Area (EGA), the proposal is contrary to Council Policy as the EGA aims to protect all existing employment uses. Exan would not be able to operate effectively as it uses the site for the storage of its cars.

·         The objector requested consideration of the application should be deferred until City of London was able to provide a suitable site which met Exan’s requirements.

·         The agent representing City of London informed Committee (despite this issue not being a material planning consideration) that Exan’s lease had expired and had on a number of occasions met with Exan’s representative to resolve the issue and offered a number of alternative sites in the locality which Exan had not taken up.

·         The planning officer outlined that the Council’s policies for sites within Employment Growth Areas safeguard existing business floorspace and proposals for redevelopment must incorporate the maximum amount of business floorspace reasonably possible on the site. The planning officer outlined that the existing business floorspace of 790 square metres was being replaced by 546 square metres of business floorspace. The officer explained that the lesser reprovision was supported in this instance because the replacement business floorspace (office) generated a higher employment density, the new business floorspace would provide modern new facilities, whilst a financial viability appraisal had been submitted demonstrating that the maximum amount of business floorspace was being re-provided on the site and this was confirmed by the Council’s independent assessor BPS.

·         The planning officer also stated that the proposal must be viewed as a whole, and that the redevelopment would also provide affordable housing, reprovision of an existing social community use along with a legal financial obligation towards employment and training. The proposal required to be assessed against all policies and material considerations and that on balance the replacement business floorspace proposal was considered acceptable.

·         Members noted that disputes between landlord and tenant was not a consideration for Planning Committee.

RESOLVED:

That planning permission be granted subject to conditions in the officers report and the additional condition regarding the continued use of the work space by the Arts Centre and subject to s106 legal agreement heads of terms as set out in the Appendix to the original report of the 27^th April Planning Committee.