Agenda item

Demolition of existing furniture store and erection of new 2-storey building containing 2 x 1-bedroom apartments in yard space behind 112-114 Islington High Street. Construction of new furniture store in rear garden. Associated external alterations including alterations of accesses and provision of bicycle and bin storage.

(Planning application number: P2017/2382/FUL)

In the discussion the following points were made:

·        Members were advised that at the meeting of the Committee on 10^th May 2017, the previous planning application was considered an unacceptable form of development and refused planning permission.

·        The Planning Officer informed the meeting that although there had been some alterations to the previous scheme such as installation of additional windows to the eastern elevation of the two storey building; alterations to the proposed external stair case and fire escape route and an increase in the private amenity space to each residential unit, the design of the proposed two storey building was considered an inappropriate form of development and there was still an issue of the overdevelopment of the site due to inappropriate scale and massing of the proposals.

·        The Planning Officer advised Members that the scheme would provide a poor standard of accommodation for future occupiers and access to the scheme fails to deliver a legible and logical approach and entry contrary with Policy DM2.2 of the Islington Development Management policies 2013.

·        In addressing concerns that the proposed scheme would provide poor living conditions for future occupiers, the agent advised that the scheme would provide high standard quality accommodation with habitable rooms of full height. The agent also stated that the proposal would not extend beyond neighbouring properties building lines.

·        Members were concerned with the standard of the residential units especially for future occupiers and agreed that the scheme was not policy compliant and that most of the reasons for refusal had not been addressed fully in the revised scheme.

Councillor Picknell proposed a motion to refuse planning permission on grounds stated above. This was seconded by Councillor Nicholls and carried.

RESOLVED:

That planning permission be refused for the reasons set out above, the wording of which was delegated to officers.

REASON: The proposed 2 x 1 bedroom residential units are considered to provide a poor standard of internal living accommodation by reason of their single aspect nature resulting in a poor outlook. The units would therefore fail to provide an adequate living environment for prospective occupiers. The proposal is therefore considered contrary to the London Plan 2016 policy 3.5 and 3.6, policy CS12 of Islington's Core Strategy and policies DM3.4 (Housing Standards), DM 6.1 (Healthy Developments) & DM 3.7 (Noise and vibration (residential uses) of the Islington Development Management Policies 2013.

REASON: The construction of a two storey standalone building to the rear of the site represents an inappropriate and overdevelopment of the site by reason of the overall scale and massing of the proposed development. The development, by reason of the proposed bulk, scale and massing, would fail to be subordinate to, and would not respect or respond positively to, the existing buildings and would form dominant and discordant feature within the surrounding conservation area and wider urban setting. The proposed development is therefore considered to be contrary to policies DM2.1 and DM2.3 of the Islington Development Management policies 2013 and the Islington Urban Design guidance 2017.

REASON: The access to the proposed two residential units located to the rear of the site fails to deliver a legible and logical approach and entry contrary with policy DMP 2.2 (Inclusive Design) of the Islington Development Management policies 2013 and Islington Inclusive SPD.