Agenda item
Cottam House, 36-40 York Way, London, N1 9AB
Minutes:
Change of use of ground floor from office (Class B1) to clothing manufacturing place and showroom (Sui Generis) for a temporary period of 2 years
(Planning application number: P2019/3552/FUL)
In the discussion the
following points were made:
- The
Planning Officer informed the meeting that site is located within
the Central Activities Zone and an Employment Growth Area and that
the section of York Way is predominantly mixed-use in character,
with many commercial and residential buildings and some ground
floor retail/restaurant/bar uses.
- Members
were advised that the application for consideration is for a
temporary period of 2 years.
- The
Planning Officer informed the meeting that G2G processing use is
akin to a B1(c)(light industrial use) and that showrooms can fall
under a number of different use classes, including
A1(retail).
- The
Planning Officer acknowledged that there would be a slight increase
in vehicular access to the site which will have no impact
on impact on highway traffic.
- On the
issue of noise and vibration concerns, the meeting was advised that
the applicant has submitted an acoustic report and the
Council’s Public Protection (Noise) officer have welcomed the
proposal subject to conditions which will address operational noise
limits for the new equipment and the installation of a timer.
Members were also informed that the report indicated that the plant
would be contained in a double glazed glass enclosure.
- The
Planning Officer stated that a number of conditions have been
included in the planning permission which addresses issues around
the operations on the site, as outlined in the report.
- A Member of
the Public, was concerned that placing the new plant/machinery at
the end of the courtyard was like an ‘echo chamber’,
and this would exacerbate noise to residents of the Ironworks
Building. A resident was concerned that considering the planning
permission was only limited for 2 years, an alternative site should
have been found, and in his view the proposed site was in the wrong
place.
- Meeting was
reminded by residents that the owners were a Hong Kong based
company and the owners renting the site were both connected and
requested for a more effective condition relating to deliveries be
imposed and that the application was not in accordance with the
vision for the Regents Quarter development.
- A resident
stated that on moving into the development in 2005 there was no
discussion at that time of it being an industrial site. He added
that the proposed plant/machinery was only in existence in another
part of the world, and was sited in a converted water mill and
contained in a shipping container.
- An objector
was concerned that there was insufficient information provided by
the applicant with regards to vibration and mitigation measures
which needs to be addressed before granting planning
permission.
- A Member of
the Public stated that the noise acoustic report submitted by the
applicant was flawed and that no noise monitoring had been
conducted in the courtyard and that only background noise was
measured. The machinery that would be used was for industrial
manufacturing and was not B1 use. It was also felt that deliveries
should be to the York Way entrance.
- The
applicant’s agent stated that the proposed tenant is Mills
Fabrica UK and that company and the
Cottam House site is owned by a Hong Kong company, however they
were operated as separate companies. The application was only for a
temporary period of 2 years, and was an exciting opportunity for
the process to be viewed before moving onto another location.
- The
applicant’s agent stated that the applicant was willing to
accept the conditions on noise/vibration limitation and that he was
confident that there would be no impact on residents. This is an
innovative scheme in terms of recycling and manufacture, and is a
unique opportunity for the borough.
- A Member
stated that he supported the scheme, and that whilst he appreciated
that residents were concerned, the flexibility of B class usage was
protected and the Regents Quarter was originally intended for a
mixed use.
- The
applicant’s agent stated that he was willing to accept the
additional condition proposed and acknowledged that there will be
no use of the courtyard for vehicular access, other than servicing,
and vehicular access should be via the York Way entrance.
- Members agreed that the additional condition which addresses the concern about the use of the lift to the rear be delegated to the Planning Officer and the Chair.
Councillor Convery proposed a motion to grant planning permission, subject to the additional condition referred to above. This was seconded by Councillor MackMurdie and carried unanimously.
RESOLVED:
That following consideration of the case officer’s report (the assessment and recommendations therein), the presentation to Committee, submitted representations and objections provided verbally at this meeting, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions and informatives set out in Appendix 1 of the officer report.
Supporting documents:
-
Cottam House Change of Use - Committee Report final, item 118.
PDF 5 MB
-
Map P2019-3552-FUL Cottam House 36-40 York Way, London, N1 9AB, item 118.
PDF 97 KB