West End Square Plan (annotated)

8/3/2019 West End Square Plan (annotated)

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Planning Statement


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Ballymore Group / Network Rail Contents

Novem be r 2011 I gva.co.uk

CONTENTS

1. Introd uc tion............................................................................................................. 32. Context of the Proposals........................................................................................ 53. The Prop osed Deve lop ment .................................................................................. 94. Planning and Reg enera tion Benefits .................................................................. 115. Planning Polic y Fram ework ................................................................................. 126. Planning Assessment............................................................................................ 167. Planning Ob ligations............................................................................................ 47


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Ballym ore Group and Network Rail West End Squa re


1. Introduction1.1 This Planning Sta tem ent is submitted in suppo rt o f a n a pp licat ion for full planning

pe rmission ma de on be half of Doma ine Deve lopme nt Limited (a wholly ow ned subsidiary

of the Ballymore Group) and Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd (hereafter referred to as

Netwo rk Ra il) fo r the site a t 187-199 West End Lane, West Hamp stead. This Sta teme nt

demonstrates the planning case in support of the proposals in the context of relevant

nationa l, reg iona l and loc al planning polic y, and other best prac tice guida nce.

1.2 The site a t West End Lane is an und er utilised brow nfield site w ithin West Ham pstead, in theLondon Borough of Camd en (LBC). The ownership o f the site is sp lit betwe en Ballymore

and Network Rail who are working in collaboration to bring the site forward for

redevelopment.

1.3 The p rop osals for the site seek to op timise the deve lopm ent p ote ntial of the site throughredevelopment to provide a residential led mixed use scheme providing up to 203 new

residential units, 1,521 sqm (GEA) of non-residential floorspace including business uses (Use

Class B1), community uses (Use Class D1) and retail, financial and professional services,

food and drink uses (Use Classes A1, A2, A3, A4, A5) along with associated energy

cent re, sto rage , pa rking a nd land scap ing. The deve lopm ent a lso includes the p rovision of

a new public squa re fronting West End Lane.

Supporting Information

1.4 This Planning Sta tem ent should b e read in conjunc tion with the following doc ume ntssubm itted in supp ort of the a pp lica tion:

Planning App licat ion Drawings (John Thom pson & Partners Architec ts) Design a nd Ac c ess Sta tem ent (John Thom pson & Partners Architec ts) inco rpo rat ing:

Verified Visua l Monta ge s Land scap e a nd Public Rea lm Strate gy (Spa cehub ) Transport Assessment (WSP) Energy Strateg y (Gifford)


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Daylight / Sunlight Assessme nt (GVA Scha tunow ski Brooks) Flood Risk Assessment (Gifford) Ecology Assessment (Gifford) Air Qua lity Assessment (Gifford ) Conta minated Land Assessment (Gifford) Noise a nd Vibrat ion Assessme nt (G ifford) Soc io-ec onomics Sta tem ent (Gifford) Tree Survey (Ca p ita Symo nds) Archa eo logica l Desk-based Assessment (Gifford ) Sta tem ent of Com munity Involvement (John Thom pson & Partners Architec ts)

1.5 It has been confirmed by LBC that the proposals do not trigger the requirement forEnvironmenta l Imp ac t Assessme nt a nd the assoc iated Sc reening Op inion is p rovided at

Appe ndix 1.

1.6

A G LA A fforda ble Housing Too lkit Assessme nt ha s a lso been p rep ared and will besubm itted on a confidential ba sis to the Lond on Borough Ca md en (LBC) a nd the Grea ter

Lond on Authority (GLA) under sep arate co ver.

Pre-Applic ation Consultation

1.7 The site ha s bee n sub jec t to ong oing consulta tion w ith officers at LBC since 2009. APlanning Brief and Site Ca pa c ity Stud y wa s prep ared by G VA in consultation w ith office rs

a t LBC in Oc tobe r 2009, which set out the site a na lysis, key ob jec tives for the site, a nd land

use a nd urba n design p rinciples.

1.8 Following a review of the strategy for the site, Ballymore Group and Network Rail haveagreed to work together to bring forward comprehensive proposals for the whole site.

Early discussions were held on the initial proposals for the site with officers at LBC in June

2011, where the key ob jec tives for the site we re rec onfirmed in line with the GVA Planning

Brief.


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1.9 The p rop osed app lic at ion schem e has subseq uently been the sub ject of extensive pre-ap plication c onsulta tion with planning, design and conservation and transpo rt o fficers at

the LBC and the GLA in the form of a series of topic focussed pre-application meetings.

The d eve lopm ent p rop osa ls have a lso b een presented to LBC Memb ers.

1.10 The project team ha s engag ed with the loc al co mm unity from the start and throughoutthe design evolution process. A series of consultation events have been held at which

loca l residents we re invited to c om me nt on the eme rging p rop osals. The fo llow ing key

consultat ion events have b een unde rtaken to da te:

Co mm unity Planning Day 2 July 2011 Rep ort b ack meet ing 13 July 2011 Interim p resenta tion on de sign deve lopm ent 12 Sep tem ber 2011 Pub lic exhibition 5 Novem ber and 7 November 2011 LBC Deve lopm ent M anag em ent Forum 9 Novemb er 2011

1.11 The Sta tem ent o f Com munity Involvem ent p rep ared by John Thom pson a nd Partnersprovides further details of the consultation exercise undertaken and how the proposals

have e volved in respo nse to the feedb ac k rec eived.

2. Context of the ProposalsSite Loc ation

2.1 The site is loca ted in the c ent ra l area of West Hampstea d. The a rea is highly ac cessib le bypublic transport, being at a significant interchange with three railway and underground

sta tions and a number of b us routes. The site is loc a ted to the w est o f West End Lane

which is the principle road running north to south forming the main high street for West

Hamp stea d. The site forms a trac t o f land borde red by two ra ilwa y lines, with the North

Lond on Line to the no rth a nd the C hiltern and Underground lines to the south.

2.2 The area surround ing the site is mixed in charac te r co nsisting o f resident ial, emp loymentuses (light industrial, general industrial, warehousing, offices) retail, restaurants and


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financ ial services. The frontage to West End Lane fo rms part o f the West Hampstead

District Centre offering a wide range of retail goods including convenience uses.

2.3 During the last 10 years the land be tween the trac ks to the ea st side o f West End Lane ha sincrementally been developed to form a mixture of light industrial and car showroom

premises (Volkswagon and Audi) and land further to the east has been developed as a

Sa insbury Hom eb ase Supersto re a nd the Finchley Roa d O 2 Centre. The O2 Cent re fo rms a

retail and leisure hub comprising a cinema, restaurants, shops and health club. Both

Homeb ase a nd the O2 Centre a re served b y large areas of surfac e c ar pa rking.

2.4 There has be en limited o ther new de velopm ent d elivered in the surrounding a rea to d atealthough a new stude nt housing d evelopment loc ated on Blackburn Roa d comp rising 349

bed rooms and build ings of up to 9 storeys wa s pe rmitted in Sep tem be r 2010 and a

number of o ther developm ent sites have be en ide ntified in the Counc il s draft Site

Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD).

Site Desc ription

2.5 The tota l a rea of the site mea sures approximate ly 0.90 ha . The o wnership o f the site iscurrently split between Ballymore Group and Network Rail and is currently occupied by a

rang e o f low de nsity, low level tempo rary and pe rma nent c omm ercial buildings and yard

areas generally used for car hire storage, garages and vehicle repairs, hand car washing

and various other storage uses.

2.6 The site is positioned within a sha llow but b road railway cutt ing, resulting in the site sittinga t a lower level than the resident ial areas to the north and south. The site slope s

downwards away from the raised level of West End Lane, which at this point is formed by

a veh icle b ridge spanning the va rious ra ilwa y lines.

2.7 The g eneral sca le of existing build ings fronting West End Lane ranges from sing le sto rey tofive storeys in height. Buildings to the east and west, behind the frontage, are mainly

industrial in character and are currently up to four storeys high. As stated a new student

housing scheme which benefits from planning permission, but has yet to be built,

com prises of build ing he ights up to nine storeys.


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Connec tivity & Movement

2.8

The site is d irec tly ad jac ent to a numb er of t ranspo rt no de s including the ThameslinkSta tion, North Lond on Line Sta tion; and West Ham pstea d Underground Sta tion (Jubilee

Line). The M etrop olita n line a nd Chiltern Ra il a lso p ass through b ut d o no t stop a t a ny of

the Sta tions. West Ham pstead is we ll served by buses inc luding routes 139, 328 and C11

with a bus stop immedia tely to the south of the und erground sta tion. The Transport for

London (TfL) Ac c essibility Maps confirms that the site has a Pub lic Transport Accessibility

Leve l (PTAL) of 6a (the sec ond highest PTAL sc ore).

2.9 Vehicular and pedestrian movement in the surrounding area is currently constrained byphysica l ba rriers. The sec tion o f road ove r the railway lines is restric ted due to the physica l

constraint impo sed by the b ridg e a nd the p avements along West End Lane are narrow in

width. There a re a lso c onsiderab le change s in leve l betwe en the site, West End Lane a nd

the Underground, Thameslink and North Lond on Line sta tion p latfo rms.

2.10 Proposals have previously been considered by the Council, landowners and other keystakeholders for the comprehensive redevelopment of the wider area to create a new

interchange at West Hampstead. However, following a number of studies, including a

draft Planning Framework for West Hampstead Interchange Area published by theCouncil for public consultation in early 2004, development of this nature has been

deemed to be unfeasible and unviable. As a result more incremental and smaller scale

improvements are being b roug ht forwa rd such as the d elivery of a new Thame link Sta tion

and extensions to the London Overground platforms to allow for additional carriages.

Heritag e Considerations

2.11 The site is not within or ad joining any conserva tion a reas a lthough it is in close proximity tothe Swiss Co ttage Co nserva tion Area . The Swiss Co tta ge Conserva tion Area is a lmost

ent irely resident ial in charac ter but also inc ludes the Underground Sta tion and t he

ad jac ent b uild ings front ing West End Lane to the south.

2.12 Further to the north o f the site is the West End Green Conservat ion Area which inc ludes thema jority o f the Distric t Cent re. The West End Green Conservation Area is c onsidered to be

generally 19th century Victorian in cha rac te r. The build ings front ing West End Lane are

typically mixed use ranging between four and five storeys.


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2.13 None of the buildings on the site or immediately surrounding it are listed or locally listed.The Churc h of St James further to the south o f the site is Grade II Listed .

Planning History

2.14 There have b een no recent m a jor planning app lica tions or permissions granted for the sitewhich relate to its comprehensive redevelopm ent.


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3. The Proposed Development3.1 Full deta ils of the p rop osed de velopm ent a re p rovided in the a ccompa nying Design a nd

Ac c ess Sta tement, p rep ared by John Thom pson & Partners. The prop osed

ac commod at ion in the de velopm ent is also summa rised in the sched ule b elow:

Residentia l Units Units Sq m (GEA)

Private Units Stud io 24

1 be d 33

2 be d 88

3 bed 5Total 150 12,283

2 bed 8

3 be d 18

4 bed 2

Soc ial Rent Units

Total 28 3,220

1 be d 15

2 bed 8

3 bed 2

Intermedia te Units

Total 25 2,003

Total Units 203 17,506

Non Reside ntia l Uses Sq m (GEA)

Reta il - Use Classes A1-A5 961

Busine ss - Use Class B1 560

Com munity - Use Class D1 283

Energy Centre 82

Car Parking Spa ces 21 spa ces

3.2 The p rop osed scheme conta ins a mix of p riva te and afforda ble housing on the site with arange of d ifferent unit sizes foc ussed on p rovid ing 2 bedroom p rivate flats and fam ily sized

social rented units which addresses the priority housing needs in the Borough. As well as

the provision of high quality residential units, the proposals also contain a mix of non-

resident ial uses which include retail, business and pote ntial com munity uses. One o f the

key aspirations of the proposals is to provide improved retail units to contribute towards

West End Lane Distric t Cent re. The business space w ithin the p ropo sa ls include the


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provision of flexible workspace for creative industries to allow new businesses to establish

themselves and grow.

3.3 The prop osed schem e c om prises a series build ings ranging in height b etw een 5 and 12sto reys. To the front o f the site onto West End Lane is a new pub lic squa re whic h will

provide a valuable resource to the local community and will help ease pedestrian

congestion on West End Lane which has been identified as a particular issue by local

residents. Whilst the proposed application is in full, the detailed design of the square has

yet to be de c ide d but it a lso ha s the p otential to a lso c ate r for a fa rmer s ma rket. Further

details of this aspect of the proposals are set out in the Landscape and Public Realm

Strateg y.

3.4 Located between the building are a series of private and communal amenity spaceareas. A podium level is incorporated on the western end of the site in order to provide

raised amenity space, business space at ground floor level along car parking for disabled

users, the business uses and residentia l ca r c lubs. The p od ium enables the provision o f

am enity spa ce located aw ay from the railwa ys and platfo rms for the Lond on Ove rground

sta tion which a re p rop osed to be extended in this part o f the site. Elsewhere on the site it is

po ssible to p rovide a menity spa ce a t g round floor level where it c an b e set b ac k from the

railways. A shared surface access way runs along the length of the site providing accessto the limited car parking spaces provided on the site and also enables off street servicing

for the reta il and b usiness spa ces and e merge ncy ac cess.

3.5 The p rop osals seek to ma ximise the am ount o f green space a nd landscap ing on the site.The western end of the site is designated a s op en spac e a nd a Site of Na ture

Co nserva tion Imp orta nc e (SNCI). This part o f the site is current ly occup ied by existing

buildings and an area of hard standing. As a result, the proposed scheme seeks to return

some of this area as a ecological area and proposed significant biodiversity

improvements ac ross the site .


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4. Planning Benefits4.1 The prop osa ls will provide a wide range of planning b ene fits for the site and its surround ing

area, a s set o ut b elow:

Fulfilling na tiona l, reg iona l and loca l req uirements for susta inab le develop ment Returning a vac ant and de relic t b rownfield site b ac k into b eneficial use; Op timising the po tential of a previously d evelop ed site; Contributing to the improvements for West Hampstead in an Area of Intensification

and a G rowth Area

Key c ont ribution to Lond on a nd LBC housing ta rge ts through the provision of highquality residential accommodation;

A d evelop ment of high qua lity d esign which is sensitive to the p reva iling charac ter ofthe loca l area

Provision of an appropriate level of affordable housing in consideration of schemeviability and site constraints;

New public square front ing West End Lane; Imp roving the interchange b etween p ublic transpo rt nod es at West Ham pstea d

through the safegua rding of land for future stat ion works to aid pe de strian / pa ssenge r

movem ent and a ccess;

Provision of a range of un it sizes in bo th p riva te and a fforda b le units; Provision of new business accom modat ion for sma ll and me d ium sized ente rprises; Enhanc ed reta il offe r to c ont ribute to wa rds improving the v ita lity and viab ility of West

Hamp stea d Distric t Centre

Provision of high qua lity land scap ing, priva te/ comm unal ame nity spa ce a nd p layspace

The use of susta inab le and emerging effic ient building tec hniques to red uce carbonemissions


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5. Planning Policy Framework5.1 This sec tion of t he Planning Sta tem ent sets out the nat ional, reg ional and loca l policy

framework relevant to the site and proposals.

Emerging Planning Policy Framework

5.2 The Loc alism Bill was introd uced to Parliament o n 13 Dec ember 2010 and rec eived Roya lAssent on 15 Nove mb er 2011. Since the Bill wa s introd uced , it ha s been sub ject to

ongoing amendments. Whilst the Act results in a number of changes to the currentplanning system, the proposals have been prepared having regard to the existing

adopted and emerging national, London Plan and local planning policies as set out

below. However as required in the Localism Act, the proposals have been subject to

significant enga gement w ith the loca l community to help inform the eme rging scheme .

Nat iona l Planning Polic y Frame wo rk

5.3 The Government is intending to replac e existing PPGs and PPSs with a consolida tedNat iona l Planning Policy Framew ork (NPPF). The NPPF will p rovide an o verarching

framework for the production of local policy documents and will set out the definition of

sustainable development which will provide an essential decision making tool to local

p lanning a uthorities.

5.4 The Go vernment s d ra ft NPPF wa s pub lished for c onsulta tion in July 2011. The draft NPPFinc ludes a presumption in favo ur of sustainab le d evelop ment and sta tes that the d efault

decision on developments taken by councils should be yes, provided that the

development complies with national planning policy. It is also stated that significant

weight should be placed on the nee d to suppo rt ec onomic g rowth through the planningsystem. It is antic ipa ted tha t the NPPF will be adop ted in late 2011 / ea rly 2012.

5.5 In accordance with the Governments growth agenda, Greg Clark, the Minister forDec ent ra lisat ion set out in his Ministerial Sta tem ent on 23 March 2011 tha t when dec iding

whether to grant planning permission, local planning authorities should support

developments that promote the delivery of enterprise, housing, economic growth and

other forms of sustainable development.


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Adop ted Planning Policy Framework

5.6

In accorda nc e w ith Sec tion 38(6) of the Planning and Comp ulsory Purc hase Ac t (2004),planning a pp lications should be dete rmined in a ccorda nce with the d evelopment p lan

unless other ma teria l considerat ions indica te othe rwise.

5.7 The a do pted deve lopm ent p lan com prises the Rep lac ement Lond on Plan (2011), LBCCo re Strateg y and Deve lopme nt Control Policies PDPs (2010). In conside ring the

redevelopment proposals, other key documents which will form material considerations in

the d eterminat ion o f the p lanning a pp lication include na tional Planning Polic y Guida nce

notes (PPGs) and Planning Policy Sta teme nts (PPSs) and the G rea ter London Authoritys

(GLA) and the London Borough of Camdens supplementary planning guidance

documents.

Rep lac em ent Lond on Plan (ad op ted 2011)

5.8 The Lond on Plan ident ifies the West Ham pstea d Intercha nge a s an A rea forIntensification principally in recognition of the exceptional public transport accessibility.

The p olic y generally promote s the intensifica tion of the use o f land around the t ranspo rt

interchange.

5.9 The Lond on Plan out lines tha t West Hamp stea d Interchange should p rov ide a n indica tiveemployment capacity of 100 jobs and a minimum of 800 homes between 2006-2031. It

also states that boroughs should promote development opportunities through higher

density redevelopment at key transport nodes of accessibility and the potential for

increase in residential, employment and other uses, through more mixed and intensive

use.

Ca md en Loc al Develop ment Fram ewo rk

5.10 The Core Strategy a nd Develop ment Polic ies Develop ment Plan Doc ume nts (DPD) havereplac ed the ma jority o f the policies in the UDP. The C ounc il is a lso p reparing its Site

Allocations DPD, with the submission draft document due to be published for consultation

in November 2011.

5.11 Reference should also be made to the Councils Camden Planning Guidance document(adopted 2011) which gives additional advice and information on how the Council will


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app ly the p olic ies in the Core Strategy a nd Develop me nt Polic ies DPDs and o ther releva nt

Supplem enta ry Planning Guida nce / Doc ume nts (SPG/ D).

Core Stra tegy DPD (2010)

5.12 In accorda nce w ith the Lond on Plan, the Co re Strategy DPD rec og nises West Hamp stea das an Area for Intensification and designates West Hampstead Interchange as one of

the Ma in Growth Area s . The C ore Strate gy sta tes that the Counc il anticipa tes that the

scale of growth is likely to be in the region of 1,000 homes and 7,000 sqm of business

floorspace along with some other uses. Part of the interchange area, which includes part

of the a pplica tion site, is within the West Hampstea d town c ent re. The Core Strategy a lso

sta tes tha t the t own cent re is considered to b e a suitab le loc a tion for uses tha t a re likely to

significantly increase the demand for travel.

5.13 The Co re Strategy seeks improveme nts to the intercha nge be tween the three sta tionsincluding remodelled station entrances and street improvements. It also states that there

are opportunities for redevelopment of under utilised sites, particularly alongside the

railway lines. The imp roveme nts soug ht inc lude :

A mix of uses, inc luding substa ntial new housing, town c ent re, employment andc ommunity uses and op en spa ce

Imp roved transpo rt interchange a ccessibility and cap ac ity and imp roved pe de strianand b icycle movement and routes

A substantially improve d street environment Susta inab le and sa fe design of the highe st qua lity tha t respe c ts the c harac ter and

herita ge value o f West Hamp stea d

5.14 With referenc e to West Hampstea d Distric t Town Centre, the C ore Strategy out lines tha tthe southern part of the centre, which incorporates the frontage of the site, is less

att rac tive than the northern pa rt a nd ha s a po or quality ped estrian e nvironment.

Draft Site Allocations Preferred Options DPD (July 2009)

5.15 The Site Allocat ions DPD ident ifies the ma in develop ment oppo rtunities in the a rea andsets a f rame wo rk for grow th. The site is include d in the DPD as Site 26 and the Counc il s

suggested approach for the site allocation is a mixed use development of retail and


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residential, alongside other appropriate transport improvements, community and

em ploym ent uses. The DPD sta tes tha t d eve lopm ent w ill be required to :

Provide ap propriate tow n c entre uses and ac tive fronta ges along the street Provide resident ial uses particularly focussed above any reta il / town c ent re uses and

to the e astern sec tion of the site

Provide other a pp rop riate uses inc luding employment on the w estern sec tion of thesite

Be set b ac k to ensure a minimum of 5m wide pa veme nt to imp rove pe de strianmoveme nt and assist improved interchange be tween stat ions

Incorporate a new sta tion entranc e o r fac ilitate improved ac cessibility to theOverground sta tion ad jac ent to the site

Ensure ap propriate relationship to ad joining op en spa ces and ec ologica l co rridorsand p rovide new o pen spa ce

5.16 The Counc il acknowled ge s tha t the site is underutilised and m ore effic ient use o f the landoffers the potential for high quality development to support the town centre. Residential

densities should reflect the sites designation within a London Plan Area for Intensification.

5.17 The Alloc ations DPD seeks som e rep rovision of em ployment uses with p articular foc us onsma ll sca le sta rter units for sma ll to med ium b usiness, which the Counc il consider would be

most a pp rop riate at the western end of the site.


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6. Planning Assessment6.1 This sec tion a ssesses the p rop osa ls ag a inst the na tiona l, reg ional a nd loca l planning polic y

fram ewo rk as set o ut above.

Government Growth Agenda

6.2 The G overnment is wo rking to provide a planning system that promotes de velopment andenc ourag e housing a nd e conom ic growth. This will be a chieved through the p rop osed

reforms to the planning system and a shift to a presumption in favour of sustainabledevelopment as defined by the emerging National Planning Policy Framework. Greg

Clark, the M iniste r for Dec entralisation set out in his Ministe ria l Sta tement on 23 Ma rch 2011

that when deciding whether to grant planning permission, local planning authorities

should support developments that promote the delivery of enterprise, housing, economic

growth and other forms of sustainable development. It is the Governments expectation

that when d etermining a pp lications that p romote developm ent a nd g rowth, the a nswer

should whe reve r possible be yes .

Overview o f the Princip le of Deve lopment

6.3 The e xisting site is und erused and the current build ings tha t exist a re o f poo r qua lity. Theprinciple of redevelopment and regeneration is fully supported at all levels of planning

po lic y, inc luding na tional, reg iona l and loc al.

6.4 Proposals for a residential led mixed use development accords with the principles ofna tiona l p lanning polic y contained within both PPS1 and PPS3, which p rom ote the

efficient use of land, with high density, mixed-use development and encourages the use

of previously developed, vacant and underutilised sites to achieve national housing

targets.

6.5 Planning Polic y Sta teme nt 4: Planning for Susta inab le Econom ic Grow th (PPS4, 2009) sta testhat loc al autho rities should po sitively and proac tively enc ourage susta inab le ec onom ic

growth. PPS4 also sta tes that polic ies should seek to ma ke the mo st e fficient a nd

effec tive use o f land , prioritising p reviously develop ed land which is suitab le for re-use .


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6.6 The is loca ted within a strategic Area o f Intensifica tion as defined by the Rep lac ementLond on Plan. These a rea s are ide ntified as p lac es with significant p ote ntial for

red evelopment fo r housing, em ployment and other uses.

6.7 The Co re Strategy rec og nises tha t the Borough is grow ing and c hanging d ue topopulation growth and that this growth will be accompanied by an increase in the

numb er of ho mes, office s and othe r land uses. The C ore Strategy outlines tha t the

Councils overall strategy for managing future growth is to promote the provision of

hom es, job s and o ther fac ilities in areas with significant rede velop ment op portunities a t, or

near, transport hubs. As a result, the Council has designated a small number of growth

areas within which it expects over 60% of the new homes needed in the Borough to be

provided.

Land Use

6.8 The fo cus of na tiona l planning p olic y, the Lond on Plan and the Counc il s LDF is onconcentrating new high density mixed use development in areas of high transport

accessibility.

6.9 The C ounc il s LDF generally see ks a mix of uses in de velopme nt inc luding housing,op timising the use of p reviously develop ed land and vac ant and underused buildings. In

considering the mix of uses, the Council will have regard to the character, context and

need s of the area. The C ounc il s designa ted growth areas and de signa ted Town Centres

(such as West Hampstead) are noted to have the best access to public transport and

offe r the best p ote ntial for a m ix of uses. As highlighted in the d ra ft site a lloc a tion the site is

considered to provide an opportunity to provide a better mix of uses to maximise its full

potential which includes the scope to introduce new residential and commercial uses to

the site t o enhanc e tho se that alrea dy e xist in the a rea .

Residential

6.10 Planning Policy Sta teme nt 3 (PPS3): Housing (2011) provides Government guida nc e on theprovision o f housing and promotes de signs and layouts which ma ke efficient a nd effec tive

use o f land . The Gove rnment s key housing polic y goa l is to e nsure that e veryone ha s the

op po rtunity of living in a d ec ent home, which they ca n afford, in a c ommunity where they

wa nt to live. PPS3 seeks to d eliver a sufficient q uantity of housing taking into a ccount


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need and de mand and seeking to imp rove c hoice a nd sets a na tional annual target of at

least 60% of new housing to be provided on previously developed land, which includes

land and buildings that are vacant or derelict as well as land that is currently in use but

which has po tential for red evelop ment .

6.11 At the regional level, the requirement for additional homes is a key priority of the LondonPlan, and the London Plan contains a target of 5,950 additional homes in Camden from

2007/ 8 to 2016/ 17. The Core Strategy sta tes tha t Ca md en e xpec ts to exceed this figure.

6.12 The Core Strateg y out lines tha t housing is the p riority land use in the b orough. The Counc ilexpec t to provide ap proxima tely 12,250 ad ditiona l homes between 2010/ 11 and 2024/5,

As stated previously, over 60% of these new homes are expected to be on sites within the

ident ified grow ths a rea s.

6.13 The Counc il expec ts the d emand for ad ditiona l home s to va stly exceed the anticipate dsupply but aims to close this gap by making housing as the top priority when considering

the future of unused and und erused land a nd b uild ings. The Deve lopm ent Polic ies

document outlines that the Council has identified underused sites that are suitable for

add itiona l housing in the Site Alloc a tions doc ument, which inc ludes West Hamp stea d, and

will resist an alternative use of allocated sites.

6.14 The site is currently in industrial use a nd wa s previously alloc a ted in the Unita ryDevelopment Plan for employment led mixed use development. However, the Council

pub lished a Emp loyment Land Review prep ared by Rog er Tym & Partners which formed

part of the evidence base for the LDF. It makes specific reference to the site and sets out

some broad rec omm end at ions c onc erning the provision of emp loyme nt uses. It states

that whilst the site provides a clear development opportunity, due to the layout and

topog raphy o f the site, it is not considered ap prop riate for industrial o r distribution use. The

report agrees with the reference to mixed use within the UDP but has concerns over the

empha sis on predo minantly emp loyment . Instea d the repo rt sta tes that the site w ould b e

better suited to a residential / retail led scheme along with the provision of smaller, light

industrial, sta rter units.

6.15 The recomm end ations of the repo rt ha ve b een incorporated into the d raft subm issionversion of the Site Alloc a tions DPD which a lloc ates the site for residentia l led mixed use

de velopm ent a lthough reta ining a n element of em ployment use. It has be en agreed w ith

LBC officers through pre-application consultation that the draft site allocation provides the


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mo st up to da te po lic y guida nce fo r the site. The site is a lso inc luded in the Counc il

housing trajectory for the first five years.

6.16 There is a range of existing emp loyment uses on the site which a re low grad e a ndconside red to b e low qua lity in terms of employment g eneration. The extent of the

underused site and its location represents a significant opportunity to provide substantial

new housing to meet local and strategic needs. Planning policy at all levels seeks to

ma ximise the d elivery of ne w housing in susta inab le brownfield locat ions and this is cent ra l

to the Cam den LDF. The site is loca ted w ithin an Area of Intensifica tion and a ma in grow th

area and in accordance with the draft site allocation is considered to be an appropriate

loc at ion for new housing.

6.17 Consideration of the environmental factors affecting the site are set out later in thisstatement and the application is supported by a comprehensive set of technical

assessments. In summary, factors such as noise and vibration have been addressed

through the de sign and layout of the developm ent along with the inco rpo ration o f

ap propriate mitiga tion measures to c rea te a high qua lity living environme nt. In a dd ition,

the site's orienta tion and the sep ara tion d ista nces from surround ing p rop erties p rovide the

opportunity to create high quality residential units with a high proportion of dual aspect

units which will bene fit from very go od out look and sunlight and d aylight levels.

Flexible Business Spac e

6.18 In a ccordanc e w ith PPS4, the Gove rnment seeks to ac hieve susta inab le ec onom ic growththrough building prosperous communities and improving the economic performance of

cities, towns, regions and sub-regions. Policy EC10 further states that local planning

authorities should adopt a positive and constructive approach towards planning

applications for economic development. It is also stated in Policy EC2 that local planning

authorities should enc ourag e new uses for vacant sites and build ings and seek to p rioritise

previously developed land which is suitable for re-use and reflects the different location

requirements of businesses.

6.19 Polic y 4.2 of the Lond on Plan rec ommends tha t LDFs should ma nage long term, structuralchanges in the office market, focusing new capacity where there is strategic as well as

loc al evidence of d ema nd, enc ourag ing renewa l and mod ernisation in viable loca tions

and supporting change s of surplus office space to other uses.


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6.20 The site is not loc a ted within a Strateg ic Industria l Loc a tion (SIL) as designa ted in theLondon Plan or within a designated Industrial Area in the LBC LDF. However, policies in the

LDF generally seek to retain employment floorspace where it is considered to be suitable

for continued em ployment use.

6.21 The LBC C ore Strategy Polic y CS8 seeks to sec ure a strong ec ono my in Camd en bysafeguarding existing employment sites and premises that meet the needs of modern

industry and other emp loyers.

6.22 Policy DP13 of the LBC Development Policies DPD states that the Council will implementPolic y CS8 of the C ore Strategy b y reta ining land and build ings tha t a re suitab le for

continued business use a nd by resisting a change to non-business uses unless:

It c an be de mo nstrated tha t a site o r build ing is no longe r suita b le for its existingbusiness use; and

There is evide nce tha t the possibility o f reta ining , reusing o r red eve loping the site orbuild ing fo r simila r or alterna tive business uses has bee n fully explored over an

ap propriate period of time.

6.23 The d ra ft a lloc at ion for the site p rom otes a resident ial led m ixed use deve lopm ent w ith theretention of town centre and employment uses being important for the overall vitality of

West Hampstead Town Centre a nd Cam den ec onomy w ith a n overall dema nd for

appropriate small scale starter units and units for small to medium businesses.

6.24 The site c urrently c om prises low grad e industria l uses, p red om inantly c ar related , with aprop ortion of reta il a long the fronta ge to West End Lane. The to ta l floo rspace o f the

industrial units amounts to approximately 780 sqm.

6.25 A to ta l of 560 sqm new business spa ce is provide d within the d evelopment , loc ate d at theground floor leve l of the residentia l build ings (Build ings B to D). The p roposed space is

focussed on providing accommodation for small and medium business enterprises in the

form of flexib le B1 floo rspace. The exac t typ e a nd layout o f these units has yet to be

de c ided though it is expec ted that new emp loyment op po rtunities could be provided on

the site through a rang e o f po tential occupiers.

6.26 Whilst the proposed amount of business space is less than the existing floorspace on thesite, the new accommodation will provide higher quality space for a wider range of


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business and when considered in conjunction with the provision of additional retail space

on the site, will provide greater job opportunities on the site. As stated previously in this

Sta tem ent , the Counc il com missioned a review o f all employment sites to inform the

formulat ion o f the C ore Strate gy. The repo rt reco mm ended that the a pp licat ion site is

more suitable for residential led mixed use development and this is reflected in the draft

site a lloc a tion. The rep rovision of b usiness spa ce ha s therefo re b een ba lanc ed aga inst

other higher p riority ob jec tives and asp irat ions for the site.

Retail

6.27 PPS4 seeks to b uild p rosperous com munities by imp roving the economic performa nce o fc ities, tow ns, reg ions, sub-reg ions and loc a l areas. PPS4 furthe r a ims to promo te the vita lity

and viability of tow n c entres as imp ortant p laces for comm unities. The p olic y doc ument

acknowledges the flexibility of mixed use development in facilitating a broad range of

ec onom ic de velopment. By red uc ing the ne ed to trave l, PPS4 sugg ests that loc al

authorities can deliver more sustainable patterns of development.

6.28 The Lond on Plan supp orts nationa l Government p olic y on p rotec ting and enhanc ing towncentres. The Plan ac knowled ge s tha t inc rea sed housing p rovision a t highe r densities can

enhance the vitality and vibrancy of town centres, levering in resources for

comprehensive to wn c entre renew al as pa rt of m ixed use redeve lopme nt and e xpansion.

6.29 The front p art o f the site is located within the West Hampstea d Distric t Ce ntre asdesignated by the LBC Co re Strategy. The Core Strategy p rom ote s add itiona l reta il

p rovision a s part of red eve lopm ent schem es in West Ham pstea d (Polic y CS7). The Core

Strategy outlines tha t, whilst the no rthern end has a village cha rac ter, the southe rn end

around the stations is less attractive and has a poor quality pedestrian environment. As a

result the site is appropriate for the provision of new retail uses and the site provides the

opportunity to significantly improve the southern end of the West Hampstead District

Centre.

6.30 The prop osed deve lopm ent will provide 961 sqm new reta il floorspace (Use Classes A1-A5)which is to b e fo cussed around the new p ub lic squa re fronting West End Lane. This is a

substantial increase on the existing retail floorspace which equates approximately to 148

sqm. Whilst the existing units comprise small and independent shops it is not considered

that these form a specialist shopping area and the proposed new provision seeks to build


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on the existing scale and character of this part of West End Lane. Accordingly, as well as

providing a larger convenience retail unit, a number of smaller units appropriate to a

range of sma ll trad ers a re p rop osed .

6.31 The Counc il s SPG on Reta il, Foo d, Drink and Ente rtainment Uses in West Hamp stead(adopted 2005) seeks to control the location and concentration of food and drink uses

with in the Distric t Ce ntre. The small shops around the sta tions in the south o f the Centre

inc luding those on the site a re not conside red to fo rm p art of the core reta il area and are

not p art of the p rima ry reta il fronta ge b ut are pa rt of a Com merc ial Fronta ge .

6.32 Policies recognise that food and drink uses make a positive contribution to WestHamp stea d. How eve r, in orde r to p rote c t reta il fac ilities, ma intain the mixed use

charac ter of the area a nd a void cumulative imp ac ts, the d evelopment of food , drink and

entertainment uses may be granted up to a maximum of 25% of total units of each

individual Commercial Frontage. Where food and drink uses already account for more

tha n 25% no further uses of this typ e will be permitted in these loca tions. Where a c luste r of

food, drink or entertainment uses are proposed (three or more adjacent or opposite uses),

the Council will take into account the number of similar uses in adjacent and opposite

premises. To a void the c rea tion of c onc ent rat ions permission will not be g ranted for

development which results in more than two of these uses located consecutively in afrontage.

6.33 The p rop osed reta il uses will enhance the vitality a nd range of shop ping provision withinthe Distric t Ce ntre. The fronta ge of the site with the prop osed square p lays an important

role in helping to provide a southern focus and anchor for the Centre, with viability

supported by the travelling public and acting as a gateway to the remainder of the

Centre. The schem e incorpo ra tes a rang e of un it sizes with a numb er of sma ller units to

meet loc a l dem and. Flexible reta il uses are soug ht in order to p rovide the be st p rospec t of

future ta ke up d ep endant on d emand . The site c omp rises a sep arate standa lone

frontage and the requirements of Policy DP12 and the Councils West Hampstead retail

SPG c ould b e sat isfied through the use o f a suita bly wo rde d c ond ition.


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Residential Density

6.34

PPS3 sta tes tha t urban land c an o ften b e significa ntly underused and that local plann ingauthorities should analyse the capacity of the land in their borough in order to ensure the

reuse o f p reviously developed land is ma ximised .

6.35 Density rang es for new resident ial developme nts a re set out in the Lond on Plan , and relateto the accessibility o f sites. As set out above , the site has a PTAL of 6a , ind ica ting e xce llent

accessibility to p ub lic t ransport. In ac corda nc e with this, and its definition as an urba n

area (areas with predominantly dense development, a mix of different uses, medium

building footprints and typically buildings of two to four storeys, located within 800 metres

wa lking d istance o f an Distric t town c entre or, along a ma in a rterial route), the g uida nce

set out in the London Plan seeks to provide residential densities of between 200 and 700

hab itab le roo ms pe r hec ta re o r 70 and 260 units per ha o n the site . The Lond on Plan seeks

to optimise housing potential through the achievement of such densities, and states that

deve lopm ent p rop osa ls which c om promise th is polic y should be resisted (Polic y 3.4).

6.36 The Core Strate gy states that the C ounc il wants to enc ourag e d evelopm ents with highdensities in the most accessible parts of the borough which includes West Hampstead. It

sta tes that the Counc il will expec t the d ensity of housing d evelopment to ta ke ac count ofthe de nsity ma trix in the Lond on Plan.

6.37 The Core Strate gy also outlines tha t high density sc hemes should be of e xce llent de signquality and sensitively consider the amenity of occupiers and neighbours as well as the

charac ter and bu ilt fo rm of their surround ings. The Core Strategy rec og nises tha t g ood

de sign c an increase density while p rotec ting a nd enha nc ing the c harac ter of an area.

6.38 The Deve lopm ent Policies do cument sta tes tha t the C ounc il will expe c t densities to b etowards the higher end of the appropriate London Plan density range given that the

Borough is ge nerally suitab le for the deve lopm ent of flats.

6.39 The p rop osed deve lopm ent will provide 203 resident ial units and the site a rea measures0.9ha. On this basis, the density of the development equates to 226 units per ha or 632

hab itab le rooms per ha (hrh). Given the high PTAL of the site a nd the Urban loca tion o f

the site, the London Plan states that the site could support a density of between 200 and

700 hrh. The Lond on Plan sta tes that the deve lopm ent pote ntial of sites should be


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optimised and the Councils LDF states that densities at the upper end of the ranges are

expected.

6.40 The Design a nd Ac cess Sta tement w hich a ccomp anies the a pp licat ion sets out the highqua lity, innova tive design solution for the site. The d oc ume nt demonstrates tha t the

proposed density is compatible with the sites existing and its emerging context having

reg ard to p rop osa ls elsewhere in West Hampstea d. The de nsity o f the deve lopm ent is a lso

supported by the provision of other non-residential uses on the site and provision of the

pub lic square and p riva te a nd c om muna l amenity spac e. The site is within an ident ified

growth a rea and is with in West Hampstead Distric t Tow n Centre. The site a lso ha s exc ellent

ac cess to a rang e o f shops and services which w ill be comp limented by the p rovision o f

further emp loyment and reta il within the schem e. The deve lopm ent w ill deliver pub lic

realm improvements to West End Lane to assist the connectivity of existing and future

residents, further de ta ils of w hich a re p rovide d in the Design and Ac cess Sta tement a nd

Landscape and Public Rea lm Strategy.

6.41 The applica tion is suppo rted by a Soc io-Ec onomics Rep ort which has assessed thecapacity of the existing social and community infrastructure in the borough and the

potential impact of the proposed development. As set out in this report, it is considered

that there is sufficient capacity in the majority of local facilities to cater for thedevelopment. Whilst the report identifies some issues over the capacity of local primary

schools, there is good availability in the borough as a whole. In order to mitigate any

residua l impa c ts of the deve lopm ent , in particula r on p rimary schoo ls, it is expe c ted tha t

financial contributions will be made to the expand and improve existing facilities. It is also

considered that there would be sufficient time prior to the targeted occupation of the

deve lopm ent for add itional c ap ac ity to be ma de ava ilab le b y the relevant providers. In

ad dition the p rop osals ma kes an allowanc e fo r the provision of some community spa ce in

the development should there be sufficient demand from potential occupiers in thefuture.

6.42 In ad dition, the othe r supp orting repo rts c lea rly set out that no unmitiga ted unac cep tableenvironmental impact will arise from the proposals. In this regard the proposed density

would maximise the intensity of use on the site and is compatible in terms of townscape,

environm enta l and infrastructure capac ity. The d ensity is therefo re supported by nat ional,

reg ional and local planning p olic y.


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Affordable Housing

6.43

PPS3 sta tes tha t the Go vernment is committed to p roviding high q ua lity a fforda b lehousing for people w ho a re una ble to ac cess or afford market housing, and sets out that

local planning authorities should balance the need for affordable housing against the

viab ility o f sites in their a rea s. This involves having rega rd to the implica tions of c om peting

land uses and making informed assumptions about the levels of finance available for

afforda ble housing.

6.44 Polic y 3.11 of the Londo n Plan sta tes that boroughs should seek to m aximise a fforda blehousing provision and ensure an average of at least 13,200 more affordable homes per

yea r in London over the term of this Plan (2011-2021). The p olicy also sta tes tha t boroug hs

should set an ove ra ll ta rge t in LDFs for the a mount o f a fforda b le housing p rovision

needed over the plan period in their areas and separate targets for social rented and

intermed iate housing . Polic y 3.13 of the Lond on sets a no rma l affo rdab le housing

provision threshold of sites with c apa c ity to p rovide 10 or more units.

6.45 In negotiating the provision of affordable housing on individual sites, Policy 3.12 of theLondon Plan states that negotiations on sites should take account of their individual

circumstances including development viability, the availability of public subsidy, theimplications of phased development including provisions for reappraising the viability of

schemes prior to implementation (contingent obligations), and other scheme

requirements.

6.46 The LBC Core Strateg y and Deve lopme nt Polic ies DPDs set o ut the ta rgets and c rite riaused by the Council to assess the appropriate contribution to affordable housing from

ea ch de velopment. These include:

An ove rall bo rough ta rge t eq uivalent to 220 additiona l afforda ble hom es pe r yea r; Seeking to a chieve the m aximum rea sona ble a mount of a fforda ble housing und er the

spe c ific c ircumsta nces of the site, including the financ ial viab ility of the d evelopment ;

Aiming to m inimise soc ial polarisat ion and c rea te m ixed and inc lusive communities;and

An a fforda ble housing target for spe c ific de velopm ents of 50% of a dd itiona lresident ial floorspace.


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6.47 When negotiating on individual schemes, Camden calculates the proportion of housingeach category (market / social rented / intermediate) in terms of floorspace (gross) and

sets gu ide lines of 60% soc ial rente d and 40% interme d iate housing (Polic y CS6). The Core

Strategy and Develop me nt Polic y (DP3) out line tha t the Counc il will consider many othe r

characteristics of the development, the site and area when negotiating the proportion of

afforda ble ho using in spe c ific scheme s which inc lude :

Ac cess to p ub lic transpo rt, workplac es, shop s, services and c om munity fac ilities The c harac ter of the deve lopme nt, the site a nd the a rea Site size, and constraints on inc luding a mix of m arket a nd a fforda b le tenures Development e conom ics, financ ial viability, and pa rticular costs

6.48 The a fforda b le housing p rovision within the schem e equates to 30% (ba sed on floo rspace)of which 62% will be for social rented purposes and 38% intermediate units (based on

floorspace).

6.49 The leve l of affo rdab le housing provide d has been esta b lished using a financ ial viab ilityap praisal ba sed on the Ma yor of Lond on s Deve lop ment C ontrol Toolkit in ac cordanc e

with the Lond on Plan . This is the ma ximum prop ortion of a fforda b le housing tha t the

de velopm ent c an supp ort having reg ard to the Lond on Plan a nd LBC ta rge ts, and taking

account of matters such as development costs, values, the types of housing to be

provided in terms of m ix and tenure a nd t he nee d to overco me the c onstraints on the site

and c ont ribute towards the LBC Ca md en Planning Ob liga tions Supplem entary Planning

Doc ument (SPD).

6.50 The a pp roa c h to the afforda ble housing provision has be en c arefully c onside red havingregard to the design, layout and location of the units and proximity to play and open

space and wider delivery considerations.

6.51 The p rop osa ls have fo cussed on p rovid ing new family sized soc ial rented hom es whichform the highest housing need in the borough. As a result the proposed unit mix exceeds

LBCs Housing Planning Guidance with more than 70% of the social rented units to be

family units (3 bedrooms or more) and all the units benefiting from private gardens with a

high p rop ortion ha ving sep arate kitchens and living rooms. The p rop osed units a re o f a

high quality design and are located in the part of the site most appropriate for family

ac comm od ation being a djac ent to areas of ope n spa ce and play spa ce provision.


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6.52 Due to the management requirements and higher maintenance costs requirementsassociated with affordable housing, along with the legal provisions that prevent the cross

subsidy o f service charge s from ma rket ho using, it is not po ssible to provide mixed tenure

build ings with sha red commo n service a rrange ments. The p rovision of sep arate c ores

within the individual buildings is also significantly constrained due to the size and

configurat ion of the site a nd w ould lead to a less effic ient layout which imp ac ting o n the

overall viability of the development. As a result, this leads to the need to provide separate

ma rket a nd afforda ble ho using buildings.

6.53 Notwithstanding the above, the approach to the location and distribution of theaffordable units has evolved in discussion with officers from the LBC and GLA and the

schem e ha s be en revised in orde r to p rov ide g rea ter integrat ion be tween the te nures. The

proposals have sought to integrate the market and affordable units where possible with

Buildings D and E comprising a mix of social rented units on the ground floor with private

ga rdens and intermed iate and priva te units on the up pe r floo rs. Build ings F and G w ill also

comprise a mix of social rented and intermediate units. All of the residential units will be

accessed from the shared surface and are been designed to be tenure blind with the

sam e q ua lity o f materia ls and finishes. As a result it is considered tha t the prop osed layout

and distribution of units provides the optimum solution for the site and will create a mixed

and inc lusive community.

6.54 The C ounc il s Housing Planning Guidance ac knowledges that the G overnment hasreduced the amount of public funding available for affordable housing and that if public

subsidy is not available the proportions of affordable housing anticipated by the Core

Strate gy and Develop ment Policies will not b e v iab le in all develop ments. This is

evidenc ed by the Counc il s Afforda b le Housing Viab ility Stud y (2009) which estimated

that available affordable housing payments have typically reduced by 20% if no public

subsidy is available. However, in the applicants experience this figure actually equates tomore than 50% across London. Accordingly the proposed delivery of affordable housing

will make a significant contribution to meeting the housing needs of the Borough.

6.55 The a fforda b le housing element has been de signed in consultation w ith One Housing whohas outlined their support for the layout, mix and quality of affordable units. One Housing

has significant experience of delivering affordable housing in the borough and is one of

the potential housing providers for the d evelop ment.


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Residentia l Mix and Configuration

6.56

National policy guidance encourages local planning authorities to take account of localhousing need in determining the type and size of additional housing provision and

promotes suffic ient qua ntity of housing taking into ac count need and de ma nd (PPS3).

6.57 As set out above , Lond on Plan Polic y 3.8 sta tes tha t Lond one rs should have a ge nuinechoice of homes that they can afford and which meets their requirements for different

sizes and typ es of d we llings in the highest qua lity environme nts . Policy 3.9 furthe r see ks a

mo re b alanced mix of tenures in all parts of Lond on.

6.58 With regards to residential quality and layouts, Policy 3.5 of the London Plan states thathousing deve lopm ents should b e o f the highe st qua lity internally, exte rna lly and in relat ion

to their co ntext a nd to the wide r environm ent . The polic y further sta tes that LDFs should

incorporate minimum spa c e standa rds which conform to those set out in the Lond on Plan

as follows:

London Plan Minimum Spa ce Standards for New Deve lopm ent

Dwelling Typ e GIA (sqm )

1p 371b2p 50

2b3p 61

2b4p 70

3b4p 74

3b5p 86

3b6p 95

4b5p 90

Flats

4b6p 99

6.59 The p roposed dwelling m ix has been informed by the LBC LDF and Housing PlanningGuidance ta king a cc ount of local need and ma rket conside rat ions. The p rop osed mix is

set out b elow:


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Proposed residential unit mix

Priva te % Intermed iate % Soc ial rented % Tota l %

Stud io 24 16 0 0 0 0 24 12

1 bed 33 22 15 60 0 0 4924

2 bed 88 59 8 32 8 29 10351

3 bed 5 3 2 8 18 64 2512

4 bed 0 0 0 0 2 7 21

Tota l 150 25 28 203

6.60 The p rop osed mix of the soc ial rented units com plies with the Counc il s ta rge t m ixincluding a high proportion of family sized units (71%) along with some private and

intermed iate fam ily housing units. The soc ial rente d family units have b een c arefully

loc ated where they will benefit from the greate st p rovision of ope n spa ce, playspa ce a nd

private amenity spa ce. The private and intermediate element will co mp rise of a greate r

proportion of smaller units but this responds to the specific housing need identified in the

borough which includes a target of 40% for two bedroom market housing units.

6.61 In light of the ab ove, it is c onside red that the p rop osed dw elling m ix is in ac cordanc e w ithnational, regional and loc al planning p olic y and guidanc e.

6.62 As we ll as me eting the minimum unit sizes set out in the Lond on Plan, the p rop osa ls havebeen designed with consideration to the Mayors Interim Housing Guide. Whilst the

Housing Design Guide is not a planning policy document and currently only applies to

schemes by the London Development Agency, the proposals have been prepared

having regard to the standards set out in the document as well as those within the LBC

Housing Planning Guidance. Overall, the proposed units will achieve a very high level of

compliance with the Housing Design Guide with no north facing single aspect units and

the design team have sought to maximise the number of dual aspect units. As set out in

the Design a nd Ac cess Statement, the d evelopment has also b een de signed in

ac cordanc e w ith the req uirements of the Lifetime Homes Standa rds and t he Wheelcha ir

Housing Sta ndards.


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Open Spa c e, Amenity Spac e and Play Spa c e

6.63

Planning Polic y Guida nce Note 17 (PPG17): Op en Space, Sport and Rec rea tion (2002)recognises that the provision of open space assists in the regeneration and enhancement

of the p hysica l environm ent a nd supports the enc ourag em ent o f a hea lthy lifestyle. PPS3

further identifies a commitment to high quality design in the provision of new housing

de velopm ents, and outlines the importance o f integ rat ing p lay a nd informa l rec rea tion in

planning fo r mixed communities.

6.64 The c onsultat ion pa per on the new Planning Polic y Sta tement: Planning for a Natural andHealthy Environment, which will replace PPG17, sets out national policy on planning for

the natural environment, green infrastructure, open space, sport, recreation and play.

The d ra ft Planning Polic y Sta tem ent rec og nises tha t ope n spac e c an serve as a v ita l foc a l

point for community activities and further advises that planning should deliver safe and

att rac tive plac es to live b y ensuring tha t peop le have a ccess to high quality op en spa ces,

green infrastructure and sports, recreational and play spaces and facilities which are

safe ly and ea sily a ccessible.

6.65 Lond on Plan Policy 7.5 seeks to ensure tha t Lond on s pub lic spaces are sec ure, a ccessible,inclusive, connected, easy to understand and maintain, relate to local context, andincorporate the highest quality design, landscaping, planting, street furniture and surfaces

and the d evelopment propo sals will acc ord with the ob jec tives of this po lic y.

6.66 Land at the w estern end o f the site is de signa ted as op en spa ce a nd a Site o f NatureConservation Importance (SNCI). Adjoining land along the railway e mb ankments is a lso

designated as Green Co rridors. The Co unc il will expe c t these a rea s to b e p rote c ted and

enhanced.

6.67 The Counc il expec t substantial new residential de velopm ent to b e accomp anied b yappropriate communal and private open space provision including specific facilities for

children in ac corda nce with Mayoral guida nce .

6.68 Policy DP31 of t he LB Ca mden Deve lopme nt Polic ies DPD (2010) see ks to ensure tha tde velopment p rovides an a pp rop riate c ontribution to the provision of o pe n spa ce. Polic y

CS15 of the LB Ca md en Core Strateg y (2010) seeks to sec ure add itiona l on-site pub lic

op en spa ce in the West Hamp stea d Intercha nge Growth Area unless it is not p rac tica l.


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6.69 As stated in the Development Policies DPD, the Council will apply a standard of 9 sqm ofop en space p er pe rson from resident ial schem es of 5 or more a dditiona l dwellings. The

table below outlines the total amount of open space sought from the proposed

de velopm ent in ac corda nce with the Councils guida nce :

Open spac e requireme nts

Unit Typ e Numb er

of Units

Number of Peop le (1

pe rson pe r be droom )

LBC Polic y Req uired Provision

Stud ios / 1 Bed 72 72 648 sq m

2 Bed 104 208 1,872 sq m

3 Bed 25 75 675 sq m

4 Bed 2 8 72 sq m

Tota l 203 363

9 sq m p er

person

3,267 sq m

6.70 As stated in the Camden Amenity Planning Guidance 6, the Council seeks the followingbreakdown of the 9 sqm pe r pe rson op en spa ce req uirement by type of op en spa ce:

Brea kdown of open spa ce requireme nts

Type of open spa ce Provision per ad ult Provision pe r child

Ame nity op en spa ce 5 sq m 4 sq m

Childrens playspa c e (where ap plicab le) N/A 2.5 sq mNatural green space 4 sq m 2.5 sq m

6.71 As de monstrate d in the Land scap e Strate gy, the landscap ing propo sals have be enconc eived as an integral pa rt of the o verall layout a nd d esign proc ess. The p rop osa ls

incorporate a series of d ifferent p rivate a nd pub lic spa ces with hard a nd soft land scap ing.

In tota l the scheme provide s 6,048 sq m of op en spa ce in tota l. This p rima rily c om prises of

the a nd town square, shared residents ga rdens and shared surface a ccess wa y.

Public Op en Space

6.72 One of the key aspirations for West Hampstead in the Councils LDF is to improve thestreetsc ap e a nd p ub lic rea lm around the sta tion a rea s. The site provide s a key fronta ge

onto West End Lane which ha s the p otential to m ake a significant contribut ion to meeting

these objectives. A new public square is proposed at the entrance to the site and along

the frontag e to West End Lane. This will significantly imp rove ped estrian move ment b y

providing w ide r pa vements and o ut of flow spa ce. This would a lso p rovide a ga teway to


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the site and would enliven the street scene with the space being attractive and usable.

High quality hard landscaping will contribute to the quality of public spaces especially

a long the sites fronta ge to West End Lane w hich is sub jec t to intensive use. The squa re ha s

also been designed to allow community events to take place within this space including

the po tential for farmers ma rkets.

6.73 The existing open spa ce a t the western end of the site is not p ublicly ac cessible and ispredo minantly covered b y existing buildings and hard standing. The p rop osed new op en

space on the site will be publicly accessible and of significant benefit to the local

community.

Priva te Amenity Spac e

6.74 The Lond on Housing Design Guide rec om me nds tha t a minimum of 5 sq m of p rivateoutdoor space should be provided for 1-2 person dwellings and an extra 1 sq m should be

provided for eac h add itional occ upa nt.

6.75 Camdens Housing Planning Guidance outlines that new dwellings should provide accessto some form of private outdoor amenity space, which could be in the form of private

ga rde n spa ce, ba lc onies terrac es or roo f ga rde ns, or as communa l amenity spa ce.

6.76 LBC does not have an adopted standard for private amenity space therefore referencehas been ma de to the London Housing Design Guide.

Priva te a menity spac e standards

Unit TypeNumber of

UnitsGLA Policy Requirement Per Unit*

Total Req uired

Provision*

1 Bed 72 5 sqm 360 sqm

2 Bed 104 6 sqm (3 person) 7 sqm (4 person) 624 728 sqm



Total 203 1,177 - 1,335 sqm

* Subject to numb er of occ upa nts

6.77 Private amenity space will be provided for all of the units through the inclusion of privatega rde ns, private b alconies and roof terrac es. The to tal a mount of p rivate a menity spa ce

proposed is 2,980 sq m and the size of each space are provided on the planning

ap plication drawings.


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Playspace

6.78 Polic y 3.5 of the Lond on Plan seeks to e nhance the quality of loca l plac es by ensuring tha tnew housing developments take into account the provision of public, communal and

op en spa ces. Polic y 3.6 sets strate gic g uida nce sta ting tha t the Mayor and ap propriate

organisations should ensure tha t a ll children a nd young pe op le have safe ac cess to good

quality, well-designed, secure and stimulating play and informal recreation provision,

incorporating trees and greenery .

6.79 The Mayors Providing for Children a nd Young People s Play and Informa l Rec rea tion SPG(March 2008) states that children s play spa ce should b e p rovided in new de velopm ents

with a standard ta rge t of 10 sqm p er child . The SPG further rec ommends the fo llow ing

accessibility req uirem ents for child ren s p lay spa ce:

100 met res ma ximum wa lking d ista nce from a resident ial unit fo r under 5s; 400 met res ma ximum wa lking d ista nce from a resident ial unit fo r 5-11 year olds; and 800 met res ma ximum wa lking d ista nce from a resident ial unit fo r 12+ year olds.

6.80 At the loca l level, Camde ns Amenity Planning Guida nce a pp lies an alternat ive c hild yieldca lculat ion and space sta ndard to the Ma yors SPG. The Counc il s guidance is less

onerous and is included within the overall open space standards therefore the scheme

has be en d esigned to meet the G LA requirements.

6.81 Using t he GLA method ology, it is expec ted that up to 72 children between 0 and 15 yea rsmay live in the proposed development, thus generating a requirement for 720 sqm

(rounded up) of c hild play spa c e a s broken d own in the tab le b elow.

Child Play Spa ce Generation

0-4 years 5-11 years 12+ years

Expec ted Child Yield 28 27 17

GLA Play Spac e Req uirem ent 280 sqm 270 sqm 170 sqm

6.82 The schem e will provide 1,500 sqm of child p lay space on site. This will be ma inly p rovide dfor the 0-4 and 5-11 age groups although the proposals have sought to include some


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youth space (12+) as well. Full details of the play space strategy are set out in the

Land scap e Strategy. The b rea kdown of play spa ce is set out b elow:

Summa ry of c hild p layspace

Typ e Tota l area

Doo rstep 400 s qm

Loca l 400 s qm

Neighbourhood 500 s qm

Youth 200 s qm

Tota l 1500 s qm

6.83 In accordanc e w ith the g uida nce set o ut in the Mayo rs Providing for Children and YoungPeop les Play and Informal Rec rea tion SPG, the requirements ge nerate d b y the o lder ag e

groups can also be accommodated by other facilities in the vicinity of the site (with 800

me tres for 12+ year olds).

6.84 The p layspa ce strate gy ha s be en c arefully conside red to p rovide a high q uality spa ce fo ra rang e o f ag es and will benefit from go od natural surveillanc e to ma ximise the safet y of

these a rea s. The p lay space p rovided on-site will be of a high standard , with emp hasis

plac ed on the q uality of eq uipm ent which will be stimulat ing a nd educ at iona l. The

schem e w ill exceed the expec ta tions of the Lond on Plan and Mayors SPG for the

provision o f c hild p lay and rec rea tion.

Townsc ape and Design

6.85 PPS1 promo tes high qua lity a nd inclusive design in the c rea tion o f well mixed a ndintegrated developments which avoid segregation, and which have well planned public

spac es. PPS1 rec og nises tha t go od de sign ensures a ttrac tive, usab le, durab le and

ad ap ta ble plac es and is a key element in achieving susta inab le d evelopm ent.

6.86 CABEs guida nc e, By Design (Urba n Design in the Planning System: Tow ards Bet te rPractice) (2000) lists seven criteria by which to assess urban design principles, as follows:

character, continuity and enclosure, quality of the public realm, ease of movement,

legibility, adaptability and diversity.


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6.87 At the regional level, Policy 7.1 of the London Plan states that the design of new buildingsand the spaces they create should help reinforce or enhance the character, legibility,

permea b ility and a ccessibility of the neighb ourhood . Polic y 7.2 further sta tes tha t the

Mayor will require all new development in London to achieve the highest standards of

accessible and inc lusive design. The p rinc iples of inc lusive design whic h see k to ensure

that developments achieve the following are supported by London Plan Policy 7.2 and

have be en a dd ressed throughout the evolution o f the d evelopment p rop osals for the site:

developments that can be used safely, easily and with dignity by all regardless ofdisab ility, ag e, ge nde r, ethnicity or econom ic c ircumstances;

de velopm ents that are c onvenient a nd we lcoming with no d isab ling ba rriers, soeveryone c an use them indep end ently without und ue effort, sep aration or spe c ial

treatment;

de velopm ents that are flexible a nd respo nsive, taking a ccount of w hat d ifferentpe op le say they need and wa nt, so p eop le c an use them in different ways; and

de velopm ents that are realistic , offering more tha n one solution to help b alanc eeve ryone s needs, rec og nising tha t one solution ma y not work for all.

6.88 Polic y 7.4 of the Lond on Plan goes on to state that de velopments should ha ve regard tothe form, function and structure of an area, including the scale, mass and orientation of

surround ing b uild ings. The polic y further sta tes that bu ild ings should p rovide c onte mp orary

architec tural responses tha t:

have reg ard to the p at tern and grain of existing spa ces and streets in orienta tion,sca le, p rop ortion and ma ss;

c ontribute to a po sitive relationship be tween the urba n struc ture a nd loc al naturallandscap e fea tures;

are huma n in scale;

a llow existing b uild ings and structures tha t make a positive c ont ribution to thec harac ter of a p lac e to influenc e the existing c harac ter of the area; and

are informed by the surround ing historic environm ent.6.89 Policy 7.6 of the London Plan further states that architecture should make a positive

contribution to a coherent public realm, streetscape and wider cityscape, incorporating

the highest q uality m ate rials and de sign ap propriate to its context.

6.90 Polic y CS14 of the LBC Core Strategy seeks to ensure tha t Camd en s p lac es and buildingsare attractive, safe and easy to use and requires development to be of the highest


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sta ndard of d esign. The Core Strategy a lso o utlines tha t d eve lopm ent schem es should

improve the q ua lity of b uild ings, landscap ing and the street environm ent . The Co re

Strategy rec og nises the op portunities provide d by ta ll build ings in c rea ting intensive uses

but outlines that their sitting and design should be carefully considered along with factors

relating to sustainability, amenity and microclimate in particular the effects on views,

imp ac t on loc al microc lima te a nd p rovision of c omm unal and p rivate am enity spa ce .

6.91 Policy DP24 of the Development Policies DPD requires all developments, to be of thehighest standa rd of d esign and will expe c t d evelopments to c onside r:

charac ter, setting, co ntext and the form and scale of ne ighb ouring b uildings; the character and proportions of the existing building, where alterations and

extensions are p rop osed ;

the q uality of m ate rials to b e used ; the provision of visually interesting frontages at street level; the a pp rop riate loc at ion for building services eq uipm ent; existing na tural fea tures, such as topo grap hy and trees; the p rovision o f ap propriate ha rd and soft land scap ing including bo unda ry

treatments;

the p rovision of a pp rop riate a menity spa ce; and accessibility

6.92 The site oc cup ies a b row nfield site in a g row th a rea and as such, the p rop osa ls seek toop timise the red eve lopm ent opportunities of the site . The high qua lity p rop osals com prise

a sensitively designed scheme which responds effectively to the sites location, its

cap ac ity, and the c harac ter of the surrounding a rea . The site is not loc ate d within a

conservation area and there are no heritage assets in the immediate vicinity of the site.

6.93 The site is located we ll awa y from the ne arest resident ial properties therefo re theprospects of overlooking and overshadowing issues from neighbouring developments is

minimal, and the distances between existing buildings and the site is sufficient to allow for

a rang e o f uses and an inc rease in scale of d evelopment .

6.94 Whilst the wider area to the north and south is generally low rise in character at present,the ea st a nd we st c ontext for the site is very different. The site fo rms the western end of

growth area designation where new larger scale development is expected to come


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forward which would creates a changing townscape context in this part of West

Hamp stea d. This is illustrated by the permitted stud ent housing sc heme a long Blac kburn

Roa d w hich inc ludes a nine sto rey elem ent . The topog raphy of the site a nd its sep arat ion

from neighbouring buildings is also considered to create the opportunity for an increase in

build ing heights. The d ispo sition o f the height and ma ss has a lso b een va ried b y gene rally

grading it away from West End Lane and having a fluctuating number of storeys on the

build ings. By elong at ing the perspec tive i.e. having the lower b locks tow ards the West End

Lane end and higher blocks towards the centre or western end, the impact of these

buildings has be en reduc ed from a va ntag e p oint closest to the roa d.

6.95 The a pp roa ch to height, ma ssing and layout has been d iscussed with LBC p lanning anddesign and conservation officers through a series of pre-application meetings. During

these meetings officers confirmed that the design approach was broadly acceptable

and the preferred option was with the taller building towards the middle of the site as

proposed.

6.96 The prop osed bu ildings respond positively to the unique c onte xt of this island site,adjacent to two railway lines, and incorporate high quality design and sustainability

c red entials. The prop osa ls will provide a high q ua lity resident ial environm ent ta king

account of the amenity of the future residents in terms of privacy, amenity andove rshadow ing. As set out in the Landscape Strategy, the d eve lopm ent w ill provide a

series of high quality spaces integrating the landscaping around and within the buildings.

The d eve lopm ent a lso relates positively to West End Lane through the c rea tion o f the ne w

pub lic squa re.

6.97 The te chnical reports ac com pa nying the ap plicat ion p rovide de ta ils of the assessmentsundertaken in respect of the effects of the development upon the local microclimate.

These c onc lude that the scheme would not g ive rise to any nega tive or unmitiga ted

heritage or environme ntal impa c t. The a ccompa nying Verified Visual Montag es,

demonstrates the high quality design of the proposals and the Design and Access

Sta tem ent p rovide s further ana lysis on the approp riateness of the design ap proa ch to the

site including the he ight o f the b uild ings.


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Transport and Ac c essibility

6.98

PPG13 directs new development to locations that are highly accessible by publictransport, walking and cycling, recognising that an integrated transport system is

necessary to support a strong and prosperous economy. PPG13 states that the

consideration of the location, scale, density, design and mix of land uses can help to

red uce the need to t rave l, red uce the length of journeys, and ma ke it safe r and ea sier for

peop le to ac c ess jobs, shop p ing, leisure fac ilities and services by pub lic transport, wa lking

and cyc ling. PPS3 further sta tes tha t a considerat ion of housing density should b e the

location and level of public transport accessibility of the site.

6.99 At the regional level, London Plan Policy 6.1 seeks to encourage patterns and nodes ofde velopm ent tha t reduc e the nee d to trave l, espe c ially by c ar. The p rop osed

deve lopm ent has a PTAL of 6a a nd so the deve lopm ent p rop osals, which seek to intensify

the use of the site, are in accordance with Policy 6.1 of the London Plan which further

seeks to support development that generates high levels of trips at locations with high

pub lic t ransport ac cessibility. In ac corda nc e with Polic y 6.3, an assessment of the

propo sals has be en unde rtaken to ensure tha t the imp ac ts on transpo rt c ap ac ity and the

transport netwo rk are not adversely affec ted . The results of this testing a re set out in the

accom panying Transport Assessme nt, prep ared by WSP. Workplac e and Residentia l Trave l

Plans have a lso b een prep ared , in ac corda nc e w ith Lond on Plan Polic y T5.

6.100 The Core Strateg y (Policy CS11) p romo tes the delivery of transport infrastructure and theava ilab ility of sustainab le t ranspo rt c hoice in orde r to supp ort Cam de ns grow th, red uce

the environmental impact of travel, and relieve pressure on the Boroughs transport

netw ork. In pa rticula r the Co re Strategy p rom otes improved intercha nge a t West

Ham pstea d. The Development Polic ies do cument sta tes that where d evelopm ent is

proposed at an interchange between public transport services, the Council will expectthe inclusion of fac ilities to ma ke intercha nge ea sy and conve nient for a ll users. The

Develop ment Polic ies also p rom ote s wa lking, cyc ling a nd p ub lic transpo rt use.

6.101 The a ccom panying Transport Assessme nt (TA) p repared by WSP, demo nstrates tha t thesite currently benefits from excellent accessibility and the existing pedestrian and public

transpo rt routes allow safe and convenient p ed estrian trips to job s, educat ion and hea lth

fac ilities, shopp ing, leisure and loc al services. The TA dem onstrates tha t forec ast numbers

of additional public transport trips can be accommodated on the existing networks and


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subjec t to the imp rovem ents forming p art of the proposals those pe de strian moveme nts to

and from the sta tions and bus stops c an be und ertaken safe ly. The TA a lso d emonstrates

that the proposed development will have a beneficial impact on the existing highways

network. In this regard the proposals are in full accordance with national, regional and

loca l planning po lic y guida nce in relation to pub lic transpo rt a c cessibility a nd highways.

6.102 It is recognised that there is poor connectively between the three stations located onWest End Lane a nd w e und ersta nd the Co unc il and loca l residents have strong a sp irat ions

to create a more integrated interchange to assist pedestrian movement between these

sta tions. The e xisting layout is hinde red b y a number of c onstraints, in particular a series of

level cha nge s from street to p latfo rm a nd na rrow pavements. Transpor

Documents

West End Square Plan (annotated)