Queens Parade back on the agenda but may be deferred again

The Queen's Parade development in Willesden Green returns to the Brent Planning Committee on Wednesday having been deferred on March 14th.  However, the developer has not given full details of their proposed reduction in the height of the building and this may mean further deferral.

The Planning Officers' report LINK seeks to ride two horses in continuing to advocate approval, despite the lack of information, but also providing reasons why the application could be refused - rather confusing.:

Extracts:

When considering the suggested changes, while the precise level of decrease in the height of the building has not been set out by the applicant, the changes may be sufficient to overcome the Members’ concerns. However, the amendments would need to be worked up by the applicant and the daylight analysis re-cast for the revised scheme. As such, it is not possible to present these suggested revised proposals to this planning committee meeting. Is it (sic) therefore recommended that the application is deferred to a subsequent planning committee meeting to allow the receipt of the revised proposals and supporting information and the re-consultation of neighbouring residents.

However, should members wish to determine the application at this planning committee, Officers continue to recommend that planning permission is granted. Although there are areas where the proposed development would not entirely comply with guidance, when considered on balance the benefits of the scheme would outweigh the negative aspects of the application. 
Members can however choose what weight they consider should be given to the material planning considerations within the proposal and therefore could come to a different conclusion on these matters if they do not agree with the recommendation. The matters that members have expressed concern about have been discussed in this report.  

The report concludes

   As discussed above, officers continue to recommend that planning permission is granted for the development as currently proposed. However, given that members have specified that they are minded to refuse planning consent, the applicant have requested the ability to amend the proposal as set out above (reductions in height to address outlook and daylight concerns and the provision of additional communal student facilities) and to provide further detail regarding the arrangements for student drop-off and pick up, within a student management plan. 
It is therefore recommended that the application is deferred to a subsequent planning committee meeting to allow the amendments and information to be submitted and for further consultation to be undertaken in relation to those amendments. 
However, if members consider that the application should be refused in its current form the following reasons for refusal are suggested based on the issues raised by members at the previous meeting.

.         

1.     The proposed development, by reason of its size and siting, would have an unduly detrimental impact on the amenities of the occupiers of the adjoining building, Electric House, by way of an unduly detrimental loss of light to and outlook from the windows of three residential units within that building. This is contrary to policy DMP1 of the Brent Local Plan Development Management Policies 2016 and Supplementary Planning Guidance 17; 


2.     The proposed development, by reason of failure to incorporate communal facilities appropriate to the use, would represent the provision of a poor standard of accommodation for future occupants, contrary to policy DMP20 of the Brent Local Plan Development Management Policies 2016. 


3.     The proposal, by reason of the failure to demonstrate adequate arrangements for the servicing of the building during student move-in and move-out periods, and having regard to the busy nature of the adjoining highway, is likely to result in conditions prejudicial to the free and safe flow of traffic on the surrounding highway network. This is contrary to Policies DMP1 and DMP12 of the Brent Local Plan Development Management Policies 2016.