Wednesday 27 June 2018

UPDATED-PLANS APPROVED Brent Planners blagging for blocks in Wembley Park

Olympic Way today
UPDATE THE SCHEME WAS APPROVED BY BRENT PLANNING COMMITTEE LINK

I have suggested here before that Brent planners seem rather too accommodating to developers and the report for the Olympic Office Centre development application by Network Housing (Planning Committee July 4th LINK) has a number of examples of the developer getting the 'benefit of the doubt.'

The application is by a housing provider but contains only 30% affordable housing by household - the report claims 35% affordable but this is based on rooms occupied rather than the housing unit.  A slight difference perhaps, but significant.

A part 21 storey,  part 15 storey development will replace the present 8 storey building on the site bordered by Fulton Road, Rutherford Way and Olympic Way.

The new development
The existing 8 storey building is on the left. It will be replaced by a 21/15 storey building wedged up against the Unite Student building on the right

The report reveals a difference of opinion between Brent Labour Council and the Labour GLA in whether more affordable housing should be expected from what was once seen as a social housing provider. Out of the 253 units 34 will be a London Affordable Rents level (the use of this definition is welcome) and 43 shared ownership where the rent should not exceed 40% of net household income.

The rest will be private and presumably at market rents. The officer's reject the GLA's argument (Para 54 onwards of report LINK ).

A new  strategy is to cite the 'high density', 'densely built', 'highly urban' nature of the area - all consequences of what I consider poor planning decisions in the past but now used to justify more of the same. 


The cumulative impact of proposed schemes from Wembley Park station
Here are just some of the quotes from the officers (my emphasis):

Whilst the bedroom windows on this side of the development would see a lesser standard of privacy than other windows in the development, the windows on to which they face serve student flats occupied by transient populations not warranting the same level of protection as permanent residences. Furthermore, it is conceded that the general scale of development in this highly urban part of Wembley would inevitably necessitate some tighter relationships between buildings in places and given that this is the only relationship between another building and the proposed development which falls short of standards, the relationship is considered to be acceptable.

Overall, the impact of the proposal on surrounding daylight and sunlight levels for existing and emerging buildings is considered acceptable. There are instances where reductions would be felt (and they would be noticeable in some cases). However, the overall number of discrepancies is considered to be relatively minor considering the scale of the development. Your officers are of the view that given the benefits associated with the development of this site (the provision of a number of new homes in the borough) and the dense urban nature of the subject site and surrounding sites, the benefit of the proposed development was considered to outweigh the harm associated with the loss of daylight and sunlight. It is not considered that the matter would warrant a reason for refusal 


The LPA (ie the Local Planning Authority - the officers) agree (with the developer) that the availability of nearby open space and emerging social infrastructure will be numerous and that such provisions would justify a shortfall in total provision of play space. The lack of full onsite adherence to playspace is to be expected with the high density of the scheme proposed. 

The current offer of 35% affordable housing per habitable room falls below the 50% Local Plan target. However, it is a strong offer and Network Homes have improved the affordable rented provision as requested while maintaining the total original provision despite it being agreed by all parties that the scheme results in a financial deficit. Officers and BNP Paribas view this revised offer as the maximum reasonable amount of affordable housing the scheme can deliver, in line with planning policy, subject to securing an appropriate post-implementation financial review mechanism in the s106 agreement. 
 
Considering the benefits of the scheme, it is considered that the small reduction in the visibility of the eastern part of the arch is an acceptable consequence of this development and it is noted that the western part of the arch is already obscured to broadly the same extent, helping to bring symmetry to the view of the Stadium along the Olympic Way corridor. 
 (We've already messed up the view on one side so let's make it symmetrical.)

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wembley will turn into a ghost town with lots of buildings and no one able to afford to live in them, or (partly) funded by the tax-payer via benefits for the luxury. I for one would prefer the space, but what a nuisance and waste of resources! These officers don't have a clue, force them to live in this locality for a few years and only then should they be allowed to make such decisions.

Anonymous said...

What a sad mess it is all becoming. Let alone in 15 or 20 years as the buildings start to look shabby. What a tremendous shame

Scott said...

"transient populations not warranting the same level of protection as permanent residences" - this is outrageous and what the slum landlords said!!!

What standards are the officers referencing?

Everyone has a right to light - and *standards* are such so that nobody can discriminate against certain groups of people.

Jaine Lunn said...

The dense urban nature of the subject site and surrounding sites, the benefit of the proposed development was considered to outweigh the harm associated with the loss of daylight and sunlight.
This made me laugh perhaps they are wishing to rent to VAMPIRES.

Philip Grant said...

Yet another "nibble" into the supposedly protected view up Olympic Way towards the stadium! What is the point of adopting planning policies, after public consultation, and then refusing to enforce them?

And how sad that Network Housing (which when it started in the 1970's as Brent People's Housing Association was all about providing social housing at fair rents to people in housing need in the borough) should only be offering 30% of the units as affordable housing, and that Brent's planners are backing them up on this.

Anonymous said...

Why are the council continuing to pass these atrocities. They refused my planning on the basis it doesn't conform with the amenities of the area, however the council think these silly buildings conform?!

Philip Grant said...

The space between the new Network Housing development and the Unite Students building:-

Brent's Planners say:
'... given that this is the only relationship between another building and the proposed development which falls short of standards, the relationship is considered to be acceptable.'

Surely they should have said:
'... as this spacing relationship falls short of standards, the proposed development is unacceptable.'

When you "cut corners" with acceptable standards, especially when these involve high rise blocks in which people live, you increase the risk of another disaster. Don't we ever learn the lessons from history (some of it very recent history)?