Overview of CNWL Dudden Hill Planning Application to be decided next Wednesday

 

 

 CNWL Dudden Hill Phase 1 development building heights in storeys

 

As stated in yesterday's article on the College of North West London (CNWL) Wembley Park site that and the CNWL  Dudden Hill site are separate items on the December 11th Planning Committee Agenda they are conjoined as both site sales contribute to the cost of the new CNWL building in Wembley Park that will eventually house both campuses.

The Dudden Hill site currently consists of a variety of buildings that are claimed to be no longer fit for purpose. They do, of course ,sit on a large site which is a redevelopment gold mine.

Bottom left College Green at the junction of Dudden Hill and Denzil Road. Above it is the College site and to the right, either side of the railway line is a SINC (Site of importance for nature conservation). Originally the plan was to build on the Green but its improvement is now part of the plan.

The development of the site will take place in 2 phases.

Phase 1 is to the right (East) of the red dotted line. To the extreme left of the image is an estate of two storey houses  on Selbie Road that (at the moment) are not part of the redevelopment zone.

The tallest buildings (C,D and E) are alongside the railway line, mid-height (11 to 17 storeys) in the centre of the Phase 1 development. The lowest (4 or 5 storeys) are  along Denzil Road with a small park separating them from Phase 1 and opening on to Denzil Road. There are courtyards within each cluster in both phases.

It is Phase 1 in detail that is going to Planning Committee and Phase 2 is in outline and subject to change.

The timetable covers 10 years from this Planning Committee Meeting:

May 2025 Phase 1 college buildings are vacated and staff and activities decanted to Phase 2 buildings.

Summer 2025 Demolition of Phase 1 collrge buildings and construction begins

 

2027-2032 Phase 1 housing completed

 

September 2028 completion of new CNWL facility on Olympic Way

 

September 2028 vacant possession of Phase 2 buildings secured as staff and students move to Olympic Way.

 

September 2028 demolitionof Phase 2 buildings  and new build commences 

November 2034 Phase 2 completed

 

Hill Group in their planning statement say:

Phase 1 comprises 1,076 homes across 11 buildings/blocks ranging from 4 to 28 storeys. These are:

• Building C is 24 storeys with a 20-storey shoulder and provides 187 apartments for traditional sale/rent;

• Building D is 28 storeys with a 24-storey shoulder and provides 223 build-to-rent apartments;

• Building E is 22 storeys with 18 and 10-storey shoulders and provides 196 build-to- rent apartments;

• Buildings F and G are 11 storeys each and provide 162 apartments for traditional sale/rent;

• Buildings H, J and K are 15, 17 and 11 storeys respectively and provide 239 apartments for traditional sale/rent; and

• Buildings V, W, and Y are 4-5 storeys and provide 69 affordable apartments all of which (100%) are offered at social rent.

 

Phase 1 has been designed to be the focus of the commercial uses at ground floor where the majority of homes and taller buildings are located. This part of the development is the most likely arrival point from Dollis Hill station, bus stops, and Willesden town centre, and it is prominently located with regards to passing trade along Dudden Hill Lane.

Accordingly, a precise and tailored commercial offering is proposed for Phase 1. Key elements of this include the anchor facilities of a food store and food & beverage premises located either side of the main gateway to the Site from Dudden Hill Lane. Flexible retail units (which could be small shops, restaurants, or cafes) are positioned a little deeper into the development along the east-west route, and on the corner of the neighbourhood park/Denzil Road; where they will still benefit from a good level of passing trade

They are at pains to point out that these shops are a local offer and not designed to compete with high street retail. 

A nursery is proposed that if no provider came forward could be replaced by a community facility:

The nursery size and location is also robustly secured in the Development Specification and Parameter plans. It is proposed to be located at the lower density part of the development on the corner of Denzil Road and Selbie Avenue, where it has the opportunity of taking some of the available defensible green space as a private garden for play. In the event that a commercial nursery operator cannot be found, this unit would instead come forward as an alternative form of social/community infrastructure e.g. opticians, dentist, post-office etc within Use Class E or F. It is worth noting that in the likely event that a nursery operator is forthcoming, these other forms of social/community infrastructure could still and likely will come forward within the other flexible Class E floorspace across either base.

The financial viability assessment (FVA) concluded that the overall development would make and this would mean no affordable housing. However an 18% 'affordable' element was negotiated but only a small proportion is council housing and the intermediate level shared ownership:

As a general principle, Phase 2 includes a higher proportion of family housing than Phase 1. This reflects the typology of buildings within the respective phases and the locations most suitable for family homes. Phase 1 includes the taller buildings along the trainline, together with the majority of the retail, commerce, and workspace. It will create the densest and most vibrant part of the new neighbourhood. Phase 2 comprises lower-scale buildings set amongst generous green space that better lends itself for a greater quantum of family homes (and indeed the nursery and community centre). Taller, thinner buildings are naturally more suited to smaller units orientated around a central core, whilst lower, wider and longer buildings lend themselves more easily to larger family homes.

 

In addition, Phase 1 is the first phase of a regeneration scheme for which first-time buyers are the target market initially (given the very high demand). The cost of a smaller 1 or 2 bedroom unit is more attractive and affordable to this market. Phase 1 also includes build-to-rent tenures (which lend themselves to young professionals and new families) are proposed in the taller blocks. This approach is supported by London Plan policy H10 acknowledges that a higher proportion of one and two bed units are generally more appropriate in more urban locations closer to stations and town centres. The proposed mix for Phase 1 assists with the viability and deliverability of an important regeneration scheme and ability to facilitate the relocation of the CNWL.

 

All of the affordable housing proposed for Phase 1 is provided as either shared ownership or social rent, which is understood to have a greater local need than Discount Market Rent products. The Applicant has undertaken initial discussions with potential Registered Providers to ensure there is strong interest and the product and building align with market expectations. The location and product of the Affordable Housing has been carefully considered to ensure its suitable and desirable by the eventual Registered Provider.

So families needing social housing will have to wait for the second phase that starts in 2028 and is completed in 2034 - market conditions and financial viability may change the tenure. As in the Wembley Park officers' report, affordability is measured by habital room, rather than housing unit. The gives a higher percentage figure for larger properties.

It has proved to find amongst the documents any image of the whole development but the screen grabs below should give you  some idea:

Lower rise buildings along Denzil Road

Buildings at the back of College Green (junction of Denzil Road and Dudden Hill Lane)

Junction of Cooper Road and Dudden Hill

Tall building E and  lower building F looking west along Cooper Road

Looking south from the petrol station across the railway line - the new flats on the ex-plant nursery site appear to be missing.

Visible from a slightly different angle

View from arrival square along the new east - west route

 

 Hill Group summarise their case:

 

Social

 

✓ Delivery of approximately 1,934 high quality new homes across this Site (c. 1,627) and Crescent House, Wembley (307), akin to 84% of LBB’s annual London Plan requirement.

✓ Provision of 20% (by habitable room) affordable housing across the two Sites, significantly exceeding the maximum viable amount.

✓ Provision of the following at College Green alone:

o Circa 1,627 homes.

o Circa 236 family homes, including 4-bed properties.

o 18% affordable housing (by habitable room), up to 50% (123 units) of which are affordable family homes.

o A wide variety of sizes and tenures, all of which are high quality homes that balance fire regulations, dual aspect, outlook, daylight, and thermal comfort and efficiency.

✓ Delivery of a multi-use community centre suitable for indoor sports, leisure activities and community events.

✓ Provision for a new nursery and/or similar social infrastructure.

✓ Provision of local amenities including convenience store, food and beverage premises, gym, and Build to Rent lounges.

✓ Provision of flexible workspace with potential for ‘maker space’.

✓ At least 1.45 hectares of new and enhanced green space, including:

o c. 0.29 hectare of retained and enhanced public open space (on Selbie Avenue and Dudden Hill Lane).

o c. 0.38 hectare new publicly-accessible neighbourhood park.

o c. 0.78 hectare of communal courtyards and podium/roof terraces for tenants.

✓ Fully policy-compliant play space provision on Site for all ages.

 

Environmental

 

✓ Landscape design ethos around women and children’s (physical and perceived) safety, achieving safer pedestrian connections and through-routes.

✓ Landscape-led development with integrated sustainable drainage strategy, planting of over 350 new trees, achieving an exceptionally high Urban Greening Factor score of 0.57. This is almost 50% over the policy target and would be one of if not the greenest developments proposed in Brent to date.

✓ A sensitive landscape response to the adjacent railway SINC.

✓ Hill to act as long term stewards of the development, managing the landscape and public realm to a high standard.

✓ Local townscape and streetscape benefits (and no heritage harm).

✓ All electric energy strategy, with glazing optimised to balance daylight with overheating.

✓ Operational carbon reduction of over 80% beyond Part L 2021; far surpassing the policy minimum target of 35 % and reflects the detailed consideration to sustainability in the project design. This will minimise energy bills for residents with 25% achieved through lean measures that reduce actual energy use.

✓ Non-residential units to meet BREEAM ‘Excellent’.

✓ Responsible sourcing of construction materials.

✓ Car-free development, except blue-badge parking and car-club spaces. Overall net reduction in parking and vehicle trips compared to existing college, bringing air quality and transport network benefits.

✓ Upgraded Dudden Hill Lane / Cooper Road junction including new pedestrian and cycle crossing point, improving access to Dollis Hill Station.

✓ Pavement widening on Denzil Road.

✓ Air Quality Positive development.

 

Thjere are only two resident comments on the Brent Council Planning Portal - both neutral.

 

https://pa.brent.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=neighbourComments&keyVal=DCAPR_169398