Tirzah Mansion, Salmon Street, 13 flats to replace family house - Brent Planning Committee tomorrow

 

Tirzah Mansion, 26 Salmon Street now (Krisha Court far left)

 Proposed flats

Tomorrow's Brent Council Planning Committee will consider a significant application for conversion of a large family home into flats LINK. The site is at the junction of Queens Walk and Salmon Street. Across Queens Walk is Krishna Court, a block of 9 flats that also replaced a family house. Thirteen flats are proposed for the Tirzah Mansion site.

The value of redevelopment into 13 flats is shown by the current valuation of the existing house.

Source

There are 27 individual objections to the plans based mainly on the size of the building and not fitting into the suburban landscape of Queens Walk. Objectors include St Nicholas Prep school on Salmon Street.

Queens Walk

 

However, the officers' report suggests its fits in well with the existing frontages along that side of Salmon Street.

No affordable housing is provided but as the viability assessment suggests a surplus, a contribution to affordable housing elsewhere is required subject to a late viability review.

Some changes have been made to the original plans with no habitable room windows overlooking 43 Queens Walk and moving the car park closer to Queens Walk.

Objectors point to the case of Krishna Court which was pitched to Planning Committee as increasing Brent's housing while in fact it has been operating as a short stay luxury apartments hotel LINK. Officers say this could not happen as a hotel would require specific planning permission. However, they have failed to take action over Krisha Court. See LINK

This passage in the officers' report is particularly significant (and not only for the fact that they got the name of Salom Street wrong!). See the last sentence:

As noted above, the application site is not located within a priority location for additional housing. In this regard, Policy BH4 requires greater weight to be placed upon the existing character of the area when determining the density of development appropriate. The area surrounding the property mainly comprises of traditional two storey detached and semi-detached properties with mid to large sized garden areas. A number of these properties benefit from loft conversions, with visible extensions to the roof such as dormer windows. Krishna Court to the opposite street corner on Queens Walk comprises three storeys, whilst Cherrylands Close to the north also comprises a taller development, with accommodation in the heightened roofspace (second floor level). The site is also located approximately 80m from the Salmon Lane Intensification Corridor to the south, whereby Policy BD2 identifies that up to 5 storeys could be acceptable. The policy accepts that the character of these streets will change and that heights of proposals do not necessarily have to reflect existing adjacent properties. The anticipation is that over time, if the policy is successful, those buildings are also likely to be replaced with more intense development.

 

The officer's conclude:

The proposal is considered to accord with the development plan, and, having regard to all material planning considerations, should be approved subject to conditions and obligations secured through a Section 106 Agreement. The proposal would result in the provision of 13 new homes, including 4 family sized homes, and would meet an identified need in the borough. The scheme would comply with affordable housing policy despite the absence of affordable housing on site as the relatively low surplus identified means that an off-site contribution would be appropriate.

The proposed development is slightly larger than the surrounding buildings both in terms of height and massing. As discussed, the Officer view is that the design responds well to its the context and is well composed. No harm is considered to result to the setting of the St. Andrew's Conservation Area. However, if one did conclude that a degree of harm resulted, the Officer's view is that the level of harm this would be "less than substantial" and significantly outweighed by the benefits of the scheme,

 

 

The perils of permitted development - local housing needs lose out

 

Jenga House, 356 High Road, Wembley

2015 Report 25 units for residential use

 

'Apartments'  from £170 per night as advertised on 'Urban Stays'

Back in 2015 developers were given prior approval under permitted development for conversion of the the former Brent House Annex in High Road, Wembley from office space to residential use.  I emphasise residential because it has been used for short-term lets for a minimum of £170 a night for one bedroom and £200 a night for two bedrooms. The agent was Urban Stays but now a new agent appears to have taken over.

A local informant tells Wembley Matters:

Recently I have discovered from my neighbours in Jenga Court  that all of their rental agreements are not being renewed, and discovered that although all these properties were on sale on Zoopla for ridiculous prices, the property has been bought by Flying Butler LINK

Is this just another way of having permanent AirBNB, as before some of these were Valet Apartments?, and does this conversion have any impact on the planning that was granted? 

They are currently all being refurbished, decorated etc so not actually available as yet.

Sure enough Flying Butler is now advertising in advance of completion of the refurbishment  but apartment rates have not yet been publshed:

 

 Like the Krisha Court development in Queens Walk, Kingsbury that received planning permission for residential flats but now used a Airb&B short term lets (query to Brent Council regarding non-compliance with planning permission still not answered)  these are short-lets as reflected in the last sentence of  the blurb : '..you'll have plenty to keep you entertained during your visit.'

What is really annoying is that both developments deprive local people of possible long-term housing and as with other planning approvals there seems no follow up from planning officers to ensure that tenure is as granted and that any planning obligations are fulfilled.

 

UPDATE: Call for Planning Enforcement investigation into controversial 44 Queens Walk residential units marketed as Queens Luxury Apartments on hotel websites

UPDATE

Following the publication of the article below Philip Grant has written to the Brent Planning Enforcement Team  calling for an investigation into the matter and enforcement if appropriate. In a comment on the article Philip writes:

The 44 Queen's Walk planning application, 19/2163, was given consent on 19 February 2020, on the basis of the planning application documents and plans as submitted. These were for 7 residential apartments.

The consent letter included the following condition:

'4. The residential units hereby approved shall at no time be converted from C3 residential to a C4 small HMO, notwithstanding the provisions of Schedule 2 Part 3 Class L of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 (or any order revoking and re-enacting that Order) without express planning permission having first been granted by the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: To ensure that an adequate standard of accommodation is maintained in all of the residential units and in view of the restricted space within the site to accommodate additional bin or cycle storage.'

It is clear from this that the planning approval was for the apartments to be residential units within planning Class C3. This is defined as:

'C3 – Houses, Flats, Apartments:

Class C3 is use as a dwelling house (whether or not as a sole or main residence)
* by a single person or by people living together as a family, or
* by not more than 6 residents living together as a single household
(including a household where care is provided for residents).'

I think that the key words here are 'use as a dwelling house'. It might be argued that someone renting a two-bedroom apartment at 44 Queen's Walk for £205 a night is using it as a temporary dwelling house. 

However, I think that this sort of use, especially as it is advertised on hotel websites, would fall within planning Class C1:

'C1 – Hotels and Hostels:

Class C1 is use as a hotel, boarding or guest house or as a hostel where, in each case, no significant element of care is provided.'

I have referred this apparent breach of the planning consent to Brent Council's Planning Enforcement Team.

Krishna Court - Salmon Street view (actual address 44 Queens Walk, NW9)

Wembley Matters covered the planning application of a family house at 44 Queens Walk, Kingsbury that involved the demolition of the house and the construction of a block of flats. Planning officers claimed that the loss of family housing was compensated for by the construction of a number of flats on the corner site. There was much local opposition to what many called a blot on the surburban landscape. LINK

The flats were put on the market via Ellis & Co. with prices: 1 bed £365k, 2 bed £515k-£520k and 3 bed £575k. It now appears that there was a single buyer for all the flats that are not housing for coupled or families but are marketed on hotel websites as Queens Luxury Apartments LINK with the price for a 2 bedroomed apartment around £205 a night.

 

Advertising Extract:

 

Managed by D Property Investing Ltd

Company review score: 9.5Based on 24 reviews from 1 property

1 managed property

---

Property information

Queens Luxury Apartments are positioned on a lavish street a stone throw away from Wembley Park and its stadium, along with its other popular attractions. All apartments benefit from an outside space with high end garden furniture. Each apartment comes with modern high end fixtures, fittings and appliances, not to mention its unique designer furniture. Our apartments are perfect for business or pleasure and also benefit from gated parking. There's something for everyone whether your looking for ground floor with spacious gardens, or penthouse style with great views.

 

The property manager stresses that hen parties etc are not catered for.

 

The question arises as to whether planning officers and planning committee members were duped into approving an application that in no way counts towards provision of housing for the borough or that contributes to Brent Council's housing targets. 

You can see how much potential housing was lost by looking at Queens Luxury Apartments property list for Krishna Court: 

 

The three bed-roomed apartment was cited in the planning discussion as much needed replacement family housing.

A further question is how much of the accommodation approved by the Planning Committee,  on the assumption that it will be sold on the market to long-term residents, is in fact being bought up by propery companies as self-catering holiday let  properties or even just simply land-banked. 

The low voting turn-out of Wembley Park ward, covering the Quintain estate, gives a clue. It was 21% of registered electors just above Stonebrdige at 22.21% and a Brent average of 30.67%/ In contrast Alperton turn-out was 43.6%.

Lastly, one more questiom, does this use as a holiday apartment complex require change of use planning permission?

 

 

Controversial Queens Walk block of flats close to completion

 

The original detached house that had been allowed to fall into disrepair

 

When plans were put forward for the demolition of a detached house, 44 Queens Walk, at the corner of Queens Walk and Salmon Street, Kingsbury, it was met with some opposition because it would be replaced by a block of flats. Residents were concerned that it was out of keeping with the fairly uniform white painted houses of Queens Walk and would open the way to similar developments ,spoiling the suburban character of the area. LINK

Brent Planning Committee agreed the demolition and the new block. The two mature oaks on the site were preserved.  The new development is now almost complete as you can see below.  I understand that an offer to paint the block white ,so as to be in keeping with the rest of Queens Walk, was rejected by planning officers, presumably on the grounds that the modern corner plot block would 'make a statement'.

 The new block, named Krishna Court, has its pedestrian entrance on Salmon Street while its car park and vehicle entrance is on Queens Walk, further separating it from that street.

Today's  pictures:

 View from Salmon Street

The suburban detached houses of Queens Walk in the background
 

The gardens of Krishna Court

UPDATE

The flats are now on the market via Ellis & Co. 1 bed £365k, 2 bed £515k-£520k and 3 bed £575k. I think there are 7 or 8 flats on  the site of what was a single family house so the economics are clear.