Issue - meetings

Partial demolition of existing buildings, retaining existing historical facade, construction of student accommodation over 3 and 4 floors to provide 64 student rooms and amenities areas.

RECOMMENDATION: grant permissionsubject to conditions and completion of a legal agreement in the form of a Unilateral Undertaking (UU)

The Committee considered a report, previously circulated, on the application to grant planning permission for 2 Chesnut Road, N17 9EN for the partial demolition of existing buildings and construction of a new building to provide 64 units of student accommodation. The report set out details of the proposal, the site and surroundings, planning history, relevant planning policy, consultation and responses, analysis, equalities and human rights implications and recommended to grant permission subject to conditions and completion of a legal agreement in the form of a unilateral undertaking. The Planning Officer, Valerie Okeiyi, gave a short presentation highlighting the key aspects of the report.

The following points were raised in discussion of the application by the Committee:

·        Members sought assurances that sufficient controls were in place to ensure the ongoing use of the development would remain solely student housing and whether restrictions could be put in place to prevent any potential future conversion into hostel/HMO or family accommodation. Officers confirmed that a condition would be attached to approval of the current application prohibiting any development until the developer provided the Council with details of a scheme to ensure the accommodation was used solely by students at an accredited institution and requiring the development thereafter to only be used by full time students at an accredited institution. Any future proposed deviation from this condition in order to convert the development to HMO or family accommodation would require planning permission, with any subsequent application coming before the Planning Committee for determination. The Committee noted this but proposed that condition 6 be further strengthened by adding under the reasons for imposition of the condition that the development was inappropriate for use as an HMO.

·        Confirmation was provided that 64 bike spaces would be provided in the basement for residents use.

·        The Committee expressed general concern regarding how well developers conveyed to prospective residents the restrictions inherent to developments designated as car free schemes. In this case therefore, it was agreed that condition 15 should be amended to require explicit reference to be made within the welcome pack provided to students to the development being car free. At a wider borough level, the Committee asked for that a list of car free developments be added to the Council website to help raise awareness.  

·        Following on from discussions regarding the relatively low level of student accommodation in the borough, the Committee proposed that it would be valuable to liaise and develop links with other London boroughs with more significant stock, for example to help inform the drafting of Development Management Policies etc.

·        In relation to concerns regarding the proximity of the development site to Protheroe House and the potential disruption to residents from construction work, confirmation was provided that officers would take this into account when approving the Construction Management Plan (CMP) for the development. Members also requested that the developer be required to provide wheel washing facilities on site as part of the CMP.

It was requested that an invite be extended to the Committee  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4