Agenda item

Proposal:Development of the land to the rear of Reynardson Court, High Road to provide 18 residential homes fronting Rycroft Way, and associated landscaping (Reynardson Court will be refurbished).

The Committee considered the pre-application briefing for the development of the land to the rear of Reynardson Court, High Road, to provide 18 residential homes fronting Rycroft Way and associated landscaping (Reynardson Court to be refurbished).

The applicant team and officers responded to questions from the Committee:

·         In terms of the mature trees and green space on the site, it was confirmed that Haringey had a policy to resist the loss of open space. It was highlighted that, in this case, the space was a non-designated open space so there would need to be an assessment of whether the proposal was offset by any benefits. It was added that there was a policy to protect spaces, including designated and non-designated spaces, and that the site allocation policy allowed for loss/ improvement of open space and trees.

·         It was stated that the building would be four storeys tall, one storey taller than the adjacent building, and lower than two trees on the frontage. The applicant team commented that the proposal was not considered to be excessively tall.

·         In terms of disabled access, it was clarified that a step free route would be maintained to the dwellings. The Committee suggested that disabled parking should be located near the associated dwellings. The applicant team noted that access was currently through the public realm but that this could be reviewed. It was added that the final details for the application were being finalised by the Transport Consultant.

·         The Committee commented that the building design shown in the Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) was fairly stark and it was queried whether the ‘green street’ had sufficient planting. These points were noted by the applicant team. It was explained that the results of the below ground survey had been received and that, following discussions with the Tree Officer, it would be possible to include trees within the plans. It was added that there would be additional trees on Rycroft Way. It was explained that the footway would be subject to ‘greening’ but that there was little capacity on site to set back without reducing the number of units. It was noted that the available space would not allow trees to grow to maturity and that the green space shown in the images was within the demise of the buildings and would be maintained by Homes for Haringey.

·         It was noted that the report suggested that the development would improve quality and safety and the Committee requested further detail. The applicant team explained that it was aimed to incorporate some security features within the landscaping and that Secured by Design had provided some input. It was also commented that previously raised scale and massing issues had been addressed in the current design and it was considered that this was a higher quality build.

·         It was confirmed that the design aimed to minimise overlooking and that there would be approximately 15-16 metres separation from the rear of Reynardson Court. It was added that the rooms facing Reynardson Court would mainly be bathrooms and kitchens, with some bedrooms located on the corners of the building; it was noted that this information could be included in the plans.

·         It was noted that the Quality Review Panel would be considering the proposal in July 2021.

·         In relation to the area for doorstep play, it was clarified that there would be 130m² of play space on site, in accordance with the London Plan requirement, and that 69m² of this would be doorstep play. This was demonstrated on page 34 of the agenda pack.

·         In relation to the refurbishment of Reynardson Court, it was confirmed that each flat would be surveyed and would be brought up to a decent standard. It was also noted that there would be a section 105 housing consultation and wider pre-application public engagement, as well as a formal public planning consultation once the planning application was received. It was added that communications with residents would include confirmation of necessary works to the flats, prospective timescales, and how to contact the engagement team.

·         The Committee also requested that the design of the new build should complement Reynardson Court.

The Chair thanked the applicant team for attending.