Agenda item

Proposal:

Berol House

Refurbishment of Berol House (c. 3,300sqm) for a mix of flexible commercial & retail floorspace with 3-storey extension (c. 2,200sqm) at roof level.

2 Berol Yard

2 Berol Yard would comprise a part 6, part, part 18, part 25, part 29, part 30 storey building with lift overrun core incorporating c. 210 Build to Rent (BTR) homes with a mix of flexible retail & commercial floorspace at ground floor level with community floorspace and enabling works for a bridge connection over Watermead Way & the railway line to the east.

The BTR accommodation will include 35% affordable housing by habitable room including homes let at London Living Rent (LLR) and Discount Market Rent (DMR).

The proposal would include associated public realm works and landscaping within the quarter which would include a public square.

The Committee considered the pre-application briefing for:

Berol House

Refurbishment of Berol House (c. 3,300sqm) for a mix of flexible commercial & retail floorspace with 3-storey extension (c. 2,200sqm) at roof level.

2 Berol Yard

2 Berol Yard would comprise a part 6, part, part 18, part 25, part 29, part 30 storey building with lift overrun core incorporating c. 210 Build to Rent (BTR) homes with a mix of flexible retail & commercial floorspace at ground floor level with community floorspace and enabling works for a bridge connection over Watermead Way & the railway line to the east.

The BTR accommodation will include 35% affordable housing by habitable room including homes let at London Living Rent (LLR) and Discount Market Rent (DMR).

The proposal would include associated public realm works and landscaping within the quarter which would include a public square.

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

·         With no objection from the applicant team, some members of the Committee shared a picture of the site from the historical archives. It was requested that the applicant considered restoring the windows on the site to replicate the original windows. The applicant team noted that all windows would be replaced; the detail would be considered very carefully and it would be aimed to find the best alignment between the old and the new.

·         Some members of the Committee raised concerns about the viability of build to rent in the area. The applicant team noted these concerns but stated that there was currently a good degree of interest in the Tottenham Hale area.

·         The applicant team commented that they had used Haringey Council’s Building Control previously and were likely to use them for this scheme.

·         Some members commented that the names for proposals should be named after those who were known to local people.

·         In response to a query about the plans for a digital university on the site, the applicant team noted that they were disappointed that this had not been possible. It was explained that they had worked with the Department for Education (DfE) and the Greater London Authority (GLA) but that the specific conditions of the funding requirements could not be met. It was added that the site had been marketed for academic use for 32 months and had been marketed to the science and technology industries with no success.

·         The Committee asked about the design and colour of the proposals. It was noted that the window detailing had been carefully considered; the proposed design was thought to have a good, industrial quality to the metalwork and both buildings would have the same colour of metal. In relation to the colour choices, the applicant team explained that they had considered using one colour throughout but that, as this was the last piece of development in the area, it was possible to directly reflect the colours of the surrounding buildings and this was considered to be more appropriate.

·         It was confirmed that all spaces in the scheme would be available to all residents. It was also noted that there would be community space as part of the proposal which would overlook the square and public art space.

·         Some members commented that there would be a large influx of population into the area and enquired about the provision of wider welfare facilities and spaces, such as sports areas. The applicant acknowledged the importance of wellbeing and the variety of spaces and activities that were involved. It was noted that the scheme would be designed to make the public realm functional. It was added that, as part of the wider picture, there had been stakeholder work with sports groups in the area in relation to the redesign of Down Lane Park.

·         The Committee asked about the number and direction of single aspect units and whether this would be reduced in the final proposals. The applicant team commented that they did not have precise figures to hand but that there would be more detail in the full Design and Access Statement. It was noted that the design of the buildings, which rose higher and pulled away from surrounding buildings, would provide good visible sky, or Vertical Sky Component (VSC), figures and, although this did not count as dual aspect, the proposed recessed balcony rooms would provide good quality living arrangements.

The Chair thanked the applicant team for attending.