Agenda item

Refurbishment and remodelling of the three buildings with rooftop extensions to provide new office accommodation (class B1) and plant enclosures; new pedestrian access on Ryder Street and alterations to pedestrian access on Bury street; redistribution of uses including flexible retail/gallery/restaurant/

café (class A1.A3) uses at basement, street and Plaza level, additional office floorspace and provision of 4 residential units; hard and soft landscaping works to the Plaza; and associated internal and external alterations.

            A late representation was received from the Twentieth Century Society (14.03.17).

The presenting officer tabled the following amendments to the conditions:

Revised Condition 4

You must provide a minimum of 622sqm of floorspace for use as an art gallery (Class A1).  You must not use it for any other purpose, including any within Class A1 of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 as amended April 2005 (or any equivalent class in any order that may replace it).

Reason:

To make sure that the development is completed and used as agreed, and to make sure that it meets policy CM2.4 of Westminster's City Plan (November 2016).

Revised Condition 5

In the event that you use any of the street/plaza level retail units for Class A3 purposes you must apply to us for approval of an operational management plan, including measures for minimising nuisance from customers to people who live nearby, before the use of each of these units commences. You must not start the restaurant/cafe use of each unit until we have approved an operational management plan for the relevant unit. You must then carry out the measures included in the operational management plan at all times that the restaurant/cafe is in use.

Revised Condition 6

In the event that you use any of the street/plaza level retail units for Class A3 purposes, customers shall not be permitted within any of those restaurant/cafe premises before 0700 or after 2400 (midnight) each day.

Revised Condition 7

In the event that you use any of the street/plaza level retail units for Class A3 purposes, you must apply to us for approval of details of the ventilation system to get rid of cooking smells from each Class A3 unit, including details of how it will be built and how it will look. You must not begin any restaurant/cafe use allowed by this permission until we have approved what you have sent us and you have carried out the work according to the approved details.

Revised Condition 8

You must apply to us for approval of detailed drawings of the design, construction and insulation of the whole ventilation system and any associated equipment for the entire Economist Building complex. You must not start on these parts of the work until we have approved what you have sent us. You must then carry out the work according to the approved drawings. You must not change it without our permission.

Revised Condition 18

You must apply to us for approval of a Delivery and Servicing Management Plan for the entire Economist Building complex.  The plan must identify process, internal storage locations, scheduling of deliveries and staffing. 

You must not commence the Class A1/Class A3/art gallery/office and residential uses hereby approved until we have approved what you have sent us.  You must then operate the development in accordance with these details for the life of the development, unless a revised strategy is approved in writing by us.

Additional Condition 22

No machinery or associated equipment, ducts, tanks or satellite antennae shall extend above the top of or be placed in front of the plant screens on any of the buildings.

Reason:

To make sure that the appearance of the buildings is suitable and that they contribute to the character and appearance of this part of the St James's Conservation Area. This is as set out in S25 and S28 of Westminster's City Plan (November 2016) and DES 1 and DES 6 and paras 10.108 to 10.128 of our Unitary Development Plan that we adopted in January 2007.

            RESOLVED:  That

1.         Conditional permission be granted, subject to the revised and additional Conditions tabled and set out above; and to the completion of a S106 legal agreement to secure:

a)    Free lifetime (minimum 25 years) car club membership for residents of the scheme;

b)    Payment for all necessary highway works to St. James's Street, Ryder Street and Bury Street including changes to footway levels, changes to on-street restrictions, alterations to the vehicle access and adjoining footway and associated work (legal, administrative and physical);

c)    Monitoring costs.

2.         If the agreement has not been completed within six weeks of the date of the Committee resolution then:

a)    The Director of Planning shall consider whether the permission can be issued with additional conditions attached to secure the benefits listed above. If this is possible and appropriate the Director of Planning is authorised to determine and issue such a decision under Delegated Powers.

b)    The Director of Planning shall consider whether permission should be refused on the grounds that it has not proved possible to complete an agreement within the appropriate timescale, and that the proposals are unacceptable in the absence of the benefits that would have been secured; if so, the Director of Planning is authorised to determine the application and agree appropriate reasons for refusal under Delegated Powers.

3.         That conditional listed building consent be granted, and the reasons for granting listed building consent as set out in Informative 1 of the draft decision letter be agreed.