Agenda and minutes

Planning (Major Applications) Sub-Committee - Tuesday 14th May, 2024 6.30 pm

Venue: 18th Floor, 64 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QP

Contact: Katherine Stagg, Committee and Councillor Coordinator  Email:  kstagg@westminster.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Membership

To note any changes to the membership.

Minutes:

1.1 That Councillor Rachael Robathan has replaced Councillor Robert Rigby as a Member of the Committee.

 

2.

Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations by Members and Officers of the existence and nature of any pecuniary interests or any other significant interest in matters on this agenda.

Minutes:

2.1 The Chair explained that a week before the meeting, all Members of the Sub-Committee were provided with a full set of papers including a detailed officer’s report on each application; together with bundles of every single letter or e-mail received in respect of every application, including all letters and emails containing objections or giving support. Members of the Sub-Committee read through everything in detail prior to the meeting. Accordingly, if an issue or comment made by a correspondent was not specifically mentioned at this meeting in the officers’ presentation or by Members of the Sub-Committee, it did not mean that the issue had been ignored. Members would have read about the issue and comments made by correspondents in the papers read prior to the meeting.

 

2.2 Councillors Butler-Thalassis, Williams, Fisher, Glen and Bush declared that they sat on the Planning Applications (Major) Sub Committee that heard the original planning application for Item 1 in October 2023.

 

2.3 Councillor Paul Fisher also declared interests in Items 1 and 3, that he is the Councillor for the West End Ward.

 

2.4 Councillor Paul Fisher also declared an interest in Item 2 that he holds a professional tenancy in a property close to the Application site.

 

2.5 Councillors Bush, Butler-Thalassis and Glen declared that they had attended a Site Visit, with Officers, for Items 1 and 3 on the agenda but did not discuss the merits of the application.

 

2.6 Councillor Ruth Bush declared an interest in Item 2 that she is a trustee of the Westminster Tree Trust.

 

2.7 Councillor Rachael Robathan declared that she had attended a Site Visit with Officers for Item 3 but had not discussed the merits of the application.

 

 

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 142 KB

To sign the minutes of the last meeting as a correct record of proceedings.

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

 

3.1 That the minutes of the meeting held on 2 April 2024 be signed by the Chair as a correct record of proceedings.

 

4.

Planning Applications

Applications for decision

1.

2-4 Dean Street and 7 Soho Square, London, W1D 3QB pdf icon PDF 2 MB

Minutes:

Phased redevelopment of the site comprising: Phase 1 - Demolition of 2-4 Dean Street and 7 Soho Square and erection of a replacement building on basement, ground and seven upper floors (increasing depth of existing basement) for retail purposes (Class E) on part basement and part ground floors, use of the remainder of the building as offices (Class E); with associated terraces at 5th, 6th and 7th floor levels; provision of roof plant/plant enclosures, cycle parking, waste storage, landscaping works, green roofs, photovoltaic panels and facade lighting; and associated alterations.

 

Additional representations were received from a resident (07.05.24) and Tesco (29.04.24).

 

Late representations were received from Capital City College Group (10.05.24) and The Soho Society (14.05.24).

 

John McRae, representing ORMS, addressed the Sub-Committee in support of the application.

 

Robbie Pitman, representing Hines UK, addressed the Sub-Committee in support of the application.

 

Tim Lord, representing The Soho Society, addressed the Sub-Committee in objection to the application.

 

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY:

 

1.     That conditional permission be granted subject to referral to the Mayor of London and subject to a S106 legal agreement to secure the following obligations:

 

a)     Undertaking of all highways works immediately surrounding the site, to the City Council's specification and at the full cost to the developer (highway works to be agreed prior to commencement of the development);

 

b)     A financial contribution of £268,290 (index linked) towards the Carbon Off Set Fund (payable prior to the commencement of the development);

 

 

c)     'Be Seen' monitoring and reporting on the actual operational energy performance of the building, including as-built and in-use stage data;

 

d)     A financial contribution of £31,184 (index linked) towards initiatives that provide local employment, training opportunities and skills development and supporting the Westminster Employment service (payable prior to the commencement of the development);

 

 

e)    A financial contribution of £25,000 towards the improvement of Public toilet provision within the area defined as the Soho Neighbourhood Area of the Soho Neighbourhood Plan. This was considered and accepted after the decision whether or not to grant had been taken. (This was done at the Chair's direction.)

 

f) Employment and Skills Plan with the following commitments to be met:

        Provision of at least 20 x two-week work experience positions for residents within Westminster during construction, with opportunities provided to residents within Soho in the first instance;

 

        Provision of at least 20 x apprentice positions for residents living within Westminster during construction, with opportunities provided to residents within Soho in the first instance;

 

        Provision of at least five x two-week work experience positions per year during the operation of the building for a period of five years, with opportunities provided to residents within Soho in the first instance;

 

        Provision of at least three end use apprenticeship positions per year during the operation of the building, for a period of five years, with opportunities provided to residents within Soho in the first instance.

 

g)     The costs of monitoring the S106 agreement.

 

2.     That if the S106 legal agreement has  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.

2.

35-37 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PE pdf icon PDF 2 MB

Minutes:

Partial demolition, alterations and extension to existing building for use for non-residential education purposes (Class F1) including associated hard and soft landscaping, roof plant and associated works.

 

Julian Robinson, representing London School of Economics and Political Science, addressed the Sub-Committee in support of the application.

 

Alasdair Graham, representing David Chipperfield Architects Ltd, addressed the Sub-Committee in support of the application.

 

Stephen Lewis, addressed the Sub-Committee in support of the application.

 

RESOLVED TO APPROVE THE APPLICATION (Approve: Councillors Jason Williams, Nafsika Butler-Thalassis, Jim Glen and Rachael Robathan. Refuse: Councillors Ruth Bush and Paul Fisher)

 

1.     That conditional permission be granted subject to a S106 legal agreement to secure the following planning obligations:

 

a)     A financial contribution of £55,288.62 (index linked) towards the Carbon Off-set Fund payable prior to the commencement of development.

 

b)     All costs associated with the reinstatement of redundant vehicle crossovers as footway and associated works to accommodate the Development (including alterations to drainage, lighting, signage, traffic management orders, street furniture, street trees and other highway infrastructure (including all legal, administrative and statutory processes).

 

 

c)     The costs of monitoring the S106 agreement.

 

2.     That if the S106 legal agreement has not been completed within six weeks of the date of this resolution, then:

 

a)     The Director of Town Planning and Building Control shall consider whether it will be possible or appropriate to issue the permission with additional conditions attached to secure the benefits listed above. If so, the Director of Town Planning and Building Control is authorised to determine and issue the decision under Delegated Powers; however, if not;

 

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

 

 

3. That a condition requiring doors to open inwards unless for emergency purposes be included.

 

3.

Former West End Central Police Station, 27 Savile Row, London, W1S 2EX pdf icon PDF 2 MB

Minutes:

Demolition of former police station building, excavation to create new basement 2 level and to enlarge existing basement 1 level, and erection of new building comprising two basement levels, lower ground, ground plus seven storeys plus a roof plant level, delivering new office (Class E) floorspace, new restaurant (Class E) floorspace at partial ground and lower ground floor, new flexible workspace (Class E) and / or training (Class F1) and / or composite use comprising a workspace and training facility (sui generis) at basement 2, amenity terraces, public art, cycle parking, plant, landscaping and all associated works including enabling, highways and other ancillary works.

 

Additional representations were received from C C Land UK (07.05.24), Saville Row Bespoke (07.05.24), The London Academy of Bespoke (08.05.24), Concilio Comms (08.05.24).

 

Late representations were received from Henigman PLP Architecture (13.05.24), Saville Row Bespoke (12.05.24), interested parties (10.05.24, 11.05.24, 11.05.24), Anderson & Sheppard Tailors (10.05.24), Richard James Tailors (13.05.24), Huntsman & Sons Tailors (13.05.24).

 

Dean Main, representing Henigman, addressed the Sub-Committee in support of the application.

 

Jonathan Marginson, representing DP9, addressed the Sub-Committee in support of the application.

 

Mark Henderson, representing The Savile Row Bespoke Association, addressed the Sub-Committee in support of the application.

 

RESOLVED TO APPROVE THE APPLICATION (Approve: Councillors Jason Williams, Paul Fisher, Jim Glen and Rachael Robathan. Refuse: Councillors Ruth Bush and Nafsika Butler-Thalassis)

 

1.   That draft conditions and heads of terms to be agreed by the Chair and circulated to Members of the Committee before referring the Committee’s decision to the Mayor of London