Agenda item

Removal of existing third and fourth floor levels and roof top structures and partial demolition of Shelton Street elevation (third floor only); construction of new floor space and internal reconfiguration resulting in part five and part six storey buildings with roof top plant enclosure, to provide flexible commercial use including retail (Class A1), financial and professional services (class A2) restaurant (class A3), office (class B1) and / or assembly and leisure (class D2) at basement and ground floor level and office use (Class B1) at part basement/ground, first to fifth floor level; refurbishment of external elevations; roof terraces, plant, cycle parking and facilities for access and servicing.

A late representation was received from the Covent Garden Area Trust, Covent Garden Community Association and Seven Dials Trust (02.02.2019) and a local resident (05.02.2019).

The presenting officer tabled the following amendments to conditions 4, 12, 15 and 31:

Condition 4 (removal of requirement for an Employment and Training Strategy as the development is not of sufficient scale):

(Pre Commencement Condition). You must not start work on the site until we have approved in writing appropriate arrangements to secure the following.

(i)  Carbon offset payment;

In the case of each of the above benefits, you must include in the arrangements details of when you will provide the benefits, and how you will guarantee this timing.  You must only carry out the development according to the approved arrangements.  (C19AB)

Condition 12: (Applicant’s request to open at 0700)

Customers shall not be permitted within any restaurant (class A3) premises before 0700 or after midnight each day.  (C12AD)

Condition 15:

No music shall be played such as to be audible outside the premises to the nearest noise sensitive, residential receptor.

Condition 31:

You must apply to us for approval of details of the biodiversity living roof together with a management plan, which shall include:

o          a depth of a range between 100 to 150mm of substrate;

o          details on the diversity of substrate depth across the roof to provide contours of substrate. This could include substrate mounded in areas with the greatest structural support to provide a variation in habitat;

o          details on the diversity in substrate type and sizes;

o          details on bare areas of substrate will allow self colonisation of local windblown seeds and the opportunity for solitary bees to nest;

o          details on the range of native species of wildflowers and herbs planted to benefit native wildlife (it is recommended that this be seeded and plug planted). A living roof should not rely on one species of plant life, and species such as Sedum (which are not native) should not be relied on;

o          locations of log piles/flat stones provided as insect breeding and refuge areas;

o         opportunities for bird boxes;

o          details of the management regime to be employed on the roof.

o          The biodiversity (green/brown) roof shall not be used as an amenity or sitting out space of any kind whatsoever and shall only be used in the case of essential maintenance or repair, or escape in case of emergency.

You must not occupy the development until we have approved what you have sent us. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the details so approved and shall be maintained for the life of the development.

RESOLVED (Councillors Gotz Mohindra, Geoff Barraclough, Peter Freeman, Murad Gassanly, Jim Glen and Elizabeth Hitchcock in favour and Councillor Guthrie McKie against):

That conditional permission be granted, subject to amendments to conditions 4, 12, 15 and 31 as set out above and amendments to the servicing condition restricting hours to 08:00 to 20:00 and to the condition in respect of the staircase enclosure next to 12 Dryden Station to incorporate window openings.

PART B

The report below (item 3) is not available for public inspection because the public will be excluded while it is being considered. This report is exempt from disclosure by virtue of the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A Part 1, paragraph 7 (as amended), in that it contains information relating to action taken or to be taken in connection with the prevention, investigation or prosecution of crime.