Agenda item

The Senior Development Management Officer (SDMO), Be First Development Management Team, introduced a report and presentation on an application from LBBD for approval of reserved matters for the development at Padnall Lake, Padnall Road, Romford as detailed below:

Reserved matters application (details relating to access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale) in respect of Development Plots 5, 6 and 7 for the erection of buildings (2 to 11 storeys in height) providing 190 residential units with associated amenity space, public realm, car and cycle parking and other works, pursuant to planning permission 20/01686/FULL (and variation approved under planning application 22/01492/VAR).

In addition to internal and external consultations, a total of 573 notification letters were sent to neighbouring properties together with the requisite statutory and press notices, to which two concerns were received from one respondent, the material planning considerations of which were addressed in the planning assessment set out in the report.

Anna Sinnott, Be First Planning Consultancy Team representing the applicant provided a brief overview of the proposed amendments set out in the application.

The proposed scheme would deliver 190 affordable units, 86 of which would be family sized three-bedroom homes. The architecture and design were considered to be of a very high-quality and fully accorded with the parameters set out under the hybrid planning consent, as amended. The proposed design had benefitted from the input of the independent Quality Review Panel and the GLA, as well as extensive pre-application advice from Be First Officers. The houses reflected an innovative design typology, providing residents with a high-quality amenity space which would be shielded from the A12. Likewise, the flats provided an exemplar standard of accommodation, with all units benefitting from dual aspect and a varied outlook.

The proposed design had resulted in improvements to neighbouring amenity when compared with the illustrative scheme proposed under the extant hybrid planning permission for this phase, with a reduced impact in relation to matters such as daylight and sunlight.

The phase 2 scheme would provide 6,720sqm of landscaped open space in the form of the Linear Park, which would benefit both new and existing local residents. Likewise, the proposals included improvements to the access areas leading into the pedestrian subways, with landscaping and accessibility enhancements, significant urban greening and biodiversity benefit, as well as high-quality play space, which was integrated within the wider landscaping scheme.

Car and cycle parking accorded with planning policy and the parameters set by the outline consent. This phase would also benefit from the provision of an additional car club space, which had been secured under the minor material amendment 22/01492/VAR presented at the meeting prior to this application.

The proposed development would deliver 190 affordable homes, which benefited from a very high standard of design and landscaping, that accorded with all relevant strategy and parameter documents. The development was considered to comply with all relevant planning policies, and therefore,

The Committee RESOLVED to:

1.  Agree the reasons for approval as set out in the report, and

2.  Delegate authority to the Director of Inclusive Growth (or authorised Officer) in consultation with the Head of Legal Services, to approve the reserved matter details, reference 22/01564/REM, based on the Conditions and informatives listed in Appendix 5 of the report.