Issue - meetings

APPROVED.

Description of Application: Demolition of existing 6 storey 1970s office block and construction of new 5,241m2 10 storey Grade A office block (REVISED PROPOSAL).

The Planning Officer gave a brief presentation providing an overview of the application and update on the report and gave the following responses to Members’ questions:

·  The Planning Inspectorate’s recent dismissal of an appeal with respect to a neighbouring development at 25-27 Elmfield Road was a material consideration for this planning application as it been dismissed on grounds of visual intrusion and overbearingness and the proposed scheme for Devonshire House would be higher.  There were some taller buildings on the opposite side of Elmfield Road, but these were located closer to the town centre while Devonshire House site bordered a residential area of the Palace Estate.  A degree of separation was created by the Kentish Way flyover, but this did not mitigate the visual impact of the proposed development on the residential area.

Oral representations in support of the application were received from the applicant who gave the following responses to Members’ questions:

·  There was a two-tier market for office space in London with an excess of low-quality office space and a shortage in high-quality office space, with demand driven in part by employers seeking to attract staff back to the office in the post-COVID period.  Elmfield Road was designated as a Business Improvement Area and was the prime location for office space in Bromley town centre.  However, the existing office space was of low-quality and some had been lost to residential schemes.  The South East London Chamber of Commerce had endorsed the proposals for Devonshire House which, in seeking to establish Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) compliance, would deliver a sustainable development including in the areas of energy and health and wellbeing.  In response to a question from Councillor Colin Hitchins, the applicant confirmed that there were currently no other office buildings in the Borough that were built to the standard proposed for the Devonshire House scheme. 

·  The lead-in time to commence building works on site would be approximately three years due to the scale of the development but it was not anticipated that there would be any significant changes to building regulations during this period.  In response to a question from Councillor Simon Fawthrop, the applicant advised that space would need to be identified in the local area for the storage of building materials and equipment, but this was the case for any development on a constrained site.  Work was underway to negotiate Section 106 Heads of Terms including contributions towards Carbon Offset and Healthy Streets.  Councillor Simon Fawthrop queried what other public benefits the development would provide such as electric vehicle charging points and requested that water conservation and re-usage also be built into the design.  This was agreed by the applicant, as was a public realm contribution and a suggestion by Councillor Tony McPartlan to include swift nesting bricks. 

·  Councillor Alisa Igoe was concerned to note that the overheating  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15