Agenda item

Members considered the following planning application report:-

Oral representations in support of the application were received from the applicant’s agent, Mr Mark Hoskins.  Mr Hoskins made the following points:-

·  Having been selected to progress the regeneration of the Old Town Hall, Cathedral Hotels recognised that as well as providing a unique opportunity, there was also a significant responsibility for them to deliver a new scheme which would respect the historic identity of the building and its surroundings.  Extensive collaboration had taken place with key stakeholders including the Council’s officers, Historic England and CABE.

·  The proposed mixed-use development scheme fulfilled the aspirations for Site C of the Bromley Town Centre Area Action Plan.

·  The diverse mix of boutique hotel, restaurants and residential uses would add to the vitality of the town centre.

·  The hotel and restaurant uses alone were expected to deliver 120 fte jobs.

·  In heritage terms, the proposed hotel and restaurant use for the Old Town Hall represented a very ‘good fit’ and would provide compatible uses for the existing building resulting in minimal physical change to the fabric of the Grade II listed structure.  It would also safeguard the viable reuse of a building which Historic England had identified as a ‘building at risk’.

·  The quality of design had been a paramount consideration since the inception of the project both in respect of the changes to the Old Town Hall and the new apartment building. All stakeholders had been integral to the process of design, evolution and refinement.

·  The proposals for the Old Town Hall would involve removal of the insensitive 1970s additions at the rear and replacing them with sympathetic extensions remaining wholly subservient to the host building.

·  The enabling residential scheme upon the South Street Car Park Site had been configured to knit with the existing urban environment, being of appropriate scale and mass, retaining a significant landscaped corridor fronting Tweedy Road and incorporating a cranked main elevation to enhance vistas towards the listed Town Hall and East Street.

·  The proposals complied with relevant planning policy in all respects. Furthermore, due to the significant merits of the scheme in regeneration, economic and heritage terms, a multitude of other planning considerations weighed heavily in favour of the proposals.

·  The Old Town Hall was a building which had rather lost its way in recent years. This scheme would help restore it as a focal point within the town centre creating an asset unique to Bromley.

In response to Member questions, Mr Hoskins considered that due to its town centre location, the target market for the residential properties would be aimed mainly at young professionals and possibly older residents but would also attract people who recognised the benefit of town centre living.

With regard to concerns raised in relation to the single pick up/drop off bay at the front of the hotel, Mr Hoskins reported that the provision of parking was essential for the operational management of the hotel.  Discussions had taken place with TfL in this regard and relevant parties would explore long-term options for parking on other sites and the possible provision of a valet service in the future.  In the meantime however, town centre parking was located nearby.  Discussion had also taken place to ensure the bay would not cause traffic congestion and the Fire Service had been approached to ensure emergency vehicles would not be obstructed.

The Development Control Manager reported the following:-

·  Comments from Ward Member Councillor Michael Rutherford in support of the application had been received and circulated to Members.

·  The Waste Adviser had raised no objections to the application.

·  Under the head ‘Old Town Hall’ on page 15 of the report, the beginning of the first sentence was amended to read:- ‘The original Town Hall faces Tweedy Road……’

·  The ninth bullet point on page 16 of the report was amended to read:- ‘Alterations to the Tweedy Road hotel entrance……..’

·  The second paragraph on page 32 should refer to 28 car parking spaces, not 26 as reported.

·  The final paragraph of the description of development set out on page 15 of the report was amended to read:- ‘Planning permission for the erection of a 5-storey residential apartment building (Class C3) containing 53 units (18 x 1 bed, 34 x 2 bed, 1 x 3 bed), with basement parking for 28 cars and 108 cycle parking spaces upon the neighbouring South Street Car Park, together with associated landscaping and public realm improvements.’

·  The proposed conditions were amended to run in numerical order.

·  The Accommodation Schedule for the South Street Car Park phase was added to the list of documents.

·  A Plan A-117 Rev P1, relating to typical layouts for hotel rooms was added to the list of documents.

·  For the sake of clarity, minor amendments were made to conditions 9, 12, 13, 14, 17, 22, 23, 26, 28, 37, 40 and 44.

The Chairman considered the site to be of significant importance and remarked that the listed building had remained vacant for far too long.  The submitted proposals were of excellent design which accorded with the Council's Area Action Plan and Members were encouraged to recognise the commerciality of town centre schemes.  The listed building would be retained as a result of the development which would have minimal impact on the surrounding area.  The erection of five storeys was not considered too excessive and the proposed parking provision was adequate.  The site was located in an area with access to good public transport together with several public car parks in close proximity.  The Chairman fully supported the proposals and moved that the application be granted. 

Councillor Buttinger seconded the motion to approve the application and requested the condition regarding landscaping include a requirement for replacement trees to be of an indigenous species.

It was agreed that the current building had outlived its office use.  The proposed development was of good quality design and would result once again, in the building being made available to the general public.  The residential element of the proposals was required to make the scheme viable and would be well-placed in the town centre with accessibility to good transport facilities. There was some concern that the proposed taxi area (which would also be used as a ‘cellar drop’), may cause traffic congestion and in this regard, it was suggested that underground car parking for hotel users could be provided at South St Car Park.

Councillor Fawthrop did not support the application on the grounds that the large number of visitors to the hotel could result in an overspill of traffic in Bromley as a whole.

Councillor Carr considered valet parking could be made available to guests; a service which need not necessarily be in close proximity to the hotel.

In summing up, Members agreed that the Old Town Hall was a beautiful building both internal and external which must be maintained and accessible for public use. 

Members having considered the report and representations RESOLVED that PERMISSION BE GRANTED (SUBJECT TO THE PRIOR COMPLETION OF A SECTION 106 AGREEMENT) as recommended and subject to the conditions and informatives set out in the report of the Chief Planner with amendments to conditions 2, 4, 19, 30, 37 and 40 as follows:-

Condition 2:  Include amended plans received since the report was written including minor amendments i.e. details of rooms in the Old Town Hall accessible by wheelchair and a detailed drawing of the Court Street pavement ramp.

Condition 4:  Amended to read:-

‘No demolition of any part of the Old Town Hall shall take place until a contract has been let for the implementation of the Old Town Hall part of the development hereby approved.

Reason: To comply with Policy BE8 of the Unitary Development Plan and to ensure that approved demolition takes place within the context of a scheme for improvement to the Old Town Hall and not on a random basis.’

Condition 19: Amended to read:-

‘Before any work on site is commenced, energy strategy assessments and strategies for reducing carbon emissions shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority simultaneously for each phase.  The result of these strategies shall be incorporated into the final design of the buildings prior to first occupation in accordance with the approved documents.  The strategies shall include measures to allow the development to achieve an agreed reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of at least 35% above the TER level required by the Building Regulations 2013.  The development should aim to achieve a reduction in carbon emissions of at least 20% from on-site renewable energy generation.  The final designs, including the energy generation shall be retained thereafter in operational working order and shall include details of schemes to provide noise insulation and silencing for and filtration and purification to control odour, fumes and soot emissions of any equipment as appropriate.

Reason: In order to seek the most up to date scheme at the time of implementation and to achieve compliance with the Mayor of London’s Energy Strategy and Policy 5.2 and 5.7 of the London Plan 2011.’

Condition 30: Amended to read:-

‘(i)  Before any part of the Old Town Hall part of the site hereby permitted is first occupied, bicycle parking (including covered storage facilities where appropriate) shall be provided in accordance with details submitted and approved and the bicycle parking/storage facilities shall be permanently retained thereafter.

(ii)  Prior to the commencement of the South Street Car Park part of the development hereby permitted, details of bicycle parking (including covered storage facilities where appropriate) shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority.  The cycle storage will be provided in accordance with approved details prior to the first occupation of any of the units and shall be permanently retained thereafter.

Reason: In order to comply with Policy BE1 of the Unitary Development Plan and in order to provide adequate refuse storage facilities in a location which is acceptable from the residential and visual amenity aspects.’

Condition 37: Amended to read:-

‘The use of the restaurants hereby permitted shall not operate before 7 am or after 12.30 am the following day, on any day, with the last customer entry no later than 11 pm.

Reason: To comply with Policy BE1 of the Unitary Development Plan and in the interests of the amenities of the area.’

Condition 40: Amended to read:-

‘The hotel and ancillary hotel restaurant within the Old Town Hall part of the site shall be used as a hotel and for no other purpose (including any other purpose in Class C of the schedule to the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 or in any provision equivalent to that Class in any statutory instrument revoking and re-enacting that Order with or without modification).

Reason: To comply with the submitted plans and Policy BE1 of the Unitary Development Plan and in order to enable the Council to reconsider any change of use with regard to the listed building and in the interests of the amenities of the area and the vitality and viability of the town centre.