93-bed care home at Alan Morkill House, Kensington, London W10

What was proposed

The application proposed demolishing the existing care home and building a five-storey care home with up to 93 bedrooms, parking, landscaping and associated facilities.

“PP/25/05588 Agenda Item: N019 Address:Alan Morkill House, 88 St Mark's Road, LONDON, W10 6BY Proposal: Demolition of existing buildings on site and comprehensive redevelopment to provide a new care home (Class C2 - Residential Institution) including up to 93 bedrooms, each with ensuite wet room, plus car and cycle parking, refuse/recycling storage, mechanical and electrical plant, landscaping and amenity areas, and associated works.”

“Vehicular access remains from St Mark’s Road with 6 parking bays are proposed. 1.2The proposed development would retain and enhance the care home provision at the site and is a contextually appropriate, well-articulated, and socially beneficial design that enhances local character and does not result in material harm to the streetscene or heritage assets. Overall, the heritage impacts are assessed as neutral to beneficial.”

Officer report

The site and its history

The care home occupies a prominent corner beside Kensington Memorial Park and the Notting Hill Carmelite Monastery, with an earlier fence application granted in 2009.

“3.The site and its surroundings 3.1 Alan Morkill House occupies a prominent corner plot on St Mark’s Road, bounded by Kensington Memorial Park to the east and the Notting Hill Carmelite Monastery to the west. The site lies outside but adjacent to the Oxford Gardens/St Quintin’s Conservation Area and forms part of a transitional townscape of 4-6 storey post-war and contemporary blocks. Mature trees along St Mark’s Road and within the park frame the sites public frontage.”

“/PP/25/05588:3 3.3There is an unmarked parking forecourt to the building’s rear with approximately 10-12 spaces, accessed directly from St Mark’s Road. The access road does not form part of the development proposals, which additionally services forecourt car parking associated with the neighbouring residential properties to the south.”

Officer report

Who spoke at the meeting

A representative of the Kensington Society spoke against the application, and the applicant’s agent spoke in support.

The committee vote

The committee resolved by majority to delegate authority to grant permission, with one councillor abstaining.

“Resolved by majority (with Cllr Idris abstaining): to delegate authority to the Director of Planning and Place to grant planning permission subject to 1. the satisfactory completion of a legal undertaking or agreement to secure the matters detailed in Section 7 of the officer report and with authority to refuse planning permission if the legal undertaking or agreement is not completed by 30 September 2026 for the reason that the proposed development would not be accompanied…”

Minutes