Student accommodation and shops at Matalan Discount Club, London NW2

The site and surroundings

The site was a 0.91-hectare retail building and car park beside Cricklewood Broadway, near residential streets, Longley Way and Temple Road.

“The surrounding development is predominately residential, comprising of 2-storey terraced dwellings on Temple Road to the south, 2 and 3-storey blocks of flats in Stoll Close to the west, and 2-storey terraced dwellings on Gratton Terrace (within the London Borough of Barnet and the Railway Terraces Cricklewood Conservation Area) to the east.”

Officer report

Who spoke

A supporter’s written comments, a residents’ association representative and the applicant’s agent addressed the committee about regeneration, scale, housing need, design and impacts.

What members discussed

Members questioned student demand, affordable family housing, building height, heritage, daylight, management, transport, cycle storage and whether the area could absorb more student accommodation.

“Members sought clarification on paragraph 17 on Page 39 of the Committee Report stating that London Policy H15A supported purpose-built student accommodation provided that at the neighbourhood level, the development contributed to a mixed and inclusive neighbourhood and asked if this scheme met that criteria. Victoria McDonagh explained that this referred to an over concentration of student accommodation.”

“Members highlighted that policy D9 was not compliant with the Tall Building Zone nor was it assisting with the housing crisis and it seemed like many developers were coming forward for student accommodation schemes, which may be deemed to be more viable than private housing schemes.”

Minutes

The committee’s decision

The committee granted permission subject to the Mayor’s Stage 2 referral, a satisfactory Section 106 agreement, conditions and informatives, by five votes to three.

“The Committee RESOLVED to grant planning permission subject to:”

“(1) The applications referral to the Mayor of London (Stage 2 referral) and the prior completion of a satisfactory Section 106 legal agreement to secure the planning obligations as detailed within the main committee report.”

Minutes