Mixed-use regeneration scheme at Land Bounded By North End Road, Earl's Court

What was proposed

The hybrid application proposed demolition and phased mixed-use redevelopment, including up to 2,044 outline homes and four detailed buildings with 456 homes and 696 student rooms.

“Description: Hybrid planning application (part in detail and part in outline) for demolition and alteration of existing buildings and structures and phased redevelopment to include landscaping, car and cycle parking, means of pedestrian, cycle and vehicular access and routes and mixed-use development above and below ground level and all associated and ancillary works and structures including temporary development, highway and infrastructure works and structures, comprising:”

“Detailed proposals for four buildings (to comprise 92,973 sqm GEA), ranging between 13 and 42 storeys in height (up to +158m AOD) for a mix of uses including: residential use (Use Class C3) to provide 456 homes (Use Class C3), student accommodation, delivering up to 696 rooms and non-residential floorspace comprising: up to 3,235 sqm GEA of flexible retail, food & beverage, commercial and/or cultural floorspace (Use Classes E(a)/(b)/(c)/F/sui generis); 2,113 sqm GEA leisure…”

Officer report

The site and surroundings

The application site covered about 10 hectares of a larger brownfield area containing railway infrastructure, former exhibition land, a depot and existing buildings.

“The ‘Earls Court’ development site occupies an area of approximately 18 hectares and straddles two London boroughs: the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (‘LBHF’ or ‘LBHF’) and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (‘RBKC’). The administrative borough boundary divides the Earls Court site from Lillie Road (south) to West Cromwell Road (north). ‘Earls Court’ is the largest brownfield site in the borough.”

“The Application Site 2.5 The Development site in LBHF has an irregular shape due to the railway and underground infrastructure and covers an area of some 10.14 hectares (56% of the Earls Court site). The topography of the site is varied with an approximate 8m difference in site levels across the site. The general character of the site is split into the following land parcels:”

Officer report

Earlier permissions and uses

Earlier outline permissions led to demolition of the former exhibition buildings, but redevelopment did not progress; temporary meanwhile uses subsequently activated parts of the site.

“Original Outline Permission 3.2 In 2013, the former owners of the site obtained Outline Planning Permission or ‘OPP’ from the two boroughs for a comprehensive residential-led, mixed-use redevelopment for land in LBHF and RBKC. This permission was for a 27- hectare development that covers most of the current application site.”

“Meanwhile Uses 3.7 Temporary ‘meanwhile’ uses have been permitted in recent years, mostly on parts of the former exhibition centre (EC2) land, as a means of activating the site. This has included the following:”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended approval subject to a legal agreement, conditions and no contrary direction from the Mayor, citing regeneration, housing, employment, public benefits and mitigation.

“That the Committee resolve that, subject to there being no contrary direction from the Mayor for London, that the Director of Planning and Property be authorised to grant planning permission upon the completion of a satisfactory legal agreement and subject to the conditions listed below.”

“That the Committee resolve that the Director of Planning and Property, after consultation with the Assistant Director of Legal Services and the Chair of the Planning and Development Control Committee be authorised to make any minor changes to the proposed Heads of Terms of the legal agreement or proposed conditions, which may include the variation, addition or deletion of conditions, and any such changes shall be within their discretion.”

Officer report

Who spoke at the meeting

The applicant’s development company representatives, a local resident and two ward councillors addressed the Committee; no objectors registered to speak.

The vote

The Committee unanimously voted for both officer recommendations, with no votes against and nobody not voting.

“The Committee voted on the officer recommendations for approval as amended by the Addendum and verbal Addendum as follows:”

“Minutes are subject to confirmation at the next meeting as a correct record of the proceedings and any amendments arising will be recorded in the minutes of that subsequent meeting. Recommendation 2:”

Minutes

The decision

Permission was authorised subject to a satisfactory legal agreement, conditions, the report amendments and no contrary direction from the Mayor of London.

“That, subject to there being no contrary direction from the Mayor for London, that the Director of Planning and Property be authorised to grant planning permission upon the completion of a satisfactory legal agreement and subject to the conditions listed in the report as amended by the Addendum and verbal Addendum.”

“That the Director of Planning and Property, after consultation with the Assistant Director of Legal Services and the Chair of the Planning and Development Control Committee be authorised to make any minor changes to the proposed Heads of Terms of the legal agreement or proposed conditions, which may include the variation, addition or deletion of conditions, and any such changes shall be within their discretion.”

Minutes