STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT FOR THE GILLETTE SOUTH SITE, GREAT WEST ROAD ROAD, HOUNSLOW

Transcription

1 STATEMENT O COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT OR THE GILLETTE SOUTH SITE, GREAT WEST ROAD ROAD, HOUNSLOW December 06

2 . Background. Polity Communications Ltd was asked by Access Self Storage ( Access ) to organise community Involvement activities relating to their proposals for the regeneration of the former Isleworth House Site, Great West Road, Hounslow. The proposed mixed-use development which formed the subject of the local consultation included 0 apartments, including 34 duplexes all for private rent, a landscaped podium garden of,50 sq. m, 680 sq. m of flexible/affordable work space, an underground storage facility of 7,000 sq. m and public and 40 underground car parking spaces.. The site falls within the Osterley & Spring Grove Ward within the London Borough of Hounslow..3 In formulating pre-application community involvement activities around redevelopment proposals, Access considered how to ensure that residents, businesses and civic societies in the locality of the site could: v have access to information about the scheme; v put forward their own ideas and feel confident that there was a process for considering ideas; v comment on the formal proposals, and; v get feedback and be informed about progress and outcomes..4 Access indicated to officers of the local authority that it wished to respond to the desire expressed in the Council s Statement of Community Involvement (adopted June 03) that encourage applicants of larger schemes to submit to the Council (as part of the planning application) a participation statement of early engagement that describes preapplication community involvement, the representations received and how these have been considered and reflected in the application as submitted. Such consultation is a key feature of current best practice in community involvement in planning and is fully supported by Access.

3 . The Community Involvement Event. The primary objective of the consultation event was to inform local people and seek their views about the proposals for the site prior to the finalisation of a planning application. This was based on a similar event at the same venue which was organised by us on behalf of Access approximately twelve months earlier for the previous draft proposals at the site which were for a mixed-use development including 90 apartments, three town houses, flexible office space, an underground storage facility and public and private landscaping.. The previous community involvement activities at the site in October 05 revealed that the most significant issues raised by participants were matters related to traffic generation, traffic management and parking. Although there was some concern expressed about the height of the proposed building, we felt at that time that there was significant element of consultees who were supportive of the regeneration of the site and the quality of the proposals put forward. The mixed-use nature of the proposals was considered appropriate for the site and some participants wanted to see the inclusion of retail as well..3 The community involvement event comprised an afternoon/evening exhibition held on Monday 7 th October and Tuesday 8 th October 06 between 4pm and 8pm both days at the St rancis of Assisi Community Hall, 865 Great West Road, TW7. The venue was chosen due to its proximity to the site and ease of access for residents and businesses that are most affected by the regeneration proposals. This venue had also worked well on the previous occasion. The intention to hold the exhibition was shared with Hounslow Council planning officers in advance..4 Publicity for the public exhibition was by means of an invitation letter (see Appendix A) that was hand delivered door to door on 0 th October 06 within an identified catchment area (see Appendix B). This catchment was selected by assessing the site and its locality, and the delivery date was chosen in line with our normal practice to notify local residents and businesses just prior to the week preceding a consultation event. Some 800 letters were distributed. 3

4 .5 In addition to the door-to-door distribution of the invitation letter, we also contacted local civic groups (these had been advised previously by local councillors). These included the Osterley and Wyke Green Residents Association and Keep Osterley Green. Individual invitations to the exhibition were sent out to local ward Councillors..6 The planned community event and the subsequent scheduled Planning Development Presentation (see below) featured on Cllr Tony Louki s blog (see The exhibition comprised a series of boards showing the proposed development of the building and sketches illustrating how the development would look (see Appendix D)..8 There were 33 visitors to the exhibition and the team noted feedback from all visitors. Comment forms (see Appendix C) about the proposals were made available and 7 responses were submitted at the exhibition and further s and written correspondence were received..9 The attendance was lower than the previous year (when there were 0 visitors and 39 feedback forms), and there is no obvious explanation for this as the publicity undertaken was the same as previously, including the invitation letter, the catchment for the door to door delivery, timing of distribution (seven days notice) and contact with civic groups..0 ollowing the community involvement event, the development team also participated in a Planning Development Presentation, a relatively new initiative in the London Borough of Hounslow where applicants are given the opportunity to make a presentation about their emerging proposals to the members of the Planning Committee. The public can also attend the presentation and this was held on 0 th October at Hounslow Civic Centre. ollowing a slide presentation by Roy Collado of the architects, a question and answer session followed where members of Council raised several points that were addressed. There were no questions from the public and it was not clear if any local residents were present.. ollowing the submission of the planning application, Précis Management Services Ltd intends to hold a further community event during the Council s statutory consultation period to provide information to residents, civic groups and businesses about the finalised application scheme and responses to issues raised during the pre-application community involvement process. 4

5 3. Key issues and responses 3. The table below is a summary of the feedback received from the community event, the subsequent Planning Development Presentation and s which we received in response to the draft proposals. It is possible that more than one person or organisation may have made the issues or comments set out. The order of the feedback does not reflect any weighting in terms of comments received. Comment/viewpoint Concerned that it will become a social housing area. Parking problems in the area already exist. Major traffic congestion already exists in and around Gillette Corner. CPZ for residents should be in use at weekends to enable residents to park near their homes. Concerned about big lorries over the construction period. The plans are of an interesting concept. Concern over traffic flow in and out of the site. Sufficient information at the exhibition was not provided. Response This is not a planning matter; the scheme aims to provide affordable homes in response to local authority aspirations. The Syon Lane Station Controlled Parking Zone is due to be extended next year, which will help to alleviate existing parking problems. The development proposes limited parking and as such, additional traffic flows will be negligible and will not affect the operation of the local road network. The current high demand for on street parking includes that associated with commuters and local businesses parking during the week. The extended CPZ proposals have been the subject of public consultation and are designed to alleviate existing parking problems. A Construction Logistics Plan will be implemented to minimise the impact of construction traffic. Noted. The site access arrangements have been the subject of a Road Safety Audit and no issues were identified that would prevent it operating in a safe and efficient manner. At the time of the exhibition the scheme was still under development and so not all the information for the proposal was available. Consultation took place at an early stage in line with best practice which supports front loading of community involvement. Much more information will be available once the scheme has been submitted for planning approval. 5

6 Comment/viewpoint What consideration have you given to road traffic congestion? The Gillette Corner/Syon Lane/GWR junction is one of the busiest in the area and is inundated daily during peak times, with queues often stretching back to the M4 bridge along Windmill Lane and Osterley Tube Station along the GWR. Whenever the M4 is closed or restricted, the traffic is even worse. You will be aware that approval has been given for the building of the Nishkam School along Syon lane for 400 pupils. This will generate another 300+ car journeys every morning during the peak. This development will simply add to the congestion and the air pollution. Only 0% will be family homes, which I believe is too little. The CPZ restrictions would be unenforceable. I like the new curved design. To let flats are welcome. A great idea to an upcoming area. Glad to see parking provision has improved. Not convinced that 40 car parking spaces will be adequate and this will lead to parking on the boundaries of the existing and proposed CPZ s. What provision will there be for retired servicemen? Positive scheme, I like the idea. Response Parking on site has been provided at minimum levels to limit the amount of development traffic. The level of additional traffic will not change the nature of the operation of the local road network. The site is located on a busy major road junction with noise and air quality issues surrounding the site. The proposed scheme is also a mixed-use development mixing residential, office and storage facilities. As such, it was felt this is not the most appropriate location for the provision of family housing within the borough. CPZ parking restrictions are enforceable and surveys undertaken in the local area show that demand for parking is lower in controlled parking areas. Noted. Noted. Noted. Noted. Residents of the site will not be able to apply for a permit to park in existing or future controlled parking areas, which will limit car ownership. The site is nearby public transport services, employment areas and other local facilities. The development is therefore somewhere that people can live without owning a car and a car club parking space will be provided to give people access to one when necessary. Nothing specific is planned. Noted. 6

7 Comment/viewpoint Height is still of concern. Very concerned about noise pollution on the Great West Road. What will be construction time? Will the development be left vacant and boarded over if not approved? We have reviewed your plans and are concerned that the proposed apartments to the South West overlook our building (The neighbouring Adini building). The glazed roof lights of the Adini building mean that overlooking by residents could be an issue and request that this is considered further before any planning submission. The proportion of so-called affordable units is very low. Not much point in LBH trying to provide more local housing when residents will simply not be able to afford to buy or rent. Witness the developments elsewhere e.g. Brentford High Street and Kew Bridge. storeys still too high the point of reference is the lower scale western residential development not the Gillette Tower/Homebase Tower. On South side of site along Northumberland Avenue is a wall which is believed to be part of the former Syon Hill House and Observatory which belonged to the Duke of Marlborough. What is the intention for this wall? urther information required on the affordable offer for the scheme and how nominations for the affordable homes would operate. Response Noted. Verified views are being prepared as part of the planning submission which further demonstrate the proposed massing. A Noise Impact Assessment has been done for the site and proposed scheme. The massing, ventilation strategies and internal layouts have all been designed to mitigate the noise impact of the Great West Road. This is expected to be 30 months. If no planning permission is granted Access will be unable to build on this site. Internal layouts and terrace planting have taken this into consideration. Internal layouts and terrace planting have taken this into consideration. The scheme is designed as a build to rent scheme this means that all flats will be owned by Access and rented out. The number of these rented at a reduced rate will be agreed with the London Borough of Hounslow. The proposal sits between both these contrasting contexts. The northern elements of the site respond to the Great West Road and commercial surroundings however the southern edge has been designed to respond to the lower scale western developments. The decorative section of the wall sits on the neighbouring site. There is no intention to touch that section of the wall. The poorer quality lower level wall, which is topped with barbed wire is proposed to be demolished. This is covered in further detail in the Townscape and Heritage Consultants report. This is part of an ongoing discussion with the London Borough of Hounslow. 7

8 Comment/viewpoint Clarity required on what is meant by family-sized units and the numbers that will be provided. Tall buildings inevitably result in poor design and living conditions for residents. Is this location an appropriate one for families? Greater clarity on comparative building heights required along with justification of the proposed height of the new building. Could there be increased car parking provision? Is the proposed amount of amenity space compliant with London Borough of Hounslow standards? Would it be possible to provide more cycle parking beyond minimum standards? Greater notice requested for any future consultation events 0 days suggested. Response The London Borough of Hounslow defines these as units with three bedrooms or more. There are 0 of these proposed. This is a matter of opinion. The tall element of the scheme contains a large number of duplex units. These exceed London Plan areas creating larger living spaces than required. These all benefit from south facing living rooms and large balconies. It is out opinion that the Great West Road and Gillette Corner Junction do not provide the best surroundings for family units. However, a number of family sized units have been provided. These are largely located in the smaller section of the building at the South of the site. This building is the furthest from the main roads and busy junction and protected from these by the taller element. Please see the Design and Access Statement and Planning Drawings where further clarity has been given as requested. Additional car parking is not considered necessary and restricting provision in this area is appropriate given the accessibility of the site and high levels of traffic on the existing road network. The amount provided is in accordance with London Plan standards and has been increased following consultation through the introduction of two new additional roof terraces. ull details can be found in the supporting Landscaping strategy which forms part of the planning submission. Cycle parking has been increased to provide more than is required by minimum standards. It is our normal practice to give 7 days notice as extensive experience suggests that this achieves a good balance between giving sufficient notice and minimising the possibility that invitees will forget that an event is taking place because it is too far ahead. In the case of the next proposed information event on this scheme, we will give a minimum 0 days notice. 8

9 4. Conclusions 4. The community involvement programme for the development of the ormer Isleworth House Site, Great West Road, Hounslow site was designed with best practice in mind and in consultation with the London Borough of Hounslow. 4. Considerable efforts were made to engage with key stakeholders and the local community. In our experience, participation from the local community was below average for this type of exercise and below what we experienced at the previous consultation in October 05 where participation was above average. The participation in the Planning Development Presentation was positive as it helpfully supplemented feedback we received from the public event. 4.3 Overall, the community involvement exercise revealed that the most significant issues raised by participants were matters related to traffic generation, traffic management and parking. This is not unusual in urban areas in London and the south-east. Although there was some concern expressed with regard to the height of the proposed building, we felt that there was significant element of consultees who were supportive of the regeneration of the site and the quality of the proposals put forward. The mixed-use nature of the proposals was considered by many consultees to be appropriate for the site. As a result of the feedback received during preapplication consultation, the following amendments were made to the scheme: revised elevational treatment, further articulation of elevations and further research on materiality; increases in communal amenity space, through the incorporation of two additional roof terraces; introduction of yellow box markings at the junction of Syon Lane and Northumberland Avenue to discourage queuing traffic from blacking the access; provision of safety audit of the Northumberland Avenue/Syon Lane junction; and increase in cycle parking provision and inclusion of a cycle lift to the basement. 4.4 Access Self Storage is open to continued dialogue during the post application submission process and as noted above, will hold a further public exhibition of the finalised plans. 9

10 APPENDIX A: Invitation Letter 0

11 Public Affairs Level, Devonshire House One Mayfair Place London WJ 8AJ T: ! 0 th! October!06! Dear!Resident/Neighbour,!!! INVITATION!TO!VIEW!PROPOSALS!OR!THE!ORMER!ISLEWORTH!HOUSE!SITE,! GREAT!WEST!ROAD!(KNOWN!AS!GILLETTE!CORNER!SOUTH)!! ollowing!on!from!local!consultation!last!year,!i!write!to!invite!you!to!come!and!find!out!more!about! revised!proposals!at!the!above!site!(approximately!outlined!in!red).!! An!exhibition!will!take!place!on!Monday!7 th!october!and!tuesday!8 th!october! 06!between!4pm! and!8pm,!at!st!rancis!of!assisi!community!hall,!865!great!west!road!tw7.!plans!will!be!available!and! the!development!team!will!be!present!to!answer!any!questions!you!may!have!and!importantly!take!on! board!any!suggestions.!! This!is!a!good!opportunity!for!local!residents!and!businesses!to!view!the!plans!for!the!proposed! development!and!give!feedback!prior!to!a!planning!application!being!submitted!to!the!london!borough! of!hounslow.!!! If!you!cannot!make!the!exhibition,!you!can!find!out!more!by!contacting!me!or!my!colleague!Lee!Jameson! on!007!4!070!or!by! ing!lee@polityuk.com!i!do!hope!that!you!will!be!able!to!make!the!session! next!monday!or!tuesday.! Yours!sincerely,!! Martin!Hughes! Director!!

12 APPENDIX B: Distribution catchment for letter

13 3

14 APPENDIX C: Exhibition questionnaire 4

15 ORMER ISLEWORTH HOUSE SITE, GREAT WEST ROAD (KNOWN AS GILLETTE CORNER SOUTH) Monday7th October & Tuesday 8 th October EEDBACK ORM Please fill on your details and give us your views on the exhibition today. All feedback will be reviewed by the team in the ongoing design process and taken into account. Name Address Your comments Thank you. If not completed at the exhibition please return to Polity Communications, Level, Devonshire House, One Mayfair Place, London, WJ 8AJ or lee@polityuk.com 5

16 APPENDIX D: Exhibition boards 6

17 Gillette South Welcome Thank you very much for attending this public presentation of the draft plans for the regeneration of the Gillette South site. The site is owned by Access Self Storage, one of the country s largest and fastest growing self-storage companies with twenty years experience and over 50 locations. A vacant, brownfield site at present, a good opportunity exists to create a gateway building to mark the Golden Mile, offering a mix of uses which includes a self-storage facility, affordable workspace and new homes. The purpose of today is to gather community feedback prior to the finalisation of a planning application. Access held a similar event last year and the results of previous community consultation have been taken on board in developing the latest revised proposals. Members of the team would be pleased to answer any questions and we would be very grateful if you would leave us your comments on one of our feedback forms. View along the A4 View from the junction Site Photograph View of Adini building along the A4 View from Syon Lane View along Northumberland Avenue SYON LANE STATION 3D view showing site location View of site 7

18 Gillette South Our Proposal The key elements of the emerging proposals are: Self-storage facility Reception area and offices; Concealed loading bay and parking; Underground self-storage space of approximately 7,000 sq. m. Public realm New active frontages on Syon Lane, Great West Road and Northumberland Avenue and widened footpaths. lexible/affordable workspace Approximately 680 sq. m. providing space for about 70 people. Residential 0 apartments including 34 duplexes, all for private rent; A landscaped podium garden for residents use of approximately,50 sq. m; Provision of family units and affordable discounted rents; 40 car parking spaces underground and provision for car club. The proposed height on the corner of the site works with the towers of the Gillette and Homebase developments to frame and define the junction. * * 3 Gillette corner View : Along the Great West Road looking East View : rom Syon Lane looking South View 3: Along the Great West Road looking West 8

19 Gillette South Appearance and Architecture Along the Golden Mile and Great West Road are a number of impressive Art Deco buildings including the Gillette actory opposite. The architecture seeks to reference these buildings in a contemporary way with its geometry and use of materials. In contrast with previous ideas for the site, the main massing of the proposed buildings has been pushed to the edges to ensure that separation distances are maximised. This ensures the least impact on neighbours yet at the same time creates a protective barrier between the noisy Great West Road and residential areas to the south. The tallest element of storeys reduced in height in comparison with previous proposals is along the frontage of the Great West Road and reflects the prominent landmark location of the site. To the south and the west of the site, the proposed buildings are stepped down in height to 4 storeys and also further broken up along Northumberland Avenue to respond to the domestic streetscape. Massing and Overlooking The main massing of the scheme has been pushed to the edges with the least impact on the residential neighbours. ~78m ~60m ~3m ~5m Plan diagram Precedent images Elevation study Elevation study 9

20 STATEMENT O COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT GILLETTE SOUTH SITE, HOUNSLOW Gillette South Residential Uses The site lends itself well to residential development and the aim is to provide a fully rented scheme which will be professionally managed to a high standard by Access as an extension of their existing business. Similar schemes are being taken forward elsewhere. Discussions are taking place with the Council on affordable provision, where apartments are provided at discounted rents to meet local needs. The building on the southern edge of the site along Northumberland Avenue has been designed as a family specific block, where three-bedroomed apartments will be located. All accommodation will be high quality and provided to a single standard. Duplexes are provided along the Great West Road providing views both to the north towards the Gillette actory and to the south looking into the proposed podium amenity space. The main residential entrance will be on Northumberland Avenue. D D D D D D D D D 3 Main Residential Entrance Northumberland Avenue Secondary Residential Entrance Great West Road Private Road Car Lifts Ground floor plan Residential building along Great West Road / Syon Lane Residential building along Northumberland Avenue 3 Private Landscaped Podium Garden lat D Duplex Podium floor plan Base_ L 0 Copy N : 50 NOTES Rev Notes Date Do not scale from this drawing. Check all dimensions on site. Site levels to be read in conjunction with topographical survey. Subject to site inspection. This drawing is to be read in conjunction with all other contract/tender documentation (as applicable) and & all documents prepared by other consultants. In accordance with third party agreements AREAS Refer to area schedule By ColladoCollinsArchitects Auth 0m m 4m 6m 8m 0m 7 9 oley Street VISUAL SCALE A London WW 6DW T Copyright Reserved. ColladoCollins Partners LLP Office and PRS residential scheme Raynes Park Access Self Storage, office and PRS residential scheme Streatham High road Office and PRS residential scheme Raynes Park Checked by: 0/3/6 Author Checker A: : 50 Date: Drawn By: info@colladocollins.com A3: CAD ile No: Access Self Storage Gillette Corner Unnamed CONSTRUCTION 0908 DAS Podium plan Revision

21 Gillette South Storage acility and lexible Office Uses Access Self Storage has developed an expertise over many years in managing secure storage facilities. The proposed storage facility consists of a central reception, enclosed loading bays and associated offices. It will serve both commercial and domestic users. In addition, a key part of the proposal is to provide flexible and affordable office space which will activate the ground floor of the Great West Road frontage. Access has run similar offices at a number of their sites across London and these have been very popular with new and growing small businesses. Access Office Space Individual offices Access Office Space Open plan office space Access Self Storage Reception Access Self Storage Loading Bay Commercial spaces at ground floor Access Commercial Case Studies Bee Good was founded in 008 to create a brand of beeswax-based skincare range. They located their business at the Access Self Storage facility in Basingstoke. The flexibility in storage space and the potential to expand or reduce the amount of space that they needed to run their business has helped them keep costs under control. The facilities that they were able to enjoy on site allowed them to accommodate the shipping companies used by their supermarket clients. They are now an award-winning national brand which is stocked in over 00 Waitrose and enwick stores. Quite simply, Bee Good would never have got this far, this quick without Access storage and the guys at the Basingstoke premises. Simon Cavill, Co-founder of Bee Good Sous Chef was founded in 0 to provide specialist ingredients to home chefs and adventurous foodies through their website. They have used the flexible storage pace and office space at the Access facility in Hornsey to grow the business. The company now has over 50,000 customers including Michelin starred restaurants in Europe and the website the company operates is widely recognised by food writers as the go-to shop for all cooking needs. As we have got larger, the team at Access Self Storage Hornsey has delivered all the resources we needed to grow. All without the headache of long-term contracts and unforeseen expenses that go with traditional commercial premises. Nick Carter, Co-founder of Sous Chef

22 Gillette South Site Access and Transportation The site is highly accessible by public transport within easy walking distance to Syon Lane railway station. Equally, there are a number of nearby bus stops and the London Underground Stations of Osterley and Boston Manor are just over a mile away. Great West Road also benefits from a dedicated cycle route. The proposal seeks to introduce active frontages around the site and enhance the street-level environment with wider footpaths and planted borders. Provision for an off-road cycle route is proposed, linking up with the existing route on the Great West Road. The proposal envisages a single site access and egress via Northumberland Avenue with no direct access onto the Great West Road. A controlled barrier will ensure that there is no unauthorised access. Internally within the site, there will be an entrance into a ground floor covered loading bay and parking for the self-storage facility. Also at ground floor level, there will be an additional dedicated area for servicing the offices as well as provision for a car club vehicle. Within a proposed first level basement, some 40 car parking spaces will be provided for use by residents. These will be reached by two car lifts. New residents will not be able to apply for parking permits in the existing and extended Controlled Parking Zones (CPZ s) in the area. Tesco Gillette actory Direction to Boston Manor Tube Station GILLETTE SOUTH SITE Petrol Station Direction to Osterley Tube Station Homebase Syon Lane Transport location plan 3 Controlled Parking Zone plan 6 Vehicular Site Entrance 5 Car Club and Visitor Parking 4 3 Gate / Secure Line 3 4 Car Lifts down to Basement Residential Parking 5 Private Road 6 3 Covered Loading Bay Pedestrian Residential Entrance Pedestrian Office Entrance Pedestrian Storage Entrance Street level plan

23 Gillette South Landscaping and Amenity Space At street level, there are a number of ways to enhance the public realm around the site through the introduction of street trees, hedges and raised planting beds. Wider footpaths creating much more spacious and safer pedestrian routes will be provided around the boundary of the site. The large podium garden will provide excellent private amenity space that will be screened from the Great West Road and protected from its noise and pollution. This takes advantage of the southerly aspect and the buildings have been designed to allow high levels of sunlight into this space. Ground floor plan Landscape plan Sketch of podium garden Podium / garden precedents 3

24 Gillette South Summary and Next Steps Thank you very much for attending this exhibition. We welcome your feedback. Please fill in a feedback form and leave it with us. Outline timetable The proposals for Gillette South have been conceived to deliver the following benefits: Regeneration of a prominent vacant brownfield site; Activation of the frontage along Great West Road; Creation of a landmark building; Use of high quality materials and excellence in design; Improved and widened public realm; lexible offices targeted at small businesses creating and providing local jobs; Managed residential apartments for rent; Affordable homes and family sized accommodation meeting local needs; Location of buildings to maximise separation distances from nearby properties; Large proportion of new homes with southern aspect; Self-storage facility contained within the internal fabric of the building; Podium garden shielded from busy local road network giving excellent amenity space; Buffer to noise created by heavy traffic; Greening of the streetscene; Entire site managed by owner. Now Winter 05/ Community Consultation Planning Submission Planning Decision Start of Construction Completion Design Development Planning Process Detailed Design Construction View along Northumberland Avenue 4