Springbank Road - Application for 33 flats

[biccy]

An ouline application has been made for a 5 storey building to house 33 flats at the old station yard, Springbank Road...

OLD STATION YARD, SPRINGBANK ROAD, LONDON, SE13 6SS

The demolition of existing buildings on the Builders Yard site, Springbank Road SE13 and construction of a five storey building comprising

33 residential units
(4 x 1 bed, 16 x 2 bed and 13 x 3 bed)
incorporating balconies/terraces and landscaping,
provision of refuse/bicycle store and
5 car parking spaces.

(Outline Application, but with only landscaping treated as a reserved matter).

The applicants are Chantry Estates on there website are examples of their work including a proposal for the Tile Magic site on Bromley Road.

[clogsilk]

Five storeys seems a lot. I guess they are confident of selling/letting given proximity to the station...

[max]

Which one is the Old Station Yard?

[clogsilk]

According to streetmap it's about halfway down Springbank Road.

[max]

It's the timber yard on the side of the entrance to platform 1.

[clogsilk]

Aha - which used to be a ticket office. Shame to develop it into flats, it would make a great space for the entrance to the Bakerloo line extension.

[Rach]

Great view that will be, staring at a five story building... so so mad.

[max]

I think that 5 storeys could indeed look overwhelming there, but what also should be of concern is the lack of commercial space.
It's a sizable site just outside a busy station entrance and opening on a widening of the pavement where the bus stop is, that could be a very nice and successful commercial space and lift the whole road up. There are some basics missing in Springbank road, and that's that's the opportunity to fill the gap.
I think I will object to this application on this ground.

[clogsilk]

If you wouldn't mind sharing your objection, I may well do the same. I could do with some pointers on what to include.

[max]

Sure, I post it here when I have it ready, which will be after the designs will be available.
By the way, tonight there's the steering group of the Local Assembly and I'll raise the issue.

[BitOfAKlutz]

There should be something in any objections about 33 flats and 5 car parking spaces. While I understand that the building will be next to the train station, I doubt that would stop more than 5 residents wanting cars and I don't think we need more cars parked around the area. Can we suggest underground parking? Does that get diffcult next to a railway line?

Also, 5 storeys doesn't fit with Springbank Road, as I think the current highest is 3, but there is precident for 5 storeys with the Meridian South Development at the other end of Duncrieve Road, so its not total out of character for the area.

[max]

I submitted my objection:

Dear officer,

I'm writing to object to the planning application DC/09/72316/X for the development of the Timber Yard site on Spring Bank Road into a residential develpment of 33 flats.

My main concern is the nature of the proposed development that as purely residential does not include any commercial space.
The site in question is next door but one to a busy entrance to Hither Green Station, an important commuter approach and as such is highly suitable for substantial commercial development.

It is my opinion that the shopping offer on Springbank Road does not reach that critical mass that makes it a viable option for shopping or entertainment for the large number of commuters that daily walk by and that one can safely assume would appreciate being able to buy their shopping on their way home from work.

The redevelopment of this site could offer the opportunity to remedy to the inconvenience that this lack of provision involves, but not with this proposal.

I quote from the Planning, Design and access statement (Ref L/LEW/525/SC/JA/CL67):

The Council concluded that although the site does have potential for redevelopment there are concerns over the loss of the commercial use from the site. It was suggested that a mixed use scheme would be most appropriate. However it is not considered a commercial use would be viable on the basis of demand.

I assume that the ending sentence of this paragraph are considerations of the developer and I disagree with them.
This is a site outside a busy commuter station and provided of a bus stop placed on a very generous widening of the pavement, a small piazza in its own right, a remnant of the time when this was a station entrance.
If that is not commercially viable then nowhere is.

In paragraph 2.23 the developer refers to a rather inconclusive survey of local availability of light industrial premises as a justification to move away from the current use, and in paragraph 2.25 it refers to the vacant units at Meridian South as a reason for not including a commercial component.
Well, a mix development would not include light industry and unlike the units at Meridian South this site is not enclosed in a residential development, a location that makes it hard to derive trade from beyond the immediate surrounding.
Both arguments don't justify the choice of a purely residential site.

Regarding the visual impact the point of view of the prospective drawing provided gives an image where the highest point of the development is in the drawing lower than the nearby houses, despite this development reaching 5 storeys and the nearby houses only 2, one wonders if these drawings express the impact adequately. The side views appear to be very bulky and the drawing k57/09/09 shows a relationship with the nearby building that is not particularly harmonious.

Another concern is the car park provision. It is obviously a perfect site for non-drivers but 5 parking places for 33 dwellings sounds very low especially when the development includes 16x2 bedrooms and 13x3 bedrooms, suggesting a presence of families and a total count of 75 bedrooms.

Kind Regards

[clogsilk]

Good stuff. I have submitted an objection too.

[biccy]

In the documents supporting the application it mentions there are commercial properties opposite but overlooks those to point to the units at Meridian South.

Also, why is the reason the site cannot continue to have a commercial use to be revealed at a later date rather than in the application?

[max]

I just received communication that this application has been refused.