Store Road, Newham

On behalf of The Hyde Group, we secured planning consent for 163 residential units of mixed tenure in buildings of up to 15 storeys in height.

Challenge

Although the site was allocated for residential development within the emerging Local Plan, its existing designation as protected employment land was addressed at the outset with officers to ensure their support for an application prior to adoption of the emerging Local Plan.

The site was situated between two large development plots – a site to the west which is allocated for mixed use development within the emerging GLA’s Royal Dock and Beckton Waterfront Opportunity Area Planning Framework, and a site to the east which is allocated by Newham for further residential development.

There were a number of design challenges which we worked diligently on with Newham and the GLA to resolve. This included restrictive tall buildings policies, the site’s location within an isolated context and a limit on heights due to the neighbouring London City Airport.

Solution

As part of the designation assessment, we submitted representations to the Local Plan to ensure the policy framework was in place to deliver both residential uses and tall buildings on the site. This included attending and speaking at the Local Plan Examination to ensure a favourable site allocation. This process overlapped with the pre-application stage and to secure a robust site allocation prior to determination of the application.

As the two neighbouring sites had no emerging development proposals, the project team had to devise a potential masterplan for the wider area and demonstrate how our development could operate both on its own whilst not prejudicing future development proposals.

Due to the complexities with the design development and adjoining development parcels, we worked closely with the architect and townscape advisor to produce a ‘vision’ document for the potential masterplan areas to the west and east of the site. This was used as a ‘sales’ document to promote a step change within the area as part of presentations to the Council and GLA. This helped to promote the aspirations for both the site and wider area to meet the client’s requirements within the contract to deliver a tall building.

A financial viability assessment was undertaken, and the scheme secured 44% affordable housing.  The viability assessment was the subject of robust interrogation by the Council and GLA, including detailed discussions around the use of review mechanisms to be secured within the s106.