This meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee included the consideration of the minutes of the previous meeting and a planning application for the development of a site at Bell Green Gas Works.

Land at the Former Bell Green Gas Works, Bell Green, London, SE26

This application, submitted by Barratt London, requests permission to build 262 new homes in blocks of 6 to 14 storeys on the site of the former Bell Green Gas Works.

The application has been submitted with a large number of supporting documents, including reports about the potential impact of the development on the local environment and transport network.

The most significant topic discussed was the application's impact on the Grade II Listed Livesey Memorial Hall. The report pack includes the following concerns:

the height of Block E to the rear of the Livesey Memorial Hall creating a dominant overwhelming presence in the immediate setting of the listed building and its bowling green.

and:

the comparable height of blocks B&E creating a continuous built form which fails to respond to the layout of the Livesey site or allow appreciation of this element of its significance to be read.

The report pack also notes that the proposed brickwork for blocks B and E is a similar colour to the Livesey Memorial Hall, and as such is considered harmful.

The application attracted significant comment during the consultation period, particularly with respect to the height of the proposed buildings, and the level of affordable housing included in the scheme. Minutes from a meeting on 26 March 2024 between local residents, the applicant, and the council¹ are included in the report pack, and summarise the objections that were made to the proposals.

The report pack notes that only 30% of the habitable rooms² in the proposed development would be designated as affordable housing, and details a viability assessment justifying why the percentage of affordable housing would be lower than the council's 35% target.

TfL raised a number of objections to the application, and the report pack includes a number of their letters. In a letter dated 7 May 2024, TfL requested that the applicant conduct a night-time Healthy Streets Audit³ of the area, and provide a robust assessment of the distribution of bus trips.

The report pack includes a number of recommended conditions to be attached to the planning permission, including requirements to submit a full Construction Logistics Management Plan, and a Landscape Management and Maintenance Plan. The report pack also recommends the applicant be required to enter into a Section 106 Agreement with the council, including financial contributions towards a number of local initiatives including off-site play facilities and bus service enhancements. The applicant would also be required to ensure that all residents have access to a car club for 3 years.

The report pack recommends that planning permission be granted for the application, subject to the conditions and obligations listed in it.