The Planning Sub-Committee was scheduled to discuss two planning applications, as well as a series of decisions that had been made by officers under delegated powers.

270-276 Kingsland Road

This application sought permission for:

Erection of rear extension at third and fourth levels and erection of an additional storey at fifth floor level to facilitate the provision of nine self-contained residential units with terraces and an extension to an existing unit at third floor level; restoration of lift core; levelling of slab at basement level and alterations to the front and rear elevations to provide a rear entrance, replace existing windows and provide cycle, refuse storage, Air Source Heat Pumps and PV Panels.

The applicant, Rowdeal Ltd, was seeking to add nine flats to the existing block, which already contained 44 flats. The application had been called in for consideration by the committee because it had received a “substantial level of objections”. Concerns had been raised about:

• Loss of existing communal amenity space
• Impact on the character and appearance of the building and conservation area
• Loss of outlook
• Loss of daylight / sunlight
• Overlooking and loss of privacy
• Issues regarding impact on the use of the rear lane (Acton Mews)
• Issues regarding the servicing of the property
• Fire safety

The report notes that the application site is located within the Kingsland Conservation Area and is adjacent to the Regent’s Canal Conservation Area. It is also within the Kingsland Priority Office Area¹, an area where the council seeks to protect office space. However, because the application sought to add flats above existing residential accommodation, it was considered acceptable. The application also involved the loss of external terraces at the third and fourth floor levels to the rear of the building, which some existing residents objected to. However, the report notes that these areas are not designated as amenity space and that one of the terraces would compromise the privacy of an existing resident. They are therefore not considered “appropriate for use as such spaces”.

The report recommended that planning permission should be granted, subject to the completion of a Section 106 Legal Agreement² to secure the following:

• Affordable Housing Contribution: £450,000
• Construction & Logistics Management Plan Monitoring fee: £2,200
• Energy Strategy / Sustainability Review
• Car Free
• Considerate Contractors
• Payment of monitoring of the S106 legal agreement: £7,770
• Payment of Council’s legal fees

The development was also liable for the Community Infrastructure Levy³ (CIL) and would have to pay £35,940 to the Mayor of London and £113,810 to Hackney Council.

2 Leswin Place

Mr Marc Herman of Greencourt Property Group Ltd had applied for permission to:

Demolition of existing single storey office building and construction of two storey building to provide 3 new commercial units (Class E) with associated PV panels and Air Source Heat Pumps.

The site is located in an area designated for employment use, but the application had been called in for consideration by the committee because it had received a “substantial level of objections”. The report describes an existing “extant permission” (2018/3788) to demolish and rebuild the existing building, which had been partially implemented. It notes that the applicant would be able to implement the existing permission without seeking any further permissions. Concerns had been raised about:

• Increased sense of enclosure
• Loss of daylight / sunlight
• Overlooking and loss of privacy
• Exacerbate courtyard noise
• Fire access issues
• Impact on trees / wildlife

The report notes that the “proposed changes as part of this application would not give rise to any further concerns in terms of noise and disturbance to the occupiers of neighbouring residential occupiers over and above what could be lawfully carried out at the site”. Because the development would increase the amount of floorspace on the site, it would have to provide a Carbon Offset contribution of £10,716 in order to mitigate its contribution to climate change.

The report recommends that planning permission be granted, subject to conditions and the completion of a Section 106 legal agreement.

Delegated Decisions

The committee was also scheduled to note a series of decisions that had been made by officers using delegated powers. These included 106 applications across the borough. Of these:

• 77 were grants of planning permission
• 12 were grants of planning permission with additional conditions
• 11 were refusals of planning permission
• 2 were certificates of lawful development
• 4 related to trees.

The full list of decisions can be found in the Delegated Decisions by Ward 23-11-2024 to 24-01-2025 document.