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Planning Applications Committee - Tuesday 18 March 2025 7.00 pm

March 18, 2025 View on council website Watch video of meeting
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Summary

The committee voted to approve all four planning applications that were presented to them. This included approval for the change of use of a derelict stable block in Ruskin Park to a cafe, the redevelopment of Walker House in Vauxhall, permission to run the annual Between the Bridges event at Hungerford Coach Park on the South Bank, and the extension of a Holiday Inn Express on South Lambeth Road.

Ruskin Park

Councillor Deepak Sardiwal, the ward councillor, spoke in favour of the proposal. He said the building predates the creation of Ruskin Park having been built in the 19th century and it represents a rare example of a time when Londoners were highly dependent on the climate forces and horse drawn. He noted the stable block's heritage value which is recognised in its inclusion on the council's Local List of heritage assets1. He told the committee that the application represents a once in a generation opportunity to restore the building and bring it back into use and that the restoration will promote a sense of safety and reduce the risk of anti-social behaviour.

There were concerns about rubbish left around the cafe and whether the proposed toilets would be accessible. The committee were told that a condition requiring details of waste collection arrangements would be attached to the permission. A condition requiring the toilets to be accessible was also included in the officer's recommendations.

Walker House

The applicant, Walker Books Ltd, want to redevelop their existing site to create a larger, more efficient office. They propose retaining and refurbishing the facades of three of the existing four buildings and demolishing and rebuilding the fourth. Two to three storeys would be added to the retained buildings and single storey and double storey mansard roofs added on top. The new building would be six storeys high, with a single storey mansard roof.

Mr Mike McGrath, Chief Financial Officer of Walker Books, spoke in favour of the application. He said their existing offices are chronically outdated, inefficient and simply no longer fit for purpose. He said no major works have been done to it since they moved into the building in 1987. He noted inclusivity is a core value of their business and that the existing buildings fail to provide safe and inclusive access for staff and children with disabilities. He told the committee the new building would rectify those issues and allow them to maintain our historic connection with Vauxhall and the local community. He said the new building would include a dedicated children’s bookshop and events space and that Walker Books is committed to providing 20 affordable workplace memberships for local businesses and charities.

Councillor Isla Wrathmell, the ward councillor, also spoke in favour of the proposal. She said: We’ve met with Walker Books and their development partner and are impressed with the amount of work they’ve undergone to produce a redevelopment which is aesthetically sensitive to local context. She praised their commitment to sustainability and said we are glad that this redevelopment both supports the business operations of Walker Books itself and provides flexible space for SME businesses and further light retail space on the frontage. She also noted that daylight and sunlight losses are often a chief concern we have regarding development work but was glad to say the impacts here are relatively minimal.

The committee had concerns about why all of the buildings could not be retained and the use of metal cladding on the lift shaft. They were told by Matt Thornley, the applicant's architect, that the demolition of one of the buildings is needed to create level access for all of the plant, all of the lifting kit and minimise the impact on the other buildings. The architect also confirmed they would be using a simple, galvanised metal cladding on the lift shaft.

There were concerns about the use of office space in the area. The committee were reminded that the site is in the Central Activities Zone2 where offices are encouraged.

Questions were raised about the scheme's sustainability credentials, particularly the low Urban Greening Factor (UGF)3 score and whether the solar panels would work given the close proximity of taller buildings. The case officer confirmed the council's ecology officer was happy with the UGF score and the biodiversity net gain4 achieved. They also said south is that direction and there aren’t actually any tall buildings in that direction so the solar panels would be in full sun for much of the day. Elise Kidd, the council's sustainability consultant, confirmed that when modelling the scheme's energy performance any solar PV arrays would have to be entered, taking into account their pitch, orientation and the level of shading from surroundings. So that’s all been taken into account within the model.

Councillors were also interested to understand how the use of cross laminated timber (CLT)5 had been accounted for in the Whole Life Carbon Assessment. Elise Kidd confirmed that the sequestered emissions aren’t accounted for. Charlotte Gray, the applicant's sustainability expert, said: At the moment, you’re right. I think Anita is to have an account for sort of further sequestration of carbon within those figures in the report as it stands. It’s actually there's no kind of defined methodology to do that. And it’s actually quite tricky. It’s something we would be happy to explore.

Hungerford Coach Park

The applicant, Southbank Centre, want permission to erect temporary structures for their annual Between the Bridges event. This would involve the installation of bars, food concessions, two event stages and a large screen for live sports broadcasts and visual displays. The committee noted that a small part of the site is designated as Metropolitan Open Land (MOL)6 but agreed it was of poor quality and the event would not result in any further harm than the current coach park use. They also noted the applicant's assurance that 2025 will be the final year the event is held on the site, although they were reminded that any future applications would need to be determined on its own merits.

Two residents of the nearby Whitehouse Apartments submitted objections to the proposal, raising concerns about light pollution from the big screen, noise disturbance, and the continued use of the site for the annual event when it had been expected to be added to Jubilee Gardens. In response to the residents' concerns about the screen, the applicant submitted an addendum that provided more details about its operation, including how the screen's brightness would be controlled using an automatic sensor which adjusts luminance according to prevailing light conditions. The committee were told by officers that they were comfortable with the submitted information.

Councillor Scott Ainslie abstained from voting on the application, stating that the council should be going on to short term obligations for this site instead of approving this form.

87 South Lambeth Road

The applicant, Mr Hanif Bhimji, wants to extend the existing hotel by adding a new fifth floor and a stepped rear extension.

There were a number of concerns about the application, including the use of the building and the lack of clarity in the application about its ownership. The case officer confirmed that the building is still in a hotel use and that planning permission would be for a hotel. The committee were told that planning permission cannot control who occupies or owns a building.

Residents were also concerned about the level of consultation that had taken place, the increase in size of the hotel, and its impact on neighbouring properties. Officers confirmed that a consultation and a further re-consultation was carried out in accordance with statutory guidelines and that the application had been assessed as compliant with relevant planning policies. They were also told that each application is assessed on its own merits and that past decisions do not restrict the committee's ability to approve extensions.

The increase in hotel rooms was a concern for some councillors. In particular, Councillor Costa questioned whether there was demand for additional hotel accommodation in the area. He noted that recently there was a hotel open near the [Oval Cricket Ground](https://www.google.com/maps/search/Oval+Cricket+Ground+Lambeth) and said I question the assessment done about the demand for hotel when the supply has already increased. The case officer responded by reminding him that the applicant did submit a potential assessment and that’s assessed it. It is suitable and acceptable and that it is not necessary for an applicant to prove demand.

In terms of the impact on neighbours, there were concerns about overlooking from the additional floors and whether the applicant would be taking any steps to reduce the hotel's hot water usage. Officers confirmed that windows on the upper floors would be obscure glazed and non-openable. The committee also heard from Steve Fox, the applicant's architect, that the issue is that a hotel in its very nature has got 256 roofs in it and there’s a particular amount of demand that comes from 256 showers. He said that every hotel application I’ve ever done has this particular issue and that, I guess, artificially skews the reporting in the energy appraisal. However, he assured the committee that they have got substantial enhancements to building fabric which benefit in being in Sage. We’re being cleaned by having a roof full of PV panels and air source heat pumps. We’ve got comfort cooling as well. That was a question that was asked as well. And that’s that’s dealt with through the air source heat pumps as well.

The committee also heard from a local resident who objected to a condition in a previously approved application requiring the windows to be non-openable. They were reminded by officers that non-compliance with an existing condition is a matter for planning enforcement.


  1. Lambeth's Local List is a list of heritage assets that are considered to be of local importance. It includes buildings, structures, monuments, archaeological sites, and historic gardens and parks. 

  2. The Central Activities Zone (CAZ) is a planning designation in the London Plan that covers the most strategically important areas of Central London. It is intended to protect and enhance these areas by encouraging a mix of uses, including offices, retail, culture, and leisure. 

  3. The Urban Greening Factor (UGF) is a metric that measures the amount of green space provided by a development. It is used by the Greater London Authority to assess the sustainability of development proposals. 

  4. Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is an approach to development that aims to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was beforehand. It involves calculating the biodiversity value of a site before and after development, and ensuring that there is a net gain in biodiversity. 

  5. Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) is a large-scale, prefabricated, solid engineered wood panel. It is made by gluing together layers of softwood boards at 90 degrees to each other. CLT is a strong, lightweight and sustainable building material. 

  6. Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) is a designation that protects open spaces in London. It is afforded the same level of protection as Green Belt land, meaning that development is only allowed in very special circumstances. 

Attendees

Profile image for Councillor Joanne Simpson
Councillor Joanne Simpson  Animal Welfare Champion •  Labour •  Stockwell West and Larkhall
Profile image for Councillor Malcolm Clark
Councillor Malcolm Clark  Labour •  Streatham Wells
Profile image for Councillor Scott Ainslie
Councillor Scott Ainslie  Group Leader •  Green •  Streatham St Leonard's
Profile image for Councillor Martin Bailey
Councillor Martin Bailey  Chair of Pensions Committee •  Labour •  Vauxhall
Profile image for Councillor Diogo Costa
Councillor Diogo Costa  Digital Strategy and Inclusion Champion •  Labour •  Oval
Profile image for Councillor Saleha Jaffer
Councillor Saleha Jaffer  Deputy Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities •  Labour •  St Martin's
Profile image for Councillor Emma Nye
Councillor Emma Nye  Labour •  Knight's Hill
Profile image for Councillor Deepak Sardiwal
Councillor Deepak Sardiwal  Labour •  Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction
Profile image for Councillor Isla Wrathmell
Councillor Isla Wrathmell  Active Travel Champion •  Labour •  Vauxhall