The Planning Committee (Major Applications) A was scheduled to discuss a release of funds for affordable housing and a major development project at the Borough Triangle site. The meeting was to be held at Ground Floor Meeting Room G02 - 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH. The committee was also scheduled to approve the minutes from a prior meeting.

Release of S106 Funding for Affordable Housing

The committee was to consider a report regarding the release of £2,376,936.12 from Section 106 agreements¹ across the borough. These funds were intended to support the delivery of affordable housing through the New Homes Programme.

The report pack stated that planning obligations, including financial contributions, are used to mitigate the negative impacts of development and contribute to sustainable communities. In circumstances where developers cannot provide affordable housing on-site, the council may accept an in-lieu payment, which is then held in an account for S106 Affordable Housing Contributions.

The release of these funds would enable them to be used to help fund the council’s New Homes Programme, which aims to build 11,000 new council homes by 2043, as per the Council Plan 2018-22. The report pack noted that S106 monies form a key part of the funding strategy to deliver the council’s new homes, alongside grant from the GLA², Right to Buy Receipts, other capital receipts and borrowing.

The report pack included a table that delineated the S106 agreements by funds available and intended purpose, broken down by ward. It also included a list of affordable housing projects that the funds would contribute to, including:

• 38 Mary Datchelor Close in Nunhead & Queens Road
• Aylesbury (First Development Site B - Batch 1) in Faraday
• Cator Street Extra Care (Phase 2) in Peckham
• Comber House in Camberwell Green
• Fendall & Maltby in London Bridge & West Bermondsey
• Former Rotherhithe Civic Centre, Albion Street and Rear of Albion Primary School in Rotherhithe
• Ledbury Towers in Old Kent Road
• Penry Street in South Bermondsey
• Rennie Estate in South Bermondsey
• Rye Hill Park Garages in Peckham Rye
• Salisbury Est Car Park (Balfour Street) in North Walworth
• Sedgemoor Place in St Giles
• Slippers Estate in North Bermondsey
• Tenda Road in South Bermondsey
• Tissington Silverlock Estate in Rotherhithe
• Tustin Regeneration in Old Kent Road
• 66 Linden Grove in Peckham Rye

The report pack also noted that resources from the S106 affordable housing contributions play an important part in the overall funding approach to the council’s provision of new affordable homes.

Borough Triangle Site Development

The Planning Committee (Major Applications) A was also scheduled to consider application 24/AP/1958 for the Borough Triangle Site at 18-54 Newington Causeway, 69 Borough Road, 82-83 Borough Road, London. The application sought full planning permission for a phased mixed-use redevelopment of the site.

The proposal included:

• Demolition of all existing buildings/structures and site clearance, except 82 and (part) 83 Borough Road, which are to be retained, altered and refurbished for flexible commercial, business and service, and learning and non-residential institution uses (Class E/F1 / F2(b)³);
• Construction of a basement structure and vehicular access;
• Construction of buildings to provide dwellings (Class C3), flexible commercial, business and service and mixed food and drink and leisure uses (including drinking establishments with expanded food provision, hot food takeaways, live music performance venue and cinema) (Class E / Sui Generis) and public toilets;
• Provision of associated car and cycle parking, open space and landscaping, means of access and highway alterations, installation of plant and utilities and all other associated ancillary works incidental to the development.

The application was accompanied by an Environmental Statement (ES) in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (as amended).

The report pack noted that the 1.12-hectare site, known as ‘Borough Triangle’, is a key regeneration site within the Elephant and Castle Opportunity Area and the Central Activities Zone. The site does not sit within a conservation area, but does have four locally listed buildings on the site: 82 Borough Road (Baptist Church), 83 Borough Road, 38 Newington Causeway and 56-62 Newington Causeway (the Institute of Optometry). Part of the site is currently occupied by Mercato Metropolitano on a meanwhile basis.

The applicant, Berkeleys Homes, had submitted a planning application for residential-led mixed-used development at the site in 2022, but withdrew it after acquiring the Institute of Optometry building and surrounding land. The resubmitted application included an increased site area, reconfigured building heights and site layout, and an increase in the number of homes and provision of open space. The proposal would also increase the number of affordable homes to a policy compliant 35% by habitable room.

The development would be phased and would require demolition of all existing buildings/structures and site clearance, except for 82 and (part) 83 Borough Road. Sitting on a basement structure, there would be four new buildings (Buildings A to D) to provide housing, flexible commercial, and mixed food and drink and leisure uses. A total of 892 homes are proposed, with 230 being affordable (35.02% by habitable rooms) of which 153 would be for social rent. The social rent homes would include a higher proportion of three and four bed flats.

The report pack stated that No. 82 Borough Road, a locally listed Baptist Chapel, would be retained to provide workspace, and the front elevation of the locally listed 83 Borough Road would also be retained. A long-term sustainable space would be provided for the return of Mercato Metropolitan, and a new community centre potentially for the Latin American community would be leased at a peppercorn rent. The scheme would provide at least 1,780sqm of public open space. With the exception of blue badge car parking spaces, this is a car-free scheme, with vehicular access for servicing from Borough Road leading into a double-basement. In addition, a cycle hub would be provided on site.

The report pack noted that at least 330 objections had been received, including from the Southwark Law Centre, and 13 comments in support, including comments from local businesses. Objections related to the height of the buildings and its impacts on daylight and sunlight, overshadowing of local parks, over-development of the site, and the impact on traders within the Mercato Metropolitano. Heritage objections were received from local residents and Historic England, the Georgian Group, the Victorian Society and Historic Buildings and Places.

In response to concerns raised by traders on the site, the applicant revised the scheme to include a temporary building on the site to secure continuity of trading for many of the businesses. The developer has committed to a relocation package for the remaining traders, and all of the current traders would be given a right of first application in respect of the new food hall space provided in the redevelopment on its completion.

In response to harms caused by the scheme, mitigations are proposed, including the use of carbon off set monies estimated to be £ 1,030,275 to fund replacement double glazing on the adjacent Scovell Estate, and the use of open space S106 contributions and neighbourhood CIL to fund landscaping and environmental improvements to the estate.

Key Issues for Consideration

The report pack identified the following key issues for consideration:

• Principle of the proposed development in terms of land use
• Affordable workspace
• Environmental impact assessment
• Housing mix, density and residential quality
• Affordable housing and development viability
• Amenity space and children’s play space
• Design, including layout, building heights, landscaping and ecology
• Heritage considerations
• Archaeology
• Impact of proposed development on amenity of adjoining occupiers and surrounding area, including privacy, daylight and sunlight
• Transport and highways, including servicing, car parking and cycle parking
• Environmental matters, including construction management, flooding and air quality
• Energy and sustainability, including carbon emission reduction
• Ecology and biodiversity
• Planning obligations (S.106 undertaking or agreement)
• Mayoral and borough community infrastructure levy (CIL)
• Consultation responses and community engagement
• Community impact, equalities assessment and human rights