This meeting is scheduled to discuss one planning application and the minutes of the previous meeting. The report pack contains a recommendation to grant planning permission and listed building consent for the application. Councillors may decide to approve, refuse or defer the application for further discussion.

Driscoll House, New Kent Road

The meeting report pack contains a planning application and listed building consent application for the partial demolition and extension of Driscoll House, which is Grade II Listed¹. The applicant is Airtree Limited.

The building, a former women's lodging house, was constructed in 1911, and is considered to be historically significant, designed by the architects Joseph and Smithem, who were known for their work on Guinness Trust housing in London.

The proposals contained in the report pack would see the demolition of part of the existing building, including the existing single-storey wing on the flank elevation, and the construction of extensions on the southern and eastern elevations.

The extensions, if approved, would provide 29 additional hostel bedrooms, resulting in a total of 209. This would include three accessible bedrooms. The extensions would be between two and three storeys high.

Planning officers believe that the extensions would result in 'less than substantial' harm to the significance of the building, and this is outweighed by the public benefit of providing additional hostel accommodation.

The application is a major application as a result of the floor space exceeding 1,000m², and has received five objections, triggering the requirement to be heard at committee.

The report pack contains an assessment of the potential impact of the development on surrounding residents and businesses. The assessment includes considerations of noise, air quality, transport and highway safety.

The report pack notes that the application site is located within an Air Quality Management Area, is located in Flood Zone 3 and is at risk of flooding should there be a breach of the Thames tidal flood defences. A number of conditions have been recommended to address these matters should the application be granted.

Planning officers are recommending that planning permission be granted subject to a number of conditions, including the applicant entering into a Section 106 Legal Agreement² to provide:

• £3,389 for the council to monitor the restoration works to the listed building
• A Conservation Management Plan
• Future proofing the building for connection to the district heat network
• £18,643 to a carbon offset fund
• A Delivery and Service Management Plan bond
• £5,000 to Southwark Council to extend the double yellow lines on Bartholomew Street

The report pack also notes that the proposed development would trigger a Community Infrastructure Levy payment of £390,447.88³ based on the floor area of the development.

The project promises to provide significant heritage benefits by restoring the building's fabric. The NPPF also states that public benefits may include heritage advantages, such as 'securing the optimum viable use of a heritage asset to support its long-term conservation.' Officers believe that the investment in Driscoll House, allowing it to continue functioning as a hostel as initially intended, contributes positively to the public benefits of the scheme, which is considered to outweigh the 'less than substantial' harm.

The report pack indicates that the development could achieve Secured by Design accreditation⁴.

Minutes

The report pack contains the minutes from the previous meeting of the committee, which took place on 22 January 2025.

The minutes show that at the previous meeting the committee approved an application to build a temporary classroom building on the car park of 281 Jamaica Road for a period of three years.

The minutes also show that the committee approved an application for demolition and roof extensions at 1-4 Plantain Place.