The Planning Committee met to discuss an application to vary the conditions of a previously approved planning application for the redevelopment of the Twickenham Riverside site. The committee voted to approve the application, which included minor design alterations and landscaping changes, after hearing from a representative of the applicant and an interested ward councillor.

Here's a breakdown of the key discussion points:

• Twickenham Riverside Redevelopment - Section 73 Application
• Declarations of Interest
• Affordable Housing
• Noise Pollution
• Granite Setts
• Sustainability and Energy Efficiency

Twickenham Riverside Redevelopment - Section 73 Application

The committee considered an application PA25/1854 to vary condition NS101A of planning permission 21/2758/FUL for land at 1, 1A, 1B and 1C King Street; 2-4 Water Lane, to allow for amendments in design, layout, and landscaping. The application also addressed conditions NS31 (Living conditions and sustainability), NS34 (Residential - refuse and waste MP) and NS122 (Energy reduction) of application 21/2758/FUL.

Lucy Thatcher, a planning officer, presented the application, highlighting that the proposed changes were necessary due to updates in building regulations related to fire safety, energy efficiency, and overheating, as well as to address buildability and affordability issues. She clarified that while the southern end of the Wharf Lane building exceeded 21 metres, it was assessed as a mid-rise building due to site circumstances and ground levels.

Key changes included:

• Minor alterations to trees, curbing, parking layouts, and materials.
• Design changes to the boat store at the southern end of Wharf Lane.
• Minor changes to the elevations of the Water Lane buildings, including fenestration design and a slight increase in height.
• Changes to window sizes and sill heights to comply with new regulations.
• Material changes to balconies, railings, and coping.

Ms Thatcher stated that the application aligned with the local plan and national planning policy, particularly the emphasis on using brownfield land. She noted that while some harms had been identified, they were outweighed by the wider community and public benefits of the development.

Chris Bannister, an architect at Hopkins Architects, spoke in favour of the application, explaining that the changes were primarily driven by regulatory updates and a need to improve the scheme's viability. He argued that some aspects of the design, such as the gable end of the Wharf Lane building and the boathouse, had been improved.

Councillor O'Shea, an interested ward councillor, expressed support for the development, calling it an important regeneration project for the area. He raised concerns about the replacement of granite sets on Water Lane with an alternative material and sought clarification on the impact on the area's utility and quality. He also asked for more information on ceiling heights, loss of balconies, and light and window sizes.

Ms Thatcher responded to the points raised, explaining that the applicants had been transparent about the reasons for the changes. She said that noise pollution had been thoroughly assessed, and conditions had been imposed to mitigate any potential impact. She also addressed concerns about the granite sets, stating that samples of the alternative material would be submitted to ensure durability and visual compatibility with Church Street.

The committee voted unanimously to approve the application, including an informative encouraging discussions about social housing.

Declarations of Interest

Councillor Suzette Nicholson declared that she had previously responded to a consultation on the parent application but did not consider herself predetermined on the current application.

Affordable Housing

Councillor Andrée Frieze raised a question about social rents and London Affordable housing, and Ms Thatcher responded that discussions were still taking place. Councillor Frieze asked that an informative be added to encourage discussions to take place.

The planning officer for housing policy noted that the site would still provide 50% affordable housing on site and meet nationally described space standards, with only minor changes shown within the floor areas as part of the submitted Design and Access statement, with the amendments to the Gross Internal Area not being specific to one tenure. The officer also noted that the Council is disappointed that the applicant has not actively sought to secure funding to provide Social Rented homes on the site in place of London Affordable Rent.

Noise Pollution

Councillor Richard Baker raised concerns about noise and noise ricocheting off the buildings and the water. Mr Bannister responded that triple glazing would be used in all flats to improve acoustic performance. Ms Thatcher referred to the report, which stated that noise pollution had been thoroughly assessed, and a series of conditions had been imposed to mitigate any potential impact.

Granite Setts

Councillor O'Shea raised concerns about the replacement of the granite sets on Water Lane with an alternative material. Ms Thatcher responded that samples of the alternative material would be submitted to ensure durability and visual compatibility with Church Street.

Councillor Jonathan Cardy asked whether the alternative to granite sets would be compatible with chewing gum removal machines. Ms Thatcher responded that the highway officers would be consulted to ensure compatibility.

Sustainability and Energy Efficiency

Councillor Frieze raised a question about carbon energy requirements. Ms Thatcher responded that the timing of the application overlapped with the adopted local plan, so some elements of the scheme would not achieve the credentials and requirements of the local plan. She read out a response from the applicant's team, which stated that the applicant was pursuing a high standard of energy efficiency, but the buildings were low density, which meant they necessarily had a poorer form factor than higher density buildings.

Councillor Baker asked about changes to the windows and energy efficiency. Mr Bannister responded that windows had been made smaller in some areas to comply with new regulations on overheating. He also stated that triple glazing would be used in all flats to improve energy efficiency.