Covent Garden London
The heart of London's West End
Planning Report
It is hard to fathom why the local community always finds itself undermined by both planning authorities when they decide on development proposals for the area. If you listen to what Westminster and Camden planners say, it would appear they wish to preserve and enhance the special character of Covent Garden (whatever that means) and sincerely wish to make living, visiting and working in Covent Garden a pleasurable experience. Yet when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of dealing with planning applications their actions often result in the opposite result. This might be explained in part by the inadequacies of the planning system, which is so heavily weighted in favour of permitting any development (i.e. not planning development). But this is only partly the reason, as time and again the impression given is that the planning officers just do not comprehend what effect their actions or inactions have. How their inability and unwillingness to stand up against the enormous commercial pressure that daily besieges the neighbourhood sabotages any lingering hope that the community and individuals might have any control over what happens to their neighbourhood. The effect is an all pervading sense of inevitability that Covent Garden will be completely submerged with development where the economic imperative is all powerful and that which makes the place interesting and special is undermined and has all but disappeared.
The year began, and indeed ends, with the continuing struggle over what is to happen to the old St Paul's Hospital in Endell Street. Last year, Paul Allen, one of the co-founders of Microsoft and not without a bob or two, submitted a proposal to develop the ex-hospital into a music centre, with a multiplicity of activities ranging from recording studios, film editing suites, restaurants, bars and function rooms. On the face of it an exciting mix of uses, but unfortunately the ex-hospital site was and still is designated as the only potential residential site in Covent Garden. Last July, Camden planners inexcusably misinformed their councillors that the site was not designated in the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) for housing when it was. After much effort on the part of the CGCA, the Development Department issued a letter of apology and when the application was considered at committee, Allen's scheme was rejected, much to the relief of residents in Betterton Street, Endell Street, Short's Gardens and Dudley Court.
But as is the way with those with too much money, Allen and his team did not give up. Indeed, they are so determined to get planning approval for the scheme that the whole scheme has been tied to the St Paul's building and named 'The Hospital Project'. Even their proposed recording company is to trade under that name. With more stealth, the process of acquiring planning approval by offering sufficient inducements commenced, even to the extent of key-members of the Hospital Team attending every Camden development control meeting for 3 months so as to 'get to know' the councillors.
The CGCA's line has been quite simple: the scheme is interesting but is wrongly located; there are other properties in Covent Garden and central London where such a project would be much more appropriate, even welcome; for the Council to grant consent for the development of the ex-St Paul's Hospital buildings would seriously devalue their statutory plan for the borough and Covent Garden in particular. To this end the CGCA suggested that 'The Hospital Project' should purchase the fine, former Holborn Town Hall which was available and is of the right size, offering a quality of space that The Hospital Group aspired to. This suggestion they rejected because Holborn Town Hall was considered to be in a 'backwater' but Allen's team did acknowledge the building would provide all the space and atmosphere they desire. At the time of writing this report, they have submitted revised plans for the St Paul's Hospital site. In order to increase the pressure on the area and the Council, they have appealed against the refusal of their first application, timed to be heard in July.
Much effort will be required to convince the Council that the revised application is still inappropriate, not least because of the loss of housing, the substantial restaurant and bar facilities and the inevitable noise, disruption and increased traffic it will cause.
Westminster, in the meantime, have, unexplainably, granted Monopro consent to change the former health centre in Odhams Walk, Neal Street into a huge retail unit, despite the fact that Westminster's statutory plan explicitly states that the loss of social and community amenities will not be allowed. Where exceptions are made, the equivalent space for social use must be provided nearby. Despite the CGCA's representations, Westminster granted consent and, in effect, gave Monopro, a private company, over £11 Million, as that is the capitalised value of the retail unit which is now to replace the health centre. At the same time Westminster claim penury when having to deal with severe damp, condensation and other major defects on the Odhams Walk estate, which have existed for over a decade.
The future of Holborn Town Hall is still in question. Despite assurances from Camden that the sale of the building to Safeland plc for £1.6 Million in 1996 would ensure its early conversion and repair, the building was sold during the year to BeeBee Developments, who have now submitted a planning application for an entire office and restaurant scheme, without any residential content, which is stipulated in the planning brief for the site.
The Royal Opera House, whose development is alleged to be £25 M over budget, are apparently in very sensitive negotiations with the Arts Council and the Government to secure possible loans to cover the overspend, and have recently submitted various options for the development of their holdings in Floral Street, stretching through to Long Acre. They include offices, a large restaurant, retail and private housing, with the offices in one of the schemes substituted with facilities for the Royal Ballet School. The relocation of the Royal Ballet School from their current home in Baron's Court makes a great deal of sense, not least to ensure the new ballet studios at the ROH development are regularly used, but to continue the benefit of the School sharing the facilities with the Ballet professionals, which must be educationally beneficial. However, it is evident that the Ballet School application is a smoke screen to the ROH's commercial ambitions as apparently the ROH Board will require the Royal Ballet School to buy the Floral Street site at a commercial valuation, which will be prohibitive, once office permission is granted.
Marks & Spencer opened their new store in the old Pouparts building in Long Acre, resulting in the fine, listed Brewers' Yard being permanently given over to delivery vehicles and causing more congestion in the area. Not to be outdone, Sainsbury's are to move back into the area, taking a large retail space in the huge development opposite Holborn Underground station. More than fifteen years ago, Sainsbury's quit Covent Garden (where they began) on the basis that there was no future for supermarkets in the city centre. Maybe the Central Market Hall will be returned to a fruit and vegetable market - not such a mad idea, as 'farmers markets', where growers sell their produce directly, cutting out the middlemen and supermarkets, have recently opened up in city centres.
The future improvements to Covent Garden Underground station appear as distant as ever, despite the almost daily closures of the station due to overcrowding. The CGCA fears that it is almost inevitable that soon a major accident will occur at the station, one of the most heavily used single-line stations in London, served by one escape stair with 193 steps.
The Mercers Company, whose income comes for a large part from their properties in the area but who put very little back into the area, are embarking on a 10-year plan on how to maximise the development potential of their Covent Garden estate. The CGCA has urged them to ensure they do not push out their long-standing residential tenants and to recognise that yet more retail development can not be contemplated without a complete rethink of how such places can be serviced. Their long-term draft proposals are expected by July and it is hoped that the Mercers will open up the debate on how they can best proceed in the locality.
A major development, which will have far reaching consequences once it opens, is the planning permission for change of use of 42-49 St Martin's Lane into a hotel and night-club, together with a music & dancing licence. The club is located in the former Lumière Cinema space, directly opposite three large residential mansion blocks, and feared to become a major disruption and disturbance.
During the year the CGCA has appeared at 3 public inquiries, all concerning premises where the owners wished to introduce large food & drink uses falling within the A3 Use Class. We supported residents in Siddons & Stirling Courts, Tavistock Street, in their fight against a large restaurant on the corner of Tavistock Street and Catherine Street. The appeal was allowed, albeit with a long list of conditions. Similarly, the extension of the restaurant at 23-24 Maiden Lane & Exchange Court was permitted with a list of onerous conditions. We still await the outcome of the Inquiry into a new, large A3 use at 31-32 Maiden Lane.
In all these cases, Westminster City Council's Planning Sub-committee and planning officers have been singularly supportive of the CGCA and local concerns, but their planning refusals have been overturned on appeal. This is largely a consequence of the past inconsistencies of the Council when they granted permission to new and large bars and restaurants in the past, as these decisions have been used by applicants at appeal stage.
The good news is that, due to this failure to have its current UDP policies upheld at appeals, the City Council is undertaking a far-reaching policy review, with various options to restrict the growth in A3 uses, including an option to ban any more bars or restaurants in parts of Covent Garden. One of the main reasons is that the cumulative effect of all these food & drink facilities is having a seriously damaging impact on the area, making life a misery for those who live in the area (there are more than 6,000 residents in Covent Garden!).
Westminster's quick response to the complaints received from Covent Garden has not been matched by Camden Council, whose Forward Planning Team have still not realised there is a problem. Until they have an analysis of the potential problems borough-wide they are not inclined to do anything specific for the south of the borough or Covent Garden in particular. This is despite the UDP Inspector's advice to the Council that the policies in Camden's UDP should recognise the serious adverse effect of the growth of tourism and entertainment uses in the area and his direction to the Council to refine its planning policies accordingly.
The publication of 'A Good Night Out', a detailed report on the effectiveness of current planning and licensing laws in relation to the explosive growth of bars and restaurants in Covent Garden and Soho, to which the CGCA contributed, has been an important achievement. Westminster City Council is expected to publish its formal response shortly and is expected to devise policies that can address the current problems. Sadly, Camden Council appear to be oblivious to these 'danger signals', as their officers recently recommended to their Development Control Sub-committee that the huge increase in hotels in the Bloomsbury and Covent Garden parts of Camden has caused no noticeable problems and that the potential development of over 3,000 additional bed spaces should be actively encouraged. The danger, as always, is that the split of Covent Garden between Camden and Westminster and the different planning policies (and the interpretation of these policies!) makes it very difficult to have any coherent development control in the neighbourhood.
A welcome initiative from Camden has been the designation of their part of Covent Garden as a 'Clear Zone' where cars will be actively discouraged and restricted. After a 10-year wait, the traffic management proposals to remove through traffic from Seven Dials may soon become a reality. It is hoped that when the ROH development is completed, Bow Street will revert to 2-way traffic and Long Acre will no longer be a shortcut between Charing Cross Road and Kingsway.
Westminster continue not to insist that affordable housing is built in Covent Garden when granting planning permission for large luxury housing schemes, while Camden, to their great credit, do insist and sometimes achieve the provision of more social housing in the area. During the year, the last phase of the restoration of Sandringham Flats in Charing Cross Road by Soho Housing Association (SHA) was completed and the construction of a new housing scheme was commenced behind the former Holborn Town Hall, also by SHA.
During the year, the Planning & Licensing Sub-committee of the CGCA met 25 times, considered over 360 applications, 8 appeals and brought 4 deputations to Camden's Development Control Sub-committee, as well as a deputation to the full Camden Council meeting on the subject of St Paul's Hospital. In addition to planning applications, our Sub-committee has also considered many parking and traffic related proposals. We continue to be a very active sub-committee, with our meetings always open to the public; on major or significant applications we make a point of circulating nearby businesses and residents likely to be affected. We often invite applicants to present their schemes to the sub-committee; during the past year we had 17 such presentations.
Many thanks are due to John Bos, who has struggled to service the Planning Sub-committee, as well as undertaking all the other duties loaded onto his plate. We need more help and always welcome new members and volunteers to the sub-committee.
I also wish to thank those planning officers in both Camden and Westminster who help the CGCA and our long suffering local ward councillors for their efforts over the past year.
Jim Monahan
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