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| Views of proposed development - current building outlined in red |
Brent Planning Officers have recommended approval of the Heron House development at 109-115 Wembley Hill Road despite it offering only 7.5% 'affordable housing' and opposition from local residents.The development will have 40 housing units: 23 one bedroom, 7 2 bedrooms and 10 3 bedrooms of which only three are designated as affordable.
On the affordable housing issue officers' report (my emphasis highlighted):
London Plan Policy 3.12 requires boroughs to seek the maximum reasonable amount of affordable housing, having regard to a number of factors including development viability. Core Strategy Policy CP2 sets a strategic target that 50% of new homes delivered in the borough should be affordable. Policy DMP15 reinforces this target and specifies that 70% of new affordable housing across the Borough should be social/affordable rented housing and 30% intermediate housing. However, this tenure mix can be varied on individual developments where this is justified by the viability of the scheme and other site-specific characteristics. Objections have been received regarding the level and tenure mix of Affordable housing.
A total of three affordable homes are proposed, all 3bed Intermediate Shared Ownership units. This represents 7.5% of the development if calculated by unit or 13.3% by habitable room. The use of habitable rooms as a measure of affordable housing provision is typically considered to be appropriate as it gives weight to the provision of family sized affordable homes for which there is a significant identified need within the borough.
The applicant submitted a Financial Viability Assessment (FVA) to support the application. This has been assessed by consultants on behalf of the Council. The FVA demonstrates that the scheme would generate a land value £1.48mbelow the benchmark land value for the site. Sensitivity analysis was undertaken by the Council’s consultants to assess the impact on viability of a scheme which also included Affordable Rented homes. This showed that including a 50/50 split between Affordable Rented and Intermediate housing units (as opposed to the current proposal including only intermediate housing) would generate an even greater deficit of £1.78m below benchmark land value. As such, the inclusion of Affordable Rented units is not considered to be viable in this instance, and consequently the proposal for only Intermediate Shared Ownership is acceptable within the terms of Policy DMP15. Given the existing use value of the site and high construction costs associated with the basement construction and ground level changes, the proposed scheme cannot support more than the proposed level of Affordable housing.
It appears that the CP2 and DMP15 targets are now meaningless,
15 residents attended the consultation about the scheme, 20 have objected and 42 signed a petition against it. As is usual (except in Cllr Sheth's and Butts' intervention in the Spurs-Wembley Stadium application) councillors for Tokyngton ward, in which the development is situated, made no comment on the application.
Many objections were about the development of 2-6 storeys being out of keeping with the two storey suburban houses in the neighbouring area and the compact houses in the High Street (not High Road) Conservation area. There was a wider comment that the area was becoming a 'concrete jungle'.
The application is on the agenda for the October 18th meeting of the Planning Committee LINK
For those unsure of the difference between the High Road Wembley and Wembley High Street this is a picture of High Street:
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From Brent Council Wembley High Street Conservation Area Appraisal LINK
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For those unsure of the difference between the High Road Wembley and Wembley High Street this is a picture of High Street:
From Brent Council Wembley High Street Conservation Area Appraisal LINK
