Booker and BMW sites, 2022/1835 revised

While we welcome and acknowledge the small changes made to the plans, the Battersea Society remains strongly opposed to the development and objects to this application. The plans remain an unneighbourly over development of the site with a heavy concentration of small rooms for students rather than the housing which is so much needed. The paperwork appears to concentrate on the way that the one building directly on Battersea Park Road relates to the Viridian building and to the Battersea Power Station development to the north rather than showing the whole development in a wider context as a major development on the south side of Battersea Park Road.

New Mansion House Square

This development, built and partially occupied in January 2024 is one key example of the way in which the paperwork diminishes the impact of their development on its neighbours to the south. It is referred to throughout as ‘Phase 4 or 4A. We cannot find any reference to recent dialogue with Peabody. In its analysis of the surrounding area the Planning Statement says:

“To the south, the Site is bound by a railway line, beyond which lies a mixture of industrial units associated with New Covent Garden Market. To the west, the Site is bound immediately by Sleaford Street, beyond which lies a mixture of existing residential development fronting Battersea Park Road and construction ongoing adjacent to the railway and Battersea Power Station Phase 4: 2.12 The Battersea Power Station (BPS) development occupies all the land to the north of Battersea Park Road. Immediately across Battersea Park Road and to the north of the Site is Phase 4”

The Daylight and Sunlight report appears to blame balconies at New Mansion Square on poorer levels of daylight and to suggest that residents knew they would be overshadowed and moved in on this understanding.

Student Housing

The paperwork in support of this change is unconvincing and incomplete. It does not include a proper review of the many student residences around Vauxhall and Albert Embankment, and makes little reference to the Palmerston Court student development just along Battersea Park Road to the west. It includes a long list of colleges within London but provides no evidence about volumes of demand for student housing in the area. It makes no reference to concerns about falling student rolls and to the increasing restrictions on visas for overseas students. On the other hand, it is almost arrogantly dismissive of the need for housing within Wandsworth, a point which I am sure that the Council will review in greater detail as the application process continues.

BREEAM rating

We cannot understand why only the student accommodation is targeting ‘Outstanding’ while the rest is merely Excellent. We trust the applicant will think again.

Traffic Planning

The site is bounded by the heavily trafficked New Covent Garden Market access road to the east and by Sleaford Street to the west. This latter is a narrow road with limited turning space and is a cul-de-sac ending at the carparking area of New Mansion Square. It can be expected to become increasingly busy with domestic traffic. Even if this were not the case, it is inconsiderate for the applicant to take up space on this public road for blue badge parking and delivery drop offs rather than provide for these on site.

Any estimate of deliveries based on 2014 surveys is totally inadequate as deliveries have increased exponentially over the past 10 years. Approval of 2015/6813 in March 2019 for a residential scheme on this site pre-dates Covid which accelerated the move towards home deliveries. We were told by Urbanest, developers of Palmerston Court and other student housing, that they experience high demand for delivery space, including for fast food deliveries. The details they give in their Delivery and Servicing Plan, application 2024/1874, bears this out and paints a very different picture. This emphasises the importance for providing space on site for delivery and turning.

In conclusion

We very much hope that this application will be refused in its current form. In the (hopefully) unlikely event of student housing being approved we would wish there to be a further review of the urrounding landscaping and provision of play areas for children.