The Nest, Lombard Road. 2025/0907

The Battersea Society objects to this application which fails to meet the requirements of the site allocation within the Local Plan guidelines or the York Road/Lombard Road SPD. It is a considerable overdevelopment of a site adjacent to a busy heliport. Despite the length of time since plans were first discussed with the Council important elements such as access and proximity to the Heliport appear not yet to be fully resolved. In some cases, such as access, solutions are said to be ‘aspirations’ or ‘ambitions’ rather than fully resolved plans.

In this context we note the concerns raised by the Design Review Panel which do not appear to be directly addressed within the application paperwork. The height of the building is not only contrary to guidelines but at 35 storeys considerably taller than any other nearby buildings allowed as exceptional. The site is highly constrained and the sheer bulk of the proposed building is overwhelming. This is made worse by the building taking up the whole of the site. Street access for residents, refuse and servicing is limited and appears problematic. At the front, Lombard Road is narrow and often heavily trafficked while at the rear access via Bridges Court Road - already congested with parking and traffic - does not appear to have been negotiated with either Lookers or the Council. Site constraints also indicate significant impact from construction traffic along Bridges Court Road and on the access road to the rest of Heliport House estate causing delays and nuisance to local residents and businesses.

Adjacent properties would be subject to overlooking and some loss of light. We note this is acknowledged within the GIA report with the usual caveat that London residents must expect some loss of daylight. We do not accept this. The design with its large windows and panoramic views is attractive but there is limited ground floor and higher-level open space for the number of units – even if residents would want to be outside when the heliport is busy.

The travel plan is, as ever, over optimistic citing access to the heavily used 44 and 170 bus routes and to Clapham Junction rather than their capacity to meet increased demand at peak times. Development of the Cremorne Bridge for pedestrians and cyclists would provide links across the river and to other public transport opportunities. This would be a part solution and is highly desirable but seems very unlikely to go ahead, regrettable as this is.

Paragraphs 3.16 to 3.21 of the planning statement set out a fallback position regarding the extant planning permission for a 20-storey building. It is hard to determine whether this is a serious option for the applicant.

We share the views of the Design Review Panel that the building design is, of itself, attractive and could be special. Sadly, we also share their view that the project might prove undeliverable as well as failing to conform to Local Plan guidelines or the York Road/Lombard Road SPD