South London Mail Centre, Plot A: 2020/5054
Submission to Wandsworth Borough Council
Added on: 9 February 2021 at 17:02:12
The Battersea Society maintains its strong objection to plans for this plot and is disappointed that, with some exceptions, this application has not taken the opportunity to move forward from the plans approved at 2019/2293 and about which we, and the Design Review Panel, had significant concerns. Rather it has increased the office space by some 14%.
Key Gateway to Nine Elms Park: Our main concern is the extent to which the proposals cover the plot. We agree that any building for this site should ‘contribute significantly to the area in which it is proposed to be situated’ but the manner in which the building covers the site means that it fails to do this. It is indeed “a key marker for the western gateway into the park basin” but the proposed design does not respect this. Stating that Plot A is no longer part of the Nine Elms Park masterplan does not change this. The draft Local Plan under PM3 emphasises the importance of key gateways:
Key gateways present a strategic opportunity to provide an attractive welcome to the area and to draw attention to its cultural richness and vibrancy. Where appropriate, future development will be expected to provide an attractive gateway space to frame the main entrance to the area.
Affordable work space appears only to have increased in line with the earlier consent and with rents 20% below market rate. This is unacceptable and a more community focussed and generous scheme should be developed.
Access: We urge that car parking be added to the basement and that this contains a sensible number of parking for disabled workers together with space for servicing vehicles and for disabled visitors to the offices. Ideally the site should also provide space for hire cycles rather than proposing these be within the public areas. Our comments on 2019/2250 address this in more detail.
Community Space, Openable Windows and Balconies: These are thoughtful changes and welcome. However we are slightly concerned that in practice openable windows might lead to less efficient energy use within the building.
We do hope that the Council and the applicant will take this opportunity to think again about plans for this important gateway site and that this current enlarged application will be refused.
You can see full details of this application and other comments, or to make your own views known by copying 2020/5054 and pasting it into the box you will find here
