72 Upper Ground, ITV London Studios Demolition, Mitsubishi South Bank Proposal, Television Centre Site Redevelopment
72 Upper Ground London SE1 Development, South Bank
7 February 2024
60-72 Upper Ground London Development News
Design: Make Architects
72 Upper Ground London Development
post updated 18 November 2022
SOS Save Our South Bank backs Gove’s move to block unattractive new developments
SOS Save Our South Bank action group welcomes the speech made earlier this week by Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Speaking at the Centre for Policy Studies on Monday, Michael Gove warned developers:
“If you attempt to bulldoze your way through opposition rather than taking people with you, you will create a backlash which will mean that you will not see the development that you want to see.”
“There are 5 basic factors that we need to recognise are entirely rational reasons for opposition to new development. The first is the quality of so much that is built…That is the reason communities say no: they do not want ugliness to be imposed on them. So, one of the things that we will be unveiling are a series of policies in order to ensure that we improve the quality – and in particular the aesthetic quality – of new development: beauty…We will use all the powers we have, including call-in powers, in order to make sure that developments that are not aesthetically of high quality don’t go ahead.”
The other 4 “entirely rational reasons for opposition to new development” were inadequate infrastructure, that democracy is seen to be overturned, the environment – including impacts on the climate, and sense of neighbourhood.
In September, then Secretary of State Greg Clark, called in an application to demolish ITV’s former studios and headquarters on London’s South Bank and replace them with “a brute of a building” (Rowan Moore in The Observer), “a grotesque monstrosity (Richard Morrison in The Times), and “an aggressive behemoth” (Simon Jenkins in The Guardian).
A public inquiry into the scheme starts on 6 December and the Inspector’s report will go to Michael Gove for decision in the new year.
post updated 1 September 2022
Secretary of State calls-in ‘The Slab’
South Bank ITV Studios Site Redevelopment Called In
1st of September 2022 – Local campaigners welcome the intervention of the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities, Rt. Hon Greg Clark MP who has used his powers to call in a Lambeth Council approved planning application for ‘The Slab’, the re-development of the former ITV Studios, 72 Upper Ground on London’s South Bank.
The Secretary of State said that he wants a public inquiry to look in particular at:
a) is the proposal in accordance with statutory development plans;
b) the extent to which the proposed development (including its scale and massing) is consistent with the Government policies for conserving and enhancing the historic environment, in respect of designated heritage assets;
c) any other matters the Inspector considers relevant.
His action follows Lambeth Council support of the proposals in March 2022 the London Mayor’s decision last week not to intervene.
Greg Clark’s call in followed a campaign with support from across the political spectrum, including those living and working locally, Londoner’s, and others who care about our city.
Local resident and SOS Save Our South Bank Action Group Co-Chair Hannah Quigley said: “We welcome the local inquiry and will fully participate in the process to find a more suitable proposal for this important heritage location. The South Bank deserves better for its neighbouring residents and millions of visitors to the area alike”.
Michael Ball, WCDG said: “Mitsubishi’s plans are unsustainable, overbearing, and just plain ugly. This decision by the Secretary of State is an acknowledgement that neither Lambeth council nor the Mayor of London properly scrutinised the impact on listed national buildings, on some of the capital’s greatest views, or on the climate emergency. Thanks to Greg Clark, these plans will be suitably examined at last”.
David Hopkins, Coin Street Community Builders said: “We are relieved the Secretary of State’s decision now means these overbearing office proposals will receive the scrutiny they deserve. We’ve raised serious concerns about the harm this development would cause in wiping out daylight to neighbouring social housing and casting the riverside into shadow.
The National Theatre, Historic England and the 20th Century Society have rightly pointed out the damage ‘The Slab’ would do to the views along the South Bank. Vauxhall MP Florence Eshalomi has questioned whether more offices on this site are more important than housing, which does not feature at all. We thank Greg Clark MP for listening to more than 4,680 people who have called for a public inquiry, underlining what a special place the South Bank has in the hearts of this nation”.
Previously on e-architect:
16 August 2022
Stop ‘The Slab’ South Bank SE1 Development on Air
London Television Centre Site Development News
Fantastic to have Coin Street and WCDG-backed #StopTheSlab campaign featured on today’s BBC Radio London with Greg McKenzie for Vanessa Feltz BBC London’s morning show.
Sign the petition https://change.org/p/sos-save-our-south-bank
London Mayor Sadiq Khan can’t save the South Bank
London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan has declined calls to step-in and halt plans for a hulking development known as ‘The Slab’ on the South Bank.
Flanked by the much-loved Oxo Tower and National Theatre, ‘The Slab’ will blight London’s skyline for generations, leaving little benefit for residents and visitors. It has been criticised by commentators from The Times to The Guardian. Michael Gove MP stepped in whilst Secretary of State and issued a ‘holding directive’ threatening a public inquiry.
Despite this, and a spirited grass-roots campaign gathering over 4,000 signatures, and gaining the backing of local MP, Florence Eshalomi, Khan has chosen not to block the Mitsubishi development. This is based on a flawed report, which doesn’t acknowledge the strong objections of the National Theatre, Historic England, or the Twentieth Century Society. It justifies heritage harm and failings on CO2 emissions on a purported existing permission expired in 2021. The report completely fails to consider the major impact to strategic views protected by his own guidance or the impact of overshadowing, daylight and sunlight.
Local resident and SOS Save Our South Back Action Group Chair, Jenny O’Neill said: “The Mayor’s mistakes only illustrate further the need for a public inquiry. This is a very prominent strategic site, and this scheme will blight the South Bank, with social housing residents enduring health issues with the huge daylight losses. Sadiq has failed to act strategically or protect the rights of residents”.
Mark Potter, Coin Street, said: “Although the Mayor’s failure to act has come as a surprise, we are renewing our calls to Londoners to get behind the ‘Save Our South Bank’ campaign, as we prepare to take our campaign to the Secretary of State, Greg Clark MP”.
Michael Ball, WCDG, said: “Sadiq Khan has made so many errors in this decision, he needs to urgently reconsider. He fails to consider his own strategic views guidance and uses excuses for massive CO2 emissions. He is oblivious or misadvised on the huge objections from the National Theatre, Twentieth Century Society, and Historic England, and hasn’t the grace to receive a 4,000-signature petition before making his decision. He had a chance to act but has buried it in the August silly season”.
16 August 2022
Stop ‘The Slab’ – Sadiq has days to save London’s South Bank
image courtesy of Coin Street Community Builders
Former Television Centre Site Property Development
Residents and local community groups in and around Waterloo are calling on London Mayor, Sadiq Khan to protect their homes and neighbourhood, and preserve London’s cultural heritage on the South Bank. Lambeth’s planners have sent the proposal to the GLA, and Sadiq Khan now has less than two weeks to stop the development going ahead.
In March, Lambeth Council approved plans for a huge office development, with no homes included in the plans, right on the riverside. The enormous structure will dominate the area, blighting views of the Thames from every angle.
Vauxhall’s MP, Florence Eshalomi opposes the plans and has submitted formal objections to Lambeth Council, Sadiq Khan, London Mayor and the Secretary of State. She is calling on the Mayor to stop the plans before it’s too late.
Florence Eshalomi MP said: “I do not think these plans sufficiently benefit the local community and the impact of the proposed development could make the South Bank less attractive as one of London’s key cultural assets. I urge decision makers to look at this again.”
Michael Ball, Waterloo Community Development Group said: “”As Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan bravely stopped the Garden Bridge. He needs to act again NOW to protect London’s South Bank from another ill-conceived scheme, which will overwhelm and overshadow London’s most popular open space”.
Mark Potter, Coin Street said: “We must act now to save London’s riverside, the Mayor now has the power to intervene, and stand alongside the local community who are behind the campaign”.
Dearbhla Molloy, local resident said: “The living room where I spend most of my time has one window. I would welcome a visit from Sadiq Khan as he needs to understand that I would be left with only 7.5% daylight.”
72 Upper Ground London SE1 Property Development Background
Coin Street and WCDG are calling on the Mayor to join thousands of residents, heritage, and South Bank institutions by calling in and refusing this scheme. If Sadiq doesn’t act, he will be passing responsibility to the Secretary of State who can call it in for a public inquiry.
Coin Street Community Builders (CSCB) is a social enterprise working in Waterloo and North Southwark. CSCB owns, manages, and maintains the riverside walkway between the National Theatre and Sea Containers, Bernie Spain Gardens, Oxo Tower Wharf, Gabriel’s Wharf, and Coin Street neighbourhood centre. It is freehold owner of the Iroko, Mulberry, Palm and Redwood housing developments which are leased to primary co-operatives managed by their tenants. https://coinstreet.org/
CSCB stated in its advice to decision makers Lambeth Council: “The scale, bulk and siting of the proposed development is excessive, overbearing and overly dominant. The impact on daylight received by adjacent Coin Street housing cooperatives will be severe. The riverside walkway and gardens to the north of the proposed development currently enjoy sunshine throughout the lunchtime peak and afternoon but would be cast into shadow by this development. The wanton disregard of the South Bank, one of London’s most popular amenities, is unacceptable and short-sighted!”
Waterloo Community Development Group (WCDG) was founded in 1972. WCDG is a charity led by Waterloo residents to maintain and develop a healthy and sustainable community, for more land for homes and amenities such as shops and open space, for the benefit of present and future generations.
wcdg.org.uk
WCDG stated in its advice to decision makers Lambeth Council: “The government’s Building Beautiful Commission called for an overt focus on beauty and refusing ugliness as a primary purpose of the planning system. National planning policy puts the creation of beautiful and sustainable buildings and places at the heart of the planning process. These proposals are grotesquery on steroids, a swollen deformity for the South Bank”.
South Bank and Waterloo Neighbours (SoWN) is the community body that represents residents, workers, businesses of all sizes and voluntary organisations in the South Bank and Waterloo Neighbourhood Plan formally approved in February 2020. SoWN was responsible for the wide consultation involved in identifying the key issues, for writing the plan and seeing it through to adoption. It represents the local community in monitoring how the plan is implemented, within the wider context of the Lambeth local plan and the London Plan.
www.sowneighbours.org
SoWN objectives are:
• to promote high standard of planning and architecture in or affecting the area of benefit
• to educate the public in the geography, history, natural history, culture and architecture of the area of benefit
• to secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement of feature areas or areas of historic or public interest in the area of benefit
SoWN stated in its advice to decision makers Lambeth Council: “The mass of the proposed building would be overbearing when experienced from neighbouring streets and public spaces. The proposed building would dominate the local street scene and the conservation area to the detriment. The scale and form of the building would cause harm to important local heritage assets, such as the South Bank Conservation area, IBM building, National Theatre, and the Roupell Street conversation area. The proposed building would result in a significant loss of daylight for several residents. The proposed building would result in a very significant loss of sunlight across important spaces, primarily the Queens walk and Bernie Spain Gardens.”
The Twentieth Century Society stated in its advice to decision makers Lambeth Council: “…considers the currently proposed new building to be an over-development of a site within a sensitive historic environment. Compared to the existing building, the massing of the proposed new building will be further forward on the riverfront side. The new development will impact close views of the listed buildings from the Queen’s Walk and it will also impede wide views, particularly views of the National Theatre from Blackfriars Bridge to the east…The Society’s Casework Committee believes the proposed new building in its current form would harm the setting of the listed buildings on the site and harm the special character and appearance of the riverfront site, which is both a designated conservation area and positive contributor to a strategic view in London. We therefore urge the local authority to refuse planning permission and encourage the applicant to revise the design to substantially reduce the building’s front massing.”
Historic England stated in its advice to decision makers Lambeth Council:
“There would be harm to the Grade II listed IBM building and Grade II listed National Theatre because of the close proximity of the proposed buildings and their impact on the importance of these designated heritage assets in river views.
We have identified further harm through the 26-storey tower on the Roupell Street Conservation Area, through an increase in height and massing which compete with and distract from the Georgian domestic architecture in views within the conservation area…We continue to encourage you to explore refinements to the design to minimise the harm identified, including careful consideration being given to a reduction in the height and massing of the proposed buildings.”
National Theatre stated in its advice to decision makers Lambeth Council:
“The National Theatre is sited within the cultural quarter of the South Bank, established by a number of important post-war structures, including the Royal Festival Hall, Hayward Gallery and Queen Elizabeth Hall. Together, they form a highly significant ensemble of mid-20th century cultural buildings which are characterised by a strong horizontal emphasis and high-level pedestrian connections.
The National also has a strong compositional relationship with the Grade I and II* listed structures of Somerset House and Waterloo Bridge. The National’s siting on the South Bank as the river bends allows a panorama of the City of London that stretches from St Pauls round to Somerset House and onto Westminster Abbey. Its desirability as a location with uninterrupted views up and down the river will be severely impacted. The National considers the impact on the public’s views of the National are also severely impacted by the proposed development.”
The former London Television Centre site at 72 Upper Ground was secured by Mitsubishi Estate and CO-RE for £145.6m in November 2019. The application for planning consent was submitted to Lambeth Council in July 2021. The scheme is designed by Make Architects. It was approved by the Planning Application Committee on Tuesday 29 March 2022 with 6 votes in favour to 1 in opposition.
Public responses to the planning application were received by the decision makers Lambeth Council. They included: 264 objections and 46 supporting. Responses can be accessed at www.bit.ly/3i9LyQb
The public continue to support our opposition to this planning application by signing the petition at: https://www.change.org/SaveOurSouthBank
So far 3,102 people have signed the petition.
The significant impacts of this scheme have been reported in national broadcast and press including:
- Councillor Scott Ainslee, BBC News, 31 March 2022, asked “Would we be bringing this building right next to the Notre Dame? The South Bank is our cultural centre, it’s our offer to the world. I don’t think you would be putting that sort of building to upstage the Sydney Opera House.”
- Rowan Moore, The Observer, 24 April 2022, who describes the proposal as “a brute of a building”
- Richard Morrison, The Times, 6 May 2022, who describes the proposal as a “grotesque monstrosity”
- Sir Simon Jenkins, The Guardian, 6 May 2022, who describes the proposal as an “aggressive behemoth” and nicknamed it as ‘The Slab’
Previously on e-architect:
Florence Eshalomi Member of Parliament for Vauxhall objects to planning application
post updated 12 May 2022
Impact of shadowing on local homes – predicted overshadowing of the riverside walkway and Bernie Spain Gardens:
Images extracted from the developer’s 72 Upper Ground planning application: Environmental Statement, July 2021
Local MP demolishes South Bank redevelopment plans
Residents across SE1 welcome Gove intervention
Social housing tenants on London’s South Bank welcome the Secretary of State for Housing, Michael Gove MP issuing an Article 31 holding directive to Lambeth Council after they disappointingly approved a controversial planning application for the re-development of the former ITV studios on Upper Ground. This means that the Council are temporarily frozen from granting planning permission whilst Michael Gove considers whether to ‘call-in’ the planning application for his own determination.
Whilst this is a positive development, an Article 31 Directive does not mean that the Secretary of State has decided to call in the application. It simply prevents planning permission from being granted whilst Michael Gove and the National Planning Casework Unit, which advises him, consider the matter. The Secretary of State can call a matter in any time before planning permission is issued. This process is separate from but concurrent with Sadiq Khan, London Mayor’s consideration.
The action group #SOS Save Our South Bank of local social housing residents and stakeholders in SE1 are united in their opposition to the extremely unpopular proposals. This group has been building momentum over 12 months to bring this local issue to national attention through TV, radio, social media, press and community action petition.
People are encouraged to express opposition to the redevelopment plans by writing directly to Sadiq Khan, London Mayor [email protected] asking him to ‘call-in’ the planning application.
David Hopkins, Coin Street Community Builders (CSCB) said: “People across London should welcome Michael Gove’s intervention on this proposal. The much-loved South Bank is one of the world’s great public spaces. Our hope is for a fundamental re-think to protect this area of such importance to the nation, Londoners and the local community that live here”.
Michael Ball, Waterloo Community Development Group (WCDG) said: “This disastrously ugly project warrants the kind of scrutiny only a public inquiry can provide. If it goes ahead the scheme would be a permanent eyesore on steroids. We hope that this is a step toward Michael Gove truly putting into action his championing of beauty, belonging, communities and democracy by calling this grotesquery in”.
For further details about this campaign please visit https://coinstreet.org/72-upper-ground and sign the petition in opposition to the redevelopment at https://www.change.org/SaveOurSouthBank
Previously on e-architect:
24 March 2022
72 Upper Ground London Redevelopment
Local MP demolishes South Bank redevelopment plans
Florence Eshalomi Member of Parliament for Vauxhall has objected to a planning application for the redevelopment of the former ITV London Studios on South Bank. Writing to Ben Oakes, Principal Planning Officer at Lambeth Council, her letter comes after the MP visited residents in their own homes. Social housing tenants contacted the MP with their concerns about the impact of daylight being robbed from their homes by a monstrous office block 225% bigger than the current tower.
Florence Eshalomi MP said: “I do not believe that the merits of this application outweigh the significant number of negative consequences. This is a view supported by the overwhelming majority of the large number of public representations made, a fact recognised in the (Lambeth Council) Officer’s report which calls the proposal “controversial and extremely unpopular”. I therefore hope that this application will be reconsidered in favour of one which utilises this key strategic site for local benefit without such a substantial degree of unnecessary harm”.
The MP is not satisfied that the type of development proposed is aligned to the needs of the area and believes that benefits could be delivered whilst avoiding the bulk of the harms that this proposal would cause to local properties and landmark heritage assets e.g. National Theatre.
Florence Eshalomi MP
Florence Dauta Eshalomi (née Nosegbe; born 18 September 1980) is a British Labour and Co-operative politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) representing Vauxhall since 2019. She previously served as the Member of the London Assembly (AM) for Lambeth and Southwark from 2016 to 2021. Florence represented Brixton Hill on the Lambeth London Borough Council from 2006 to 2018.
Specifically, Florence Eshalomi’s MPs objections quoted below are from the formal letter to the planning application committee as follows:
Lack of housing provisionThere are significant pressures on housing supply across the Borough and an urgent need to provide quality affordable housing to meet the needs of the Lambeth’s population both now and in the future. The previously approved proposal on this site was housing-based, but this element has been lost entirely with this application. Furthermore, given the uncertain impacts of the recent Covid19 pandemic on working patterns in the long-term, I do not believe that office space on this scale is the best use of this space when the growth in popularity of home working is considered.
Affordability and local benefit I am also disappointed that the commitment to affordable workspace included in this proposal is only marginally above the minimum proportion of 10% as set out in Lambeth Council’s policy. This will mean the vast majority of offices will be vastly unaffordable for smaller local enterprises. Whilst any job creation is of course to be welcomed, it is therefore likely that the majority of new employment will benefit those living outside of the area and commuting in. This leaves the immediate community disproportionately impacted by the harms this development will cause, without being the primary beneficiaries of many of the opportunities created.
Daylight reductions I have been contacted by large numbers of concerned residents within the housing co-operatives adjacent to the site, concerned about the severe impact that this proposal will have on the levels of daylight received in properties to the south of the site. These concerns relate primarily to 95-97 Upper Ground (part of the Iroko Housing Cooperative), comprising maisonettes on the ground, first, and second floors, and 21 duplex flats above. I note with interest that the Officer’s report attached to this application acknowledges that “there would be instances of major adverse impact” for these flats. Having visited the properties myself, I support residents in their view that these reductions are unacceptable.
Heritage harms I am further concerned that both the Greater London Authority and Heritage England have identified notable harm to a number of vital cultural assets in the immediate locale of the site, caused by the scale, bulk and massing of this proposal. The buildings impacted are among some of the most important protected landmarks in this area of London, including: the IBM Building (Grade II Listed), the Royal National Theatre (II*), Pride Sculpture (II), Somerset House (I), the Royal Festival Hall (I) and St Paul’s Cathedral (I). These entities draw in significant commerce for the businesses surrounding the site, and such impacts may adversely affect this in the future.
Planning Applications Committee (PAC) FAQs
The application is due to be considered by the Planning Applications Committee on Tuesday 29 March 2022 from 7pm.
Who sits on the PAC? The Council has established a PAC, which consists of seven Councillors (elected Members).
Where and when do PAC meetings take place? In line with legislation, Committee members will attend the meeting in person at Lambeth Town Hall.
The meetings are normally held on a Tuesday evening at 7pm and are held 1 or 2 times a month and are listed on the Council’s calendar of meetings at: https://moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk/mgCalendarMonthView.aspx?GL=1&bcr=1
Can I attend PAC meetings? All PAC meetings are open to the press and public although on rare occasions the Committee may discuss a matter in private. The capacity of meetings is restricted due to Covid-19 safety considerations. If the capacity of the room is exceeded the meeting can be viewed live online. The link to the meeting can be found on the PAC page of the Council’s website.
How can I get a copy of any reports to be considered by PAC? The officer reports on applications to be considered are circulated to PAC Members and published on the Council’s website a week before the meeting. Papers for meetings can be viewed at: https://moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeId=600
Coin Street Community Builders (CSCB) is a social enterprise working in Waterloo and North Southwark: https://bit.ly/3kLSSaB. CSCB owns, manages, and maintains the riverside walkway between the National Theatre and Sea Containers, Bernie Spain Gardens, Oxo Tower Wharf, Gabriel’s Wharf, and Coin Street neighbourhood centre. It is freehold owner of the Iroko, Mulberry, Palm and Redwood housing developments which are leased to primary co-operatives managed by their tenants.
CSCB states in its advice to decision makers Lambeth Council: “The scale, bulk and siting of the proposed development is excessive, overbearing and overly dominant. The impact on daylight received by adjacent Coin Street housing co-operatives will be severe. The riverside walkway and gardens to the north of the proposed development currently enjoy sunshine throughout the lunchtime peak and afternoon but would be cast into shadow by this development. The wanton disregard of the South Bank, one of London’s most popular amenities, is unacceptable and short-sighted!”
Waterloo Community Development Group (WCDG) was founded in 1972. WCDG is a charity led by Waterloo residents to maintain and develop a healthy and sustainable community, for more land for homes and amenities such as shops and open space, for the benefit of present and future generations.
WCDG states in its advice to decision makers Lambeth Council: “The government’s Building Beautiful Commission called for an overt focus on beauty and refusing ugliness as a primary purpose of the planning system. National planning policy puts the creation of beautiful and sustainable buildings and places at the heart of the planning process. These proposals are grotesquery on steroids, a swollen deformity for the South Bank”.
South Bank and Waterloo Neighbours (SoWN) is the community body that represents residents, workers, businesses of all sizes and voluntary organisations in the South Bank and Waterloo Neighbourhood Plan formally approved in February 2020. SoWN was responsible for the wide consultation involved in identifying the key issues, for writing the plan and seeing it through to adoption. It represents the local community in monitoring how the plan is implemented, within the wider context of the Lambeth local plan and the London Plan. SoWN objectives are:
- to promote high standard of planning and architecture in or affecting the area of benefit
- to educate the public in the geography, history, natural history, culture and architecture of the area of benefit
- to secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement of feature areas or areas of historic or public interest in the area of benefit
SoWN states in its advice to decision makers Lambeth Council: “The mass of the proposed building would be overbearing when experienced from neighbour hurrying streets and public spaces. The proposed building would dominate the local street scene and the conservation area to the detriment. The scale and form of the building would cause harm to important local heritage assets, such as the South Bank Conservation area, IBM building, National Theatre, and the Roupell Street conversation area. The proposed building would result in a significant loss of daylight for several local residents. The proposed building would result in a very significant loss of sunlight across important spaces, primarily the Queens walk and Bernie Spain Gardens”.
The former London Television Centre site at 72 Upper Ground was secured by Mitsubishi Estate and CO-RE for £145.6m in November 2019. The application for planning consent was submitted to Lambeth Council in July 2021. The scheme is designed by Make Architects.
Public responses to the planning application have been received by the decision makers Lambeth Council. They include: 264 objections and 46 supporting can be accessed at www.bit.ly/3i9LyQb
Coin Street Community Builders are still asking the public to support our opposition to this planning application by signing the petition at: https://www.change.org/SaveOurSouthBank
Previously on e-architect:
28 February 2022
Social Housing Tenants Outraged by Daylight Robbery
Report by Anstey Horne for Coin Street Community Builders
72 Upper Ground London SE1 Development on South Bank
A damning report shines a spotlight on the damaging impact local homes will experience if the redevelopment of 72 Upper Ground is approved by Lambeth Council this month.
Coin Street Community Builders (CSCB) commissioned a report by Anstey Horne, the UK’s leading provider of specialist surveying services to report their findings.
The Anstey Horne consultancy firm identified: “drastic light reductions” for houses neighbouring the former ITV site. “Those occupants that will be affected by the development will have good reason to object to the proposed development based on the daylight injuries to their properties” the consultants said.
The report has been submitted to Lambeth Council and a response is awaited. Both CSCB and Waterloo Community Development Group (WCDG) understand that the daylight impacts exceed those which were a key factor when the controversial development at 8 Albert Embankment in Vauxhall was refused recently after a public inquiry.
Numerous residents who will be overshadowed by this building have objected to the decision makers, Lambeth Council. Many have reported their anxiety about being cast into darkness with no option to move because they are social tenants. Mitsubishi Estate and the CO-RE developer’s own revised Environmental Statement cites the daylight effects from the building’s massing as “significantly adverse”.
Mary Lincoln Todd, a local co-op resident said: “To say I am ‘disappointed’ regarding the height and width of the new building is an understatement! My light will be seriously affected. Lights would have to be ON all day. I’m of an age now wearing glasses to read and having the lights on all day reflect and disturb my reading. Natural daylight is essential. I have lived here for 34 years and seen many changes. This is the worst proposition ever. Too high.Too big.Too much!!!”.
Click on this image to see the gif – showing before and after views:
picture courtesy of Coin Street Community Builders
Dearbhla Molloy, a local social housing tenant said: “As someone who lives directly opposite the proposed development, I would ask Lambeth Council to reject this application on both aesthetic and light grounds…in my case the daylight in my living room, where I spend most of my day, will be reduced by 75% and I would find this profoundly depressing.”
CSCB and WCDG demand that this planning application not be reported to the decision makers Lambeth Council Committee until all the outstanding technical points on daylight have been resolved; to do otherwise would mean that Officers would be reporting, and Members would be determining an application without accurate information on the impacts and without being able to weigh the planning balance correctly.
Predicted overshadowing of the riverside walkway and Bernie Spain Gardens. Images extracted from the 72 Upper Ground planning application: Environmental Statement, July 2021.
Anstey Horne as the UK’s leading provider of specialist surveying services pride themselves on providing relevant expert advice that truly adds value to their clients’ schemes. Anstey Horne is one of the most experienced and dedicated specialist consultants and building surveying teams in the UK https://www.ansteyhorne.co.uk
Lambeth’s Design Review Panel review (pg.4) references this in their comments: “There are concerns that the quantum of the site results in a bulky building which is overly dominant in its context. The panel suggests looking at options to reduce the quantum of floorspace – as a reduced mass would be beneficial in terms of both the impact on the setting and significance of designated heritage assets, townscape, and on neighbouring residential properties opposite the site”.
This advice was not taken by CO-RE the developers. The volume of the proposed development remains 224% greater than that of the current site. The minor design changes introduced during the application meant no reduction in the overbearing nature of the Riverside Walkway frontage, and no reduction in the daylight impacts on neighbouring Coin Street co-op residents.
The result will be an unacceptable loss of daylight for social housing tenants neighbouring the site, severely impacting the quality of lives of families who have no option to move elsewhere.
Impact of mass on views from local homes – views from Stamford Street (left and middle) and Upper Ground (right) – computer generated images of the proposed development:
extracted from the 72 Upper Ground planning application: Environmental Statement, July 2021
The Secretary of State, Michael Gove told MPs on 4 November 2021: “We want to have a planning system where people can feel confident that beauty is taken seriously, confident that the environment is benefitting, confident that the money will be there to support infrastructure, and confident that the community has a role ultimately in determining what is right”. He added, “We want to be in a position where communities accept and welcome new development”. [Source: Planning Resource 12 November 2021].
The Secretary of State recently upheld the protection of residential daylight and sunlight afforded by the British Research Establishment (BRE) standards in his decision on nearby 8 Albert Embankment, see https://bit.ly/3xC2s5e
A Petition is available for the public to support opposition to this planning application: https://www.change.org/SaveOurSouthBank
For further details about this campaign please visit https://coinstreet.org/72-upper-ground
72 Upper Ground Development – London Television Centre Site Redevelopment, South Bank images / information received 280222 from Coin Street Community Builders
Previously on e-architect:
Architects join campaign to protect London’s unique open space
London Television Centre Site Redevelopment on South Bank
picture courtesy of Coin Street Community Builders
London Television Centre Site Redevelopment on South Bank
For further details about this campaign please visit https://coinstreet.org/72-upper-ground
Background to these London South Bank buildings
Location: London Television Centre site, 72 Upper Ground, South Bank, London, England, UK
London South Bank Buildings
Bernie Spain Gardens Transformation, South Bank
Design: West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture
image courtesy of West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture
Bernie Spain Gardens South Bank by West 8
Doon St Tower
Architect: Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands
Doon Street Tower – controversial Southwark skyscraper building design
Oxo Tower Refurbishment
Architects: Lifschutz Davidson Architects (now LDS)
photograph © Nick Weall
Oxo Tower Building
London Building Designs
Contemporary London Architectural Designs
London Architecture Links – chronological list
London Architecture Tours – bespoke UK capital city walks by e-architect
Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Programme
photograph © UK Parliament
Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal
The Nest, Wapping
Architects: Gensler
image from architects
The Nest in East London
Comments / photos for the 72 Upper Ground London SE1 Development, South Bank page welcome
