Land between West Street, Bath Street, Royal Pier Road and Queen ...

Living Conditions for Future ResidentsIn considering proposals for new residential developments it falls within the remit of the planningsystem to ensure that adequate living standards for future occupants are achieved. The provisionof decent sized living accommodation can have a positive impact upon family life and the generalwellbeing of the occupants, provide spaces that are flexible and can be adapted to meet people’schanging needs such as working from home, and create an enhanced sense of social cohesion aspeople are more likely to ‘put down roots’ in the area. In designing accommodation that isattractive and ultimately meets the needs of the future residents, in addition to room sizes andamenity space it is also appropriate to consider ‘functional’ type provisions such as arrangementsfor refuse storage, clothes drying, internal storage and cycle storage.Room Sizes - A concern with the previous application related to the proportion of small onebedroom flats, of which the general perception is of being unattractive to future occupants andproviding poor living conditions. Whilst it is agreed that smaller units (one and two bedroom) canplay an important role within the housing market, an important factor relates to the spacestandards provided within the units.GBC Residential Layout Guidelines (1996) are adopted Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG)and are the starting point for assessing room sizes and layouts. Saved Policy H2 of the adoptedLocal Plan requires the Council to have regard to these standards when considering proposals fornew residential development. Although now somewhat dated, reference to these standards isretained in the Proposed Submission Core Strategy. These standards do not however include aminimum standard for the relatively modern concept of ‘open plan’ living that is included within theapplication proposals, which combines living, dining and cooking provisions within a single space.As such, whilst reference to other recognised and more recent standards such as the LondonHousing Design Guide (LHDG) may be helpful for comparative purposes, Members are advisedthat decisions should be based on the Borough Council’s adopted guidelines. In advisingdevelopers on the local standard for open plan living spaces the consistent and reasonableapproach of the LPA is to amalgamate a kitchen/diner and a lounge (or indeed a lounge/diner anda kitchen) to arrive at the recommended floor area of 25.2sqm, albeit that a slightly smaller spaceis not inappropriate for a one bedroom unit (say 23sqm in accordance with the LHDG standard).It is on this basis that the scheme has been assessed and since only the Eastern Quarter isdetailed the focus has been on the apartments proposed for that quarter. If outline approval isgranted the detailed Western Quarter units would be subject to similar scrutiny at a later date.As highlighted by the majority of local residents in opposing the scheme, however, the originallysubmitted plans raised significant concerns over the standard of the accommodation proposed, aview supported by an officer assessment highlighting that approximately 60% of the open planliving spaces fell below adopted GBC standards. Whilst it is appropriate for a large scaleresidential development to comprise a mix of unit types and sizes (in part to avoid flooding themarket with identical apartments but ultimately to provide for a mixed and balanced community)the number of substandard living spaces was considered unacceptable and the applicant wasrequested to amend the plans.The applicant has responded positively to the concerns of officers and local residents, and hasundertaken a thorough exercise of reviewing the room sizes and ultimately changing the internalarrangement to increase the size of the spaces proposed. Whilst the individual unit sizes andoverall flat numbers remain unchanged, the amendments secured have included (i) removing orreducing some of the second bathrooms, (ii) replacing some double bedrooms with singles and (iii)reducing corridor and hallway widths. The reduction in designed occupancy levels will also placeless pressure on the living spaces and assist in providing adequate and functional areas for theresidents. Whilst accommodation in the Western Quarter is not subject to detailed approval at thisstage, the applicant has however provided amended examples of typical units to suitably