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

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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
demonstrate that the broad quantum of apartments proposed will not be at the expense ofundersized and substandard internal spaces.The outcome of this exercise has been particularly positive and the updated floor plans now fullycomply with the adopted GBC Residential Layout Guidelines in respect of room sizes. This hasadequately overcome previous concerns regarding undersized rooms and, in addition, it isrelevant to note that almost one third of the proposed living spaces within the Eastern Quarterapartments are notably in excess of the minimum standard. Furthermore, a detailed assessmenthas confirmed that the new apartments will experience adequate daylight and sunlight conditions.Whilst the internal changes proposed reduce the number of units that meet the Lifetime Homescriteria, the Eastern Quarter still includes over half of the units designed to this standard, whichremains far in excess of the proportion included in most developments in the Borough. Storagespace is also a relevant consideration when assessing new apartments and the proposed schemedoes include some modest provision within most of the units to facilitate storage of basic domesticequipment such as ironing boards and a vacuum cleaners. However the absence of localstandards on this matter prevents a more formal assessment.Residential Amenity Space - An assessment carried out by the applicant demonstrates thatadequate private and semi-private amenity space to meet the needs of the new residents will beprovided. Amenity space for the new residents is provided through a combination of privatebalconies and communal gardens. Acceptable noise levels within these spaces will be providedthrough screening from the new buildings and, where necessary, incorporation of solid balustradesenclosing balconies.Within the Eastern Quarter 60 of the 141 apartments will have a private balcony (5 sqm), whilst aproportion of those without such provision will have access to semi-private residential gardenseither side of the pedestrian link through the site. This level of provision is considered appropriatefor a town centre development where the new residents will be able to utilise enhanced publicspaces within the immediate vicinity and whereby the incorporation of large gardens and morebalconies (i.e. facing towards St Andrews Court) will likely lead to unacceptable overlooking ofexisting and future residents.Within the Western Quarter the direct amenity needs of the future residents will be provided withincommunal roof gardens, most notably above the new retail units. This communal space will besouth facing and should therefore afford the residents with an attractive amenity provision, albeitfull details will be required through reserved matters to include considerations regardinglandscaping, privacy and security.Refuse Storage - The proposed arrangements for bin storage are that each floor will have adedicated and ventilated area for convenient use by individual residents, but that at regularintervals the management company will transfer the refuse sacks to the larger communal storageareas at street level for ease of collection. As well as being convenient for residents, this has theadded benefit of enabling the principal bin stores to be secured to prevent opportunities for crimeand antisocial behaviour that are associated with unauthorised access to such areas, ashighlighted by Kent Police.Following consultation with the Borough Council’s Operational Services Manager comfort isprovided in that a sufficient quantum of storage space is provided to accommodate the anticipatedquantity of domestic refuse that will be generated by the development. Subject to satisfactoryarrangements for management of the buildings, to be secured through a s.106 Agreement, thisprovides an appropriate means for dealing with refuse and should ensure that amenity is notundermined by the inconsiderate dumping of rubbish. Because the council is increasing andchanging its recycling and refuse collection arrangements, the details of the bin storage areasshould be reserved for subsequent approval, by a planning condition.
Page 1 and 2: Application no: 20120931Location:De
Page 3 and 4: 3. The preponderance of 1 bedroom f
Page 5 and 6: Gravesham Local Plan First Review 1
Page 7 and 8: Local Plan Core Strategy. Other asp
Page 9 and 10: GBC Parking ServicesFollowing discu
Page 12 and 13: of small and undersized flats; fail
Page 14 and 15: stated further that the development
Page 16 and 17: quality of consumer choice is a pri
Page 18 and 19: The Proposed Submission Core Strate
Page 20 and 21: modest alteration to reduce both th
Page 22 and 23: appears to be acceptable, and along
Page 24 and 25: than for St George’s Church, with
Page 26 and 27: Policies seeking to protect amenity
Page 30 and 31: Air Quality - As described previous
Page 32 and 33: so improvements to this area will b
Page 34 and 35: planting which is hoped will strike
Page 36 and 37: elsewhere within the Town - with po
Page 38 and 39: Servicing and DeliveriesThe NPPF ad
Page 40 and 41: disposal to serve the proposed deve
Page 42: provision of a high quality mixed-u

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