180 Brockley Road SE4 PDF 306 KB - Council meetings

and at the junction of Coulgate and Foxberry Road from the South. Historically thesite has been in commercial use comprising retail use and ‘The Brockley PictureTheatre’ occupying the southern part. Brockley Road itself here close to theunderpass of the railways provides a small commercial centre to the locality.4.44 Following the demolition of the cinema and adjacent Victorian terraces in the1960s the site has been underused. The poor quality structures associated withthe garage use have created a gap site to the locality, and the lack of enclosure tothe western side of Brockley Road detracts from the streetscape. The redevelopmentof a site with a mixed use development is welcomed in principle as itwill address the in Urban Design terms unsatisfactory situation while adding vitalityin this crucial location next to the station. There is a significant increase in scaleand density in relation to the surrounding Victorian suburban development;however, due to its ‘island character’ and location between the station and thecommercial Bromley Road the site can accommodate such an increase whileprovide the enclosure and key focal points from the north and the south that havebeen missing in the townscape. For the same reasons, the chosen designapproach in form of juxtaposing a contemporary larger development with theVictorian surrounding is also considered appropriate, and provided that thestandards and requirements of the Urban Design Team in terms of quality andsustainability are satisfied, it is considered that the development will preserve andenhance the character and appearance of the Brockley Conservation Area whileproviding a contemporary and quality addition to the area in its own right .4.45 In long-views from the west, in particular from the station and the footbridgescrossing the tracks, the development will, due to its proximity have a domineeringeffect on the small-scale early 19th century cottages at Coulgate Street. However,I feel that this ‘harm’ can be mitigated by the benefits of the scheme which shouldinclude improvements to the landscaping of Coulgate Street including thewidening of the pedestrian for the enjoyment of the public. These should beensured via a Section 106 agreement, if necessary. The above described benefitsto the overall town- and streetscape towards Brockley Road and the vitality of thearea must also be weighed in favour for the scheme against the identified potentialharm to the setting and character of Coulgate Street.Urban Design4.46 The scheme has evolved following extensive consultation with design officers whoare now satisfied with the proposed development and materials subject to suitableconditions.5.0 Policy ContextIntroduction5.1 Section 70(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) sets outthat in considering and determining applications for planning permission the localplanning authority must have regard to:(a) the provisions of the development plan, so far as material to the application,(b) any local finance considerations, so far as material to the application, and(c) any other material considerations.