Download This is a sensitive site and any replacement building must achieve a

500 Chiswick High Road and 30 - 32 Chiswick Road, Chiswick W4 5RG
00248/CY/P1; P/2013/4093
Comments from the West Chiswick and Gunnersbury Society
This is a sensitive site and any replacement building must achieve a successful
transition in urban design terms between the height and massing of the two storey
Victorian properties in Chiswick Road and those along Chiswick High Road to the
east of the site and the larger footprint modern buildings on Chiswick High Road to
the west. In addition, any development of this site must fully respect its proximity to
the Gunnersbury Triangle Nature Reserve.
Principle of development and detailed design
The WCGS accepts the principle of the site being redeveloped in order to optimise
housing capacity and replace second hand office accommodation with higher quality
offices in a highly accessible and sustainable location close to the town centre and
public transport facilities. The Society has been made aware that the existing building
provides small businesses with affordable office accommodation and we would
request that consideration is given to how this could be re-provided so as to support
local small businesses.
The loss of the Victorian house at 32 Chiswick Road is regrettable but on balance is
considered justified in order to achieve a well designed layout in the redevelopment of
the site and allow for the reordering of the massing on the site to facilitate a reduction
in height from the existing six storey corner tower. The inclusion of mews style
houses in the proposals to create buildings of a sympathetic height and mass to the
Victorian properties in Chiswick Road is welcomed. It will be highly important,
however, that the southern house in the mews presents a front elevation to the street in
Chiswick Road rather than a flank wall condition. It is disappointing that the internal
arrangement of the southern mews house is such that the windows onto Chiswick
Road will be onto internal staircases and that therefore the building will lack a real
active frontage to living accommodation, we would request that this is revised.
The proposal of a central "green" courtyard is welcome. Since the footprint, bulk and
height of the main elements of the proposed development will be significantly greater
than the main 2-storey element of the current building, it will be essential to mitigate
the loss of "openness" and to optimise visual permeability between the High Road and
the Gunnersbury Triangle.
The WCGS has the following concerns about the detail of the design and would
request that appropriate modifications are sought.
Firstly it would be helpful for the applicants to provide a full streetscene drawing to
show the existing and proposed elevations to Chiswick High Road in context with, the
adjacent office building at 510 Chiswick High Road and Mortlake House, 512-518
Chiswick High Road and the two storey Victorian building on the opposite corner of
Chiswick High Road and Chiswick Road at 494-6 Chiswick High Road. The two
modern buildings immediately to the west which form the largest elements of massing
in the streetscene on the north side of Chiswick High Road have either been recently
extended in the case of 510 Chiswick High Road or have been granted permission to
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extend by an additional floor in the case of Mortlake House. The WCGS consider
that this additional information is important in order to properly evaluate the height
and massing of the scheme against those two buildings, particularly when the
planning application for two additional floors to Mortlake House has recently
appeared on the pending decisions list with a recommendation for refusal on visual
amenity grounds. We would like the opportunity to comment on the additional
information submitted.
Visuals - townscape views
The proposed front building line projects forward in front of the stepped front
elevation 512-518 Chiswick High Road revealing a large area of blank brickwork in
the streetscene which appears both unattractive and overdominant. Any replacement
building should not step forward of 512-518 Chiswick High and should respect the
existing front building line. It is noted that the existing building line is largely parallel
to the back edge of pavement on the curve in Chiswick High Road whereas the
proposed building line cranks away from Chiswick High Road to open up the corner
with Chiswick Road. Due to the harmful impact of the proposals on views from the
west along Chiswick High Road it would be preferable to follow the existing front
building line instead.
The proposed view from Chiswick Road is also concerning and although the removal
of the corner tower is welcomed, the east elevation of the proposed building lacks
sufficient articulation to break down the massing of the building or produce visual
interest. The existing building, despite the height of the corner tower, does at least
possess two distinct elements to the view from Chiswick Road which helps to add
visual interest and break down the massing of the built form. We remain concerned
about the appropriateness of the proposed height of the building on the corner of
Chiswick High Road and Chiswick Road and the relationship with the two storey
building on the opposite corner at 494-6 Chiswick High Road, hence our request for
further drawings of the building in its context.
Gunnersbury Triangle Nature Reserve
The nature reserve is small and vulnerable to disturbance. It is already affected by the
major office development of the Chiswick Business Park on its western boundary and
the new developments on Bollo Lane/Colonial Drive – in the London Borough of
Ealing. The cumulative impact is such that it is essential to ensure that any further
development of land or buildings close to the reserve has no additional negative
impact either for the reserve’s fauna and flora or for its human visitors. The “feel of
the countryside”, tranquillity, seclusion, wilderness, closeness to nature and sense of
place are the characteristics most cherished by many of the visitors to the reserve. It is
therefore essential to avoid any further loss of visual amenity. The proposed
development brings buildings of greater height and bulk closer to the southern
boundary of the reserve. While the applicant suggests that views of the development
from within the reserve will be limited, the views provided are taken in summer with
the mainly deciduous trees in full leaf. Being residential, these buildings will increase
the likelihood of light pollution. The lighting in residential properties is not amenable
to control by use of, for example, intelligent lighting systems and external mitigation
measures such as brise soleil and solid balcony balustrades will be required.
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Materials
There are concerns about the proposed materials, particularly the white brick and
stainless steel roof cladding. The WCGS would request that a different colour of
brick such as a yellow London stock and an alternative roof cladding material such as
zinc be considered instead. In the event of the application being approved the WCGS
would like to be consulted on the details of any application submitted to the Council
to discharge the materials condition.
Ecology
The development is proposed in close proximity to the London Plane trees on the
north side of Chiswick High Road, these should be protected and retained and the
impact of the proposals on the canopies and root protection areas should be fully
assessed. The provision of a landscaped buffer to the railway line is welcomed in
order to reduce light spillage to the Gunnersbury Triangle Nature Reserve.
Conditions
In the event of the proposals being recommended for approval the WCGS would
request conditions be placed on:
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Details of all external materials including roof cladding materials to be
submitted to and approved in writing by the Council prior to commencement
of development and the development shall be implemented in accordance with
the approved details.
Detailed drawings in plan, section and elevation at a scale of not less than 1:20
of a typical bay of each elevation to be submitted to and approved in writing
by the Council prior to commencement of development and the development
shall be implemented in accordance with the approved details.
Details of fenestration including opening style to be submitted to and
approved in writing by the Council prior to commencement of development
and the development shall be implemented in accordance with the approved
details.
Details of measures to mitigate light spillage towards the nature reserve
including external shades to fenestration and means of balcony enclosures to
be submitted to and approved in writing by the Council prior to
commencement of development and the development shall be implemented in
accordance with the approved details.
The window glass installed to the Chiswick High Road elevation of the ground
floor office accommodation shall be clear and permanently retained as such
and shall not be mirrored, tinted or obscured in any way.
Details of hard and soft landscaping including planting schedules, samples of
surface materials and details of play equipment to be submitted to and
approved in writing by the Council prior to commencement of development
and the development shall be implemented in accordance with the approved
details and all planting shall be carried no later than the the first available
planning season following first occupation of the development.
Any planting planted in accordance with the above condition which is
removed or dies within 5 years of first occupation of the development shall be
replaced with planting of the same quantity, species and size no later than the
next available planting season.
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Notwithstanding the provisions of the General Permitted Development Order
1995 or any subsequent Order no extensions or outbuildings shall be erected to
the single dwelling houses hereby approved without planning permission
having been granted by the Council.
Notwithstanding the provisions of the General Permitted Development Order
1995 or any subsequent Order no alterations or roof installations (plant,
antennae, satellite dishes etc) to the exterior of the main building hereby
approved shall be carried out without planning permission having been
granted by the Council.
The residential units hereby approved shall not be eligible for CPZ parking
permits.
The WCGS would also like to request that any s.106 agreement should include
financial contributions towards the provision of:
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Streetscene improvements in the local area.
Public open space improvements in the local area.
Transport improvements in the local area, specifically enhanced staircase
capacity and the provision of disabled access at Gunnersbury Station, in
addition to TfL's already committed works at the station.
School place provision.
Onsite affordable housing, whilst recognising that this will be subject to
viability.
WCGS January 2014
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