IBSA House, The Ridgeway Employment Proposal December 2020
This application is number 21/0332/FUL and involves some small alterations to the buildings to facilitate the Use Classes being more clearly defined for employment purposes. The front part comprising IBSA House is proposed as Class E (g) (i) Office Use and the former printing works and factory buildings as Class E (g) (iii) Light Industrial or Class B8 Storage or distribution space. This proposal includes for 80 surface car parking spaces and 112 cycle spaces.
The Society has not objected to the proposals as we wish to encourage employment uses in the locality.
The application was Approved (subject to conditions) 21st September 2021. The building is currently occupied by London North Studios.
IBSA House, The Ridgeway Residential Development December 2019
This application is number 19/6551/FUL on the LBB planning portal and is for the redevelopment of IBSA House – the commercial space and the printing works. The description is for the demolition of existing print-works/factory buildings and redevelopment of the site to provide a total of 197 residential units in total, including conversion of the IBSA House office building into 61 flats and the erection of 5 new blocks ranging from 3 – 6 storeys in height to provide 136 flats. There is proposed basement and surface level car parking for 197 cars and facilities for 44 cycle spaces. Associated alterations to landscaping and ancillary works. An aerial view of the proposal is shown below:
It is our opinion that this application is unacceptable on a number of grounds, but most critically, the Applicant has failed to address the matter of the principle of a change of use of the site in the first instance by failing completely to address Policy DM14. It is not acceptable for a developer to ‘cherry pick’ policies considered to apply to them to best suit their case. Further to this, MHPS are of the opinion that the proposal will result in an incongruous development on a sensitive site adjacent to the Green Belt and will result in a loss of trees that will exacerbate the impact of views into the site and lead to a loss of residential amenity. We believe the application should be withdrawn and reconsidered.
What the Mayor has said…
The LBB submitted the scheme to the Mayor under the Stage 1 Referral process and he has submitted his report to Barnet (GLA/5257/01) and we summarise part of i here:
• Principle of development: The proposed residential redevelopment of the site within an Area of Intensification is strongly supported in principle subject to providing the maximum viable level of affordable housing.
• Affordable housing: The quantum (5%) and mono-tenure nature of the proposed affordable housing is wholly unacceptable. GLA officers seek significant improvement to the quantum and tenure diversity of the affordable housing offer and will robustly interrogate the financial viability assessment to ensure that the maximum amount of affordable housing, with an appropriate affordable tenure mix is secured.
• Urban design: Whilst the scale, massing and layout of the scheme is acceptable, there are concerns that the proposal is designed as a gated development. The applicant should revise the internal layout of the IBSA House building and provide clarification on the purpose of the management office. The access gates to the front of the site should be removed to ensure open access to the development.
• Transport: Car parking should be reduced in line with the Mayor’s Intend to Publish London Plan. Improvements are required to the site layout to improve walking and cycling and the applicant must increase the electric vehicle charging provision. Conditions and obligations are required.
• Sustainable Development: The applicant should provide further information regarding energy and urban greening.
We expect further changes to the scheme to comply with the demands of the London Plan. In fact the affordable housing element was increased to 20% and the scheme was granted planning permission in September 2023.