Author: Cyril Richert
Another tower of 14 storey tower at 56 – 66 Gwynne Road SW11 3UW, near Lombard Road has been approved in February (2014/5357), following a positive recommendation from planning officers.
We wrote about the proposal in a previous article HERE.
As usual, the scheme of 14 storeys is contrary to Wandsworth planning documents. The Site Specific Allocation Document (part of Wandsworth Borough Local Plan, reflecting the borough statutory policies and guidelines for planning development) has got a section dedicated to a site nearby, at 12-14 Lombard Road, SW11 (p174). It says:
Tall buildings: In accordance with Core Strategy Policy IS3d, tall buildings in this location are likely to be inappropriate. In accordance with DMPD Policy DMS4, the height at which a development in this location will be considered to be tall is 9 storeys.
In addition, another proposal of for (only) 9 storeys was refused in 2008 in the same street, for the following reason:
“The proposed development would result in an unneighbourly and substantial overdevelopment of the site, with its scale, form and massing resulting in a visually dominant and overbearing development “
There is no surprise as we already know now that applicants ignore the Wandsworth planning documents (a developer for a 17 storeys in Grant Road said: “there is a number of emerging tall buildings proposed within the York Road/Lombard Road area, the Council through emerging policy in the Core Strategy acknowledges the possibility of this area becoming a ‘focal point’, where tall buildings would not be out of place“) and are backed by the Council officers.
