On 5 July 2024 RBKC received the PLanning Inspector’s Report into the New Local Plan, which sets among other things the planning framework for Lots Road South. In the Report the Inspector accepted the case the LRNF made at the public hearings and our subsequent criticisms of RBKC’s approach to the Main Modifications. In summary, the Inspector has ruled that the Lots Road South development must be employment led, in keeping with the heritage of the wider area, be no more than 10 storeys and the number of new homes must be “around” (not a minimum of) 100 residential units and 65 extra care homes.
The relevant paragraphs of the report that relate to Lots Road South are:
116. However, Policies SA6: Lots Road and SA7 Edenham Way as submitted, are not consistent with paragraph 190 of the Framework, as they do not provide a positive strategy for the conservation and enjoyment of the historic environment. The Lots Road site lies just off the Kings Road between the railway line and Chelsea Creek to the south, which has seen considerable new development. As is suggested by its name, Lots Road has a tradition of auction houses, including within the development site. Whilst there is considerable residential in the wider area, the road still retains a commercial character which is redolent of its historic and ongoing use and is markedly different to the modern development to its south. As a pocket of land which is adjacent to the Lots Road Conservation Area and has the capacity for further development, it is important that any redevelopment of the site successfully builds on the character of the wider area and is consistent with the new Policy CDX which is set out below in Issue 7. This should be done by providing a sensitively designed scheme, which is visually coherent and respectful of the immediate context and is consistent with its character.
120. Accordingly, MM317, MM320, MM321, MM322, MM323, MM325, MM328, MM330, and MM333 are necessary to Site Allocation Policies SA6 to SA11, to ensure that the heritage significance of either the heritage assets themselves or their settings, is not compromised by the proposed developments set out in the Plan.
121. Both SA6: Lots Road and SA9: Latimer Road, fall within designated Employment Zones, where it is important that any residential development does not prejudice the future of employment uses within the respective sites and wider zones. Therefore, MM318 and MM327 are necessary to reference the agent of change principle and to be effective and consistent with Policy BC1, as modified by MM220, as well as the LP and the Framework.
122. In the specific context of SA6: Lots Road, auction uses and other employment uses not only contribute to the wider economy of the Borough, but continue to make a positive contribution to the immediate and particular character of the area. The policy requires strengthening to make clear that further development is to be employment led and that the existing auction house is to be retained. Therefore, for the Plan to be found effective, MM310, MM311, and MM316 are required. MM308 is necessary to correct a factual error.
124. In the context of a myriad of constraints, it is clear that setting out a minimum number of dwellings or other thresholds of development is not appropriate for all of the sites. This is because there could be an irreconcilable tension between requiring a specific level of development, or more, to be delivered on site, whilst at the same time being consistent with the other criteria of the policy, including heritage constraints. Therefore, in order to be flexible and effective, the extent of development at the Lots Road allocation, SA6, should be altered to be ‘around’ rather than phrased as a minimum, as set out in MM312, MM313 and MM314. Moreover, in order, to be effective and to remove any ambiguity, following the consultation on the main modifications, I have made further changes to these MMs, to remove the superfluous ‘or more’, which in the context of a relatively small site could result in overdevelopment for housing, which would not be consistent with my conclusion that the site should be employment led.
For the sake of completeness all the relevant Main Modifications in pdf format.
While this does not mean that developer or RBKC will abide by the new Local Plan in their plans for Lots Road South, the changes we have fought for will make it harder to simply ignore the Local Plan, especially if we chose to contest their proposals.