Sadiq Khan has called in two major planning applications totalling more than 1,000 homes that were previously refused by London councils.
The mayor of London has called in the plans, meaning he will veto refusals from the Conservative-led boroughs of Barnet and Kensington & Chelsea and exercise his power to make himself the local planning authority for both schemes.
He will review Meadow’s 724-flat build-to-rent scheme in Mill Hill and the redevelopment of the Kensington Forum Hotel, which seeks to provide 386 serviced apartments and homes.
In his decision to override local authority ruling, Khan pointed out the opportunity to bolster affordable housing in the two boroughs.
Pentavia Retail Park: 724 homes, 35% affordable
Khan will review Meadow Residential’s 724-flat Pentavia Retail Park build-to-rent development in Mill Hill, overruling refusal from Barnet Council.
The application has been in the works for more than three years. After pre-application meetings in 2015, plans were submitted in 2016 and withdrawn.
The new application was submitted in December 2017 and refused in July 2018. It outlines plans for buildings of between 5 to 15 storeys, with 35% affordable housing.
Under the draft London Plan, this quantity of affordable homes would satisfy 11% of Barnet’s affordable housing target and 31% of the overall housing target.
Barnet council said it offered inadequate levels of affordable housing and the scheme represented overdevelopment of the site due to the height and scale.
In a letter sent to Barnet on 5 November, Khan wrote: “I note that the proportion of affordable housing secured relative to overall housing consented during this period is significantly below the Barnet’s Local Plan target of 40% and represents a significant undersupply of affordable housing in the pipeline.”
But, he added: “The proposed development has potential to make an important contribution to housing and affordable housing supply in response to London Plan policies.”
Kensington Forum Hotel: 340 serviced apartments and 46 homes, 20 affordable
In September, Kensington & Chelsea Council refused plans for Rockwell’s redevelopment of the Kensington Forum Hotel at 97-108 Cromwell Road, SW7. The scheme is backed by Queensgate Investments.
The application sought to demolish the fifth-largest hotel in the UK, making way for a new 30-storey building with 749 bedrooms, 340 serviced apartments and 46 homes, 20 of which were to be affordable.
In a letter sent to the council on 5 November, Khan assumes responsibility for consent due to the impact of the development on the London Plan and the “significant effects on more than one London borough”.
Khan writes: “The proposed development has the potential to make an important contribution to the delivery of enhanced visitor infrastructure to support London’s visitor and business economy and the strategic function of the Central Activities Zone, in addition to improving employment opportunities for Londoners.”
He said Kensington & Chelsea “is currently significantly under-delivering against its annualised housing and affordable housing targets”. He added that the hotel plans provide affordable housing contributions that “respond positively to London Plan policies.”
The two schemes will go to representation hearings, where the local planning authorities will be given the opportunity to explain their position. Dates for these meetings have not yet been set.
Khan’s decision to step in brings the total call-ins to 11.
In March, he took over planning for Kensington & Chelsea’s Newcombe House redevelopment. He also intervened in Barnet in May, when he took control of Barratt’s 450-home development on the National Institute for Medical Research site.
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