Our client sought to bring forward proposals for an extension to a cemetery in the London Borough of Bromley.  The proposal included additional gravestones, associated landscaping and tree removal, an extension to a road, pavements, a wooden lodge containing offices and new toilet facilities; cumulatively all these had caused concern amongst residents and the local civic society, feeding through to officers and members.

Challenge

The Bromley Local Plan designated the cemetery as a Conservation Area and a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. The cemetery also lay within the Green Belt and therefore clearing woodland to make room for additional graves proved to be controversial with residents and conservation groups. Increased traffic, access and disruption resulting from additional funeral services were some of the additional sources of concern. SP Broadway was brought on board to gain a full understanding of officer and councillor concerns, to explain the plans to local stakeholders and to bring all parties together ahead of the submission of the planning application.

Solution

• SP Broadway facilitated meetings between the cemetery and a range of key stakeholders, including ward councillors and the local civic society, in order to hear their views on the proposed cemetery extension and discuss solutions.

• The civic society was particularly interested in protecting trees, and the possibility of rewilding parts of the cemetery was discussed.

• Elected councillors were given a guided tour of the existing cemetery, which included presenting the revised cemetery masterplan, understanding the extent of tree loss/new tree planting and new access arrangements.

Result

Once ward councillors and civic leaders’ concerns had been addressed, officers felt able to bring the scheme through planning.   Bromley Council Planning Committee voted to approve the proposals by six votes to three.

The post Cemetery extension appeared first on SP Broadway.

Carebase sought planning permission for a 60-bed care home on the site of a disused bowls club on the outskirts of Hayes, in the London Borough of Bromley.

Challenge

Though previously-developed land, the site was designated Urban Open Land, with protected status similar to Green Belt.  The site was also immediately adjacent to an apartment block whose residents vigorously opposed the site’s development.

Solution

• SP Broadway organised meetings for Carebase with the three Bromley Council members for Hayes ward, and with the Hayes Village Association. These meetings quickly established that key local stakeholders were opposed to the proposals.

• We organised a public exhibition in the Village Hall, sending individual invitation letters to over 800 addresses in Hayes. Despite this, turnout at the exhibition was low – only 70 attendees – and feedback was mixed.

• With limited engagement from the Hayes ward members, we opened up a useful channel of communication with the Cabinet Member for Planning on Bromley Council, who proved a helpful source of advice on further engagement.

• At the urging of the Cabinet Member for Planning, Carebase entered into discussions with the Adult Social Care team on Bromley Council, and agreement was reached on council nomination rights for ten beds in the proposed facility.

• In the run-up to determination, we undertook a door-knocking exercise in the hope of detecting wider public support within Hayes for the proposed facility. A total of 44 residents were happy to fill in a form indicating their support and post the form to Bromley Council Planning Department.

• In the week before the Development Control Committee meeting, we sent a brochure and detailed covering letter to every member of the committee summarising the proposals and extolling their benefits. Follow-up calls indicated that was some support for the facility on the committee.

Result

Despite a recommendation for approval, Bromley Council Development Control Committee voted to refuse Carebase’s application, despite support from some committee members.  Carebase appealed the decision, and the appeal was allowed.

The post 60-bed care home appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought to bring forward proposals for an extension and improvements to the rear of the London Elizabeth Hotel (near Paddington station) including a new building incorporating guest bed rooms, storage space and additional hotel facilities.

Challenge

SP Broadway was asked to assist with community relations after the initial proposal was withdrawn following objections from neighbours and other residents, SP Broadway then faced the challenge of addressing concerns and advising on suitable amendments to gain community support ahead of a rescheduled planning application submission. For the resubmission, SP Broadway worked alongside RPS Planning Consultants and Steve Norris (former Conservative MP).

Solution

• SP Broadway sent out a detailed letter to local residents and stakeholders, including South East Bayswater Residents’ Association and Lancaster Gate Freehold Limited, explaining the reasons behind the withdrawal of the previous application, providing an update on the proposed new scheme and encouraging recipients to contact SP Broadway with any questions.

• We arranged a meeting with community stakeholders and residents to discuss their concerns including Lancaster Gate Housing Association (LGHA). The discussion led to the decision to amend the servicing arrangements for the hotel, with LGHA requesting incorporation of a dedicated loading bay at the rear of the hotel.

• Following the meeting, we emailed LGHA to update them on the changes that had been made as a direct result of the discussion. The update was acknowledged by LGHA, who raised additional points about access, construction and daylight at the site. We continued to liaise with LGHA on these matters as the proposals progressed towards committee.

Result

The new guest bedrooms were consented by Westminster City Council Planning Committee.

The post Hotel extension appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought to redevelop two buildings on Kensington High Street, which were run-down externally and in a poor state of repair internally. The proposals were mixed-use, involving the redevelopment of the interior of the buildings with ground-floor retail, offices and residential apartments, as well as the retention and restoration of the buildings’ facades. The redevelopment would help ensure the survival of these Georgian buildings within the Kensington Conservation Area.

Challenge

Given the site’s location on the frontage of Kensington High Street, there were concerns about the impact on traffic during the construction phase of the redevelopment, as access to the site would be limited and require construction vehicles to use the High Street itself. There were also concerns about how construction works would impact residents.

Solution

• SP Broadway compiled a detailed Political and Community Stakeholder Audit to identify key local stakeholders. Once completed, we arranged a meeting with the site ward councillors to brief them on the proposals and hear their views on the design and on our planned community consultation exercise.

• During our briefing meeting with ward councillors, they expressed concerns about access arrangements for construction vehicles, which would have to use Kensington High Street, and as a result a more detailed approach towards construction management was adopted.

• To alleviate any potential concerns of local residents regarding construction, we drafted and sent out a detailed information letter to residents and businesses in an agreed radius around the site, including images of the current buildings and images of the proposed redevelopment. The letter also explained invited residents and businesses to submit feedback to SP Broadway. Only one response was received.

Result

Following the circulation of our information letter to local residents, we gave a two-week consultation period to allow for feedback before submitting a planning application.  The scheme was consented under delegated powers.

The post Mixed-use development appeared first on SP Broadway.

A major housebuilder sought approval for 518 homes alongside 3,150sqm of flexible commercial space on the site of the Former Civic Offices in Bexleyheath town centre.

Challenge

• The site was an urban ‘off town centre’ location which had been derelict since 2012, and previous consented developments had failed to materialise.

• There were widespread concerns about density, height and scale of the development, focussed on the inclusion of a 13 storey landmark building in the north western corner of the site.

• The ward councillor and MP had stated their opposition to the scheme.

Solution

• We compiled a comprehensive Political & Community Stakeholder Survey and identifed the elected members and community leaders who could impact the planning application.

• We organised an initial two-day public exhibition, and invited over 1,800 residents, political stakeholders and journalists. Attendees filled in feedback forms, providing useful comments to help our client finalise the detail of the scheme before submission. We then held a second two-day public exhibition 3 weeks later, responding specifically to the points raised at the first exhibition.

• Post-submission we held a further feedback session for residents who continued to be interested in the application, which generated 28 letters of support. We then encouraged these residents to ensure they submitted their letters of support to the Council’s official consultation.

• We held individual meetings with important stakeholders including the MP, the Leader of the Council, the Assembly Member and the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, and presented to Bexleyheath BID to secure support from local businesses.

Result

 After a lengthy debate at Bexley Borough Council Planning Committee, with 4 votes in favour and 4 votes against, the Chair of the Planning Committee used their casting vote to approve the scheme.

The post 518 new homes and 3,150sqm retail appeared first on SP Broadway.

Bellway Homes sought to submit Section 73 applications with regard to a mixed-use development in the London Borough of Greenwich. The original consent had been given in 2013 and Bellway had taken over the scheme from another developer in 2016, with the intention of building out the final phase. The Section 73 applications sought to change the design of the new homes in the final phase, and increase their number.

Challenge

Since the original consent in 2013, the scheme had already increased in size once, stretching the patience of councillors. In addition, access to the scheme ran through residential streets and over recent years residents had been aggrieved by construction traffic in the area during the build out.  There was a real risk that residents opposed to the scheme because of these traffic issues would use the Section 73 applications as an opportunity to voice their opposition to councillors, potentially derailing the progress of the development.

Solution

• SP Broadway invited residents to attend a Community Liaison Group, where construction, access, and other issues could be raised and resolved. Around 40 residents attended the meeting, chaired by SP Broadway, and a number of issues were addressed, taking the heat out of the situation. It was agreed to hold the meetings quarterly, until the construction of the final phase was completed.

• We created and maintained a project website, containing up-to-date information on the Section 73 applications, to keep residents updated after the meeting.

• We responded to all resident queries in the run-up to determination of the planning applications, ensuring that all issues raised were managed and not directed at councillors.

• We wrote to all Planning Committee members before determination dates, clearly setting out how the Section 73 applications would improve the scheme, and deliver more affordable homes.

Result

The first application, an uplift of 16 homes, was unanimously consented. The second application, for a further uplift of 10 homes, was consented by 10 votes to 1.

The post Post consent amendments and resident liaison appeared first on SP Broadway.

A national housebuilder sought to gain consent for a 394-home project in Rainham, Havering.

Challenge

• The site had a chequered history, with an application by another housebuilder for more than 700 homes having been rejected years earlier.

• Our client had seen their application deferred twice within a matter of months due to unresolved concerns regarding parking – there had been a local campaign by the site and neighbouring ward councillors, and committee members were concerned about a precedent being set for parking provision.

Solution

• Appointed days after the second deferral, our first step was to undertake a detailed Political & Community Stakeholder Survey that would provide our client with a full understanding of the key influencers in Rainham and the Borough.

• Using this research, SP Broadway arranged and attended a briefing meeting with a key Cabinet Member, who reassured our client that there was still a desire to see the scheme come forward.

• We drafted and sent a detailed 5-page briefing letter to all members of the planning committee. This focussed on the changes made to the scheme in direct response to the concerns expressed at committee, highlighting the enhanced design, new access arrangements, financial contributions, and most crucially an increased parking provision.

Result

At committee, the ward councillors encouraged the members to defer the application for a third time. After a long debate, the scheme was granted planning permission by 7 votes to 4 along party lines.

The post 394 new homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client had purchased a brownfield site in Woolwich with planning consent for 52 homes, and sought an uplift in the number of new homes to 65.

Challenge

• The uplift in numbers was made possible through the proposed removal of a ground level car park, and this had attracted objections from local businesses who were concerned about the impact of reduced parking availability in the area.

• Political and community representatives of the local area claimed more “family-sized homes” were required, and the new proposals reduced the proportion of three-bedroom flats.

• One of the local ward councillors openly opposed the new scheme, and was registered to speak against the planning application at committee.

Solution

• Instructed the week before the planning committee date, our client asked us to draft a briefing letter to committee members setting out the benefits of the new scheme.

• We studied the officer’s report and the planning application documents, and used this information to draft a concise two-page letter. This emphasised the affordable homes provision – policy compliant in terms of number of homes, and above-policy in terms of habitable rooms – and explained the need to remove on-site parking and reduce the proportion of three-bedroom flats.

• Shortly after sending the letter we contacted the ward councillor known to oppose the scheme, in order to fully understand his concerns about the proposals. We then helped our client formulate a written response to the points he had raised.

Result

The ward councillor thanked us for the comprehensive response, and agreed to withdraw his objections and not speak at committee. The planning committee awarded the new scheme a unanimous consent.

The post 65 new homes appeared first on SP Broadway.

The Japanese Government sought planning permission for change-of-use of a landmark retail building on Kensington High Street to create a centre for the promotion of Japanese culture, “Japan House”, retaining ground floor retail but converting the first floor to a restaurant and the basement to events space.

Challenge

The area was represented by influential councillors, the Kensington Society and residents’ associations concerned about losing prime retail space on Kensington High Street to other uses with lower footfall. Residents were also concerned about the impact of the restaurant and events space on local amenity, particularly at night.

Solution

• Instructed to establish lines of communication with key stakeholders, we set up a series of meetings with local councillors, residents’ associations, business representatives and the local civic society.

• After initial meetings the Japan House team subsequently revised the proposals and we set up a second series of meetings with stakeholders to guide them through the changes. The team also agreed to draw up a management plan and to meet with residents on a regular basis once the centre was open.

• Though not necessary for a change-of-use application, we compiled a detailed Statement of Community Involvement for submission with the planning application, explaining our consultation with stakeholders and responding to the issues they had raised.

• Once the application was submitted we handled queries from the local residents’ association, clarifying key points contained in the application documents.

• We also provided strategic advice to the Japan House team on their response to queries raised by officers, members, the Kensington Society and residents regarding the detail of the application.

• With the committee date approaching we drafted a short briefing letter setting out the positives of the scheme, which was then sent to planning committee members by the Japanese Ambassador.

Result

RBKC Planning Applications Committee voted unanimously to approve the proposals.

The post Japanese cultural centre appeared first on SP Broadway.

A university based in South East London had submitted a planning application to Royal Borough of Greenwich to refurbish the Dreadnought building, a Grade II listed building on its historic Greenwich campus, next to the Old Royal Naval College. Formerly the university library, the building would become the base for some faculty departments, as well as provide new facilities for the Students’ Union.

Challenge

Being a prominent listed building within the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, the fate of the building was of interest to an unusually large number of stakeholder bodies and local interest groups.

Solution

• In order to make residents aware of the planning application, SP Broadway organised a one-day public exhibition of the proposals, held in the Dreadnought building. Using specialised mapping software we created a radius of invitees and sent an invitation letter to all residential and business addesses within this radius, totalling some 440 invitations.

• We also organised a short preview of the exhibition display for key stakeholders, held on the same day before it opened to the public. We sent out personal invitations to over 100 stakeholders and arranged for the Vice-Chancellor to address the event. We also liaised with university staff regarding catering and logistics.

Result

Our client thanked us for “all the hard work that led to a successful [consultation] event…the Vice Chancellor and University were very happy”. The planning application was approved by Royal Borough of Greenwich.

The post Campus refurbishment appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought to build 170 apartments on a one-hectare brownfield site in the London suburb of Kew.

Challenge

Two applications by a previous developer to redevelop the site for residential use had failed at planning committee, attracting considerable opposition from ward councillors, surrounding residents’ associations, the local civic society and the Member of Parliament. Our client assumed the application would be rejected at committee but could be consented at appeal.

Solution

• SP Broadway organised a series of meetings with residents’ associations, encouraging them to ‘invest’ in the scheme through regular input into the design process and incorporating some of their suggestions into the plans, including provision of space on-site for a doctor’s surgery.

• We organised meetings with ward members and the MP, after which one ward member spoke in favour of the site in an open public meeting to the Leader of the Council.

• We held two 2-day public exhibitions. This first exhibition outlined the constraints and opportunities of the site and sought residents’ views on a range of design options and potential community uses. The second exhibition outlined our client’s final proposal having taken into consideration feedback received at the first exhibition. Approximately 50% of respondents provided positive comments.

• We used constructive engagement with high level political decision makers to swiftly end the deadlock when major delays in the planning department of London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and TFL threatened a timely planning committee date.

• We drafted a hard hitting pre-committee briefing letter and designed an A4 colour briefing leaflet for key councillors and stakeholders outlining positives of the scheme and detailing the widespread community support; following this we undertook final pre-committee briefings by phone.

Result

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Planning Committee voted unanimously to consent the development. Three of the community groups which had previously opposed development of the site spoke at Planning Committee in support of the application.

The post 170 apartments appeared first on SP Broadway.

A well-established university in London sought to gain planning consent for a comprehensive regeneration of its campus. SP Broadway was instructed to provide political, community and media communications to secure this planning consent.

Challenge

As an established institution in the area, it was important our client gained consent in a way that maintained and enhanced its standing within the local community. The site, in an area with a number of strong residents’ associations, was controversial with residents concerned the development would further increase the already substantial queues into the university’s car park and further concerns over the design of the regenerated buildings.

Solution

• A series of Community Liaison Groups were organised, enabling key members of the community and local politicians to discuss the proposals in an open and honest environment, encouraging support from within the local community.

• A public exhibition was held over two days to introduce the proposals to residents first hand. A feedback questionnaire was also prepared for the exhibition which allowed valuable information about residents’ views to be gathered, identified areas of concern and provided valuable statistics: with 59% of respondents commenting positively on the proposals.

• In the run-up to the planning committee’s decision, we sent a letter to each member of the committee highlighting the benefits of the development for the university and for Ealing, and listing the changes made to the scheme following consultation with the community.

Result

Ealing Council Planning Committee unanimously voted to approve the application.

After further consultation, including another meeting of the Community Liaison Group and a second public exhibition, an application for an additional new university building was submitted to Ealing Council and consented.

SP Broadway was retained as communications adviser during the construction process.  The refurbishment is now complete.

The post Campus refurbishment appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought to redevelop an existing run-down 1970s residential building in the London Borough of Wandsworth and replace it with new high-quality flats. The scheme sought to enhance the street by reflecting the character of the surrounding houses in the new design.

Challenge

• The redevelopment proposed to increase both the height and size of the building; in an area currently receiving its fair share of applications for new, taller buildings.

• Residents and councillors needed to be reassured that the new building would be an improvement and would not overshadow neighbouring houses.

Solution

• SP Broadway sent a comprehensive briefing to councillors and planning officers outlining the plans and the benefits for the area.

• SP Broadway liaised with key members of the local community and concerned residents to inform them of the proposals and allay fears over the impact of the redevelopment.

• An invitation letter to the public exhibition was sent to nearby residents and councillors, briefing them on the proposals and inviting further discussion.

• A public exhibition was held and feedback forms were provided, allowing attendees to comment on the proposals. Feedback from the exhibition was largely positive; however several residents expressed concern over the height of the buildings. SP Broadway provided a detailed analysis of the feedback to the project team, allowing the team to better understand how the plans needed to evolve to gain community support.

• SP Broadway worked closely with stakeholders, using this close liaison and the feedback gained from the public exhibition to help steer changes to the proposals to better reflect political and community opinion.

• As a result of consultation with stakeholders and the public exhibition a number of changes to the plans were made, including reduction in the height of the building, additional affordable housing provision, increased parking, greater consideration for right to light, agreed transport initiatives, and substantial CIL payments: all of which reflected concerns raised by stakeholders and residents.

• SP Broadway sent briefing letters to stakeholders, detailing the changes and highlighting why they should support the scheme. This included a final briefing letter in the week of the committee’s decision.

Result

• Having gained the planning officers’ recommendation for approval, the scheme was granted planning permission by 6 votes to 2.

• Following a second round of consultation organised by SP Broadway – including additional meetings with residents and a second public exhibition – an application for a rear extension to the new building was submitted to Wandsworth Council and approved.

The post 59 apartments appeared first on SP Broadway.

Our client sought to enhance the historic Greenwich Market – within the Greenwich Town Centre Conservation Area and the Greenwich World Heritage Site – by bringing forward plans for a new market roof, refurbishing existing buildings and creating a new food court and area of public open space.

Challenge

A previous application for a comprehensive regeneration of the market had proved very unpopular. It was therefore important to distance the new plans for market enhancements from the previous scheme, and to better understand community views.

Solution

• SP Broadway set up meetings with the local London Assembly Member and Member of Parliament.

• We organised a public exhibition over two days.

• Exhibition feedback established that 89% of respondents supported the market enhancements, a statistic we included in a Statement of Community Involvement submitted with the planning application.

• Once the application was submitted we organised a second exhibition over three days, aimed specifically at market traders & retailers. During the exhibition a petition in favour of the market enhancements was signed by 185 people.

• Prior to planning committee we met the two principal local newspapers, to explain that the petition demonstrated widespread support among traders & retailers. Articles subsequently appeared in both papers in the week before the planning committee, highlighting the support in the petition.

Result

The market enhancements were unanimously approved by Royal Borough of Greenwich Planning Board.

The post Historic market regeneration appeared first on SP Broadway.

SP Broadway filled a Neighbourhood Liaison Officer role as part of the planning condition for the redevelopment of Abell House and Cleland House, Westminster SW1 during demolition and construction works.

Challenge

Liaising with a large number (446) of stakeholder residents from neighbouring buildings during the demolition and construction of two residential apartment buildings.

Solution

• Acted as a 24/7 single point of contact for external queries – filtering all resident queries to our client. This single point of contact is advertised on the Abell and Cleland House website.

• Managed the distribution of a weekly e-newsletter to all residents outlining the demolition/construction timetable for the forthcoming week. This advance notice of noise, dust and disruption is designed to keep complaints to a minimum and was well received to date, reducing the volume of telephone calls received by the client.

• Co-ordinated and managed a monthly Community Working Group Meeting (CWG) to provide a Steering Group mechanism for key residents and other interested parties during the demolition and construction process. Agendas were circulated by SP Broadway in advance and Minutes were hosted on the project website.

• Managed a tri-monthly Community Liaison Group (CLG) to provide a liaison mechanism for local residents and other interested parties who were less interested in project detail but still wanted to be kept informed of key project milestones. Agendas were circulated by SP Broadway in advance and Minutes were hosted on the project website.

• Organised and attended additional meetings with residents and stakeholders as particular issues developed.

• Managed key community and project team contact databases.

Result

The development has finished. Residents were kept well-informed and the client was happy.

The post 275 apartments appeared first on SP Broadway.