Michael Donnelly,
PlanningResource,
5 September 2008
Chelsea Barracks: "impressive community benefits"
Westminster City Council has said it is impressed with the over-all plans for the Chelsea Barracks site but that there is room for improvement.
Westminster’s Planning and Development Committee last night told developers CPC Group and Qatari Diar that they had set a firm foundation for the £3bn scheme.
The committee, which met for an indication hearing only, with a decision on the plans due at a later date, praised the over-all quality of the architectural designs and the community benefits, but said that the updated plans would need to be presented again and should seek to represent a microcosm of what Westminster could look like if it were being created from a blank canvas.
Chairman of the Planning and City Development Committee, Cllr Alastair Moss, said: "We can see that there are excellent elements to these proposals which will provide impressive community benefits such as the plans for facilities which are likely to include a sports centre, health clinic and youth centre as well as 319 units of affordable housing within the 638 available at the site.
"We have given a lot of weight to the opinions of residents and we would like to see the development inspire both the community who will be living on the site and those residents in the wider community who will pass by it in their every day lives.
"As well as being beneficial to the look and feel of the area we propose that more open public park space should be provided which is accessible and well-managed.
"The developer also needs to address the concerns of local residents so that the well-designed new buildings do not overpower their homes by blocking their light and views through their height and bulk."
michael.donnelly@haymarket.com
