All 66 flats will be rented and 17 of these will be ‘affordable’ – or rented at below the market rate, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter
An 18-storey tower made up of 66 new flats in Walthamstow has been approved.
Waltham Forest Council’s planning committee, made up of elected councillors, green-lit the Hoe Street scheme at a meeting last night (13th January).
The built-to-rent flats will comprise 28 one-bed units, 34 two-beds, and four three-beds. 17 flats will be classed as ‘affordable housing,’ aimed at families who cannot afford market-rate homes.
Built-to-rent homes cannot be owned by residents and are instead managed by professional proprietors.
The ground floor will be used for new shops and other commercial units.
Despite its height, planning officers say the tower will be in-keeping with the area, pointing to the proximity of the 16-storey Juniper House, the 14-storey Travelodge hotel, and the twelve-storey Gateway Apartments building.
It will be part of an “existing cluster of tall buildings,” the planning team told councillors, and would only lead to a “minor loss” of open skyline.
Though councillors ultimately agreed the public benefits outweighed any harm to the town centre, six formal objections were received ahead of the meeting.
One objector, who lives directly opposite the site, said it would be “overbearing” on existing residents.
She wrote: “For those of us living nearby, this’ll mean darker homes, a more oppressive environment, and uncertainty around safety and comfort. We therefore urge the committee to refuse this application.”
No objectors attended the meeting.
A representative for the applicant, Providence Capital Securities, said the plans’ impact on lighting had been “accepted and approved” by independent assessors.
The council’s draft Local Plan, which outlines plans for new housing in the borough up through 2035, identifies the site as suitable for an 18-storey block.
The representative said: “If you were ever going to build homes in this borough, this is the location you would do it in.”
He added it was “precisely the type of proposal” the planning committee is designed to approve.
Waltham Forest Council is keen to see more permanet homes built in the borough, as it faces increased strain on its temporary housing budget.
An initial round of proposals were backed by the committee in 2022, but a raft of changes have since been implemented due to changing regulations.
A second stairway has been added in a bid to improve fire safety, and a yard area to the west has been made private.
The council’s planning team said it was an improved development in terms of design, with more urban greening and more amenity space. Additionally, officers support the applicant’s contribution of £100,000 to nearby playgrounds to support new families moving in.
A part two- and three-storey building – made up of flats and a vacant solicitors’ office – will be torn down to make way for the new tower.
It dates back to the 1880s, having been altered in the 1970s, and is non-designated heritage assets. It is not locally or statutorily listed, meaning it is not officially protected from development.
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