Out-Law News 1 min. read
16 Dec 2011, 4:56 pm
Plans for the phased redevelopment seek consent to demolish the existing station building and replace it with a new ticket office, a new station concourse, a public square and 115 homes along with shops and restaurants.
Officers recommend the proposed development be approved, subject to the completion of a section 106 agreement and no adverse direction from London mayor Boris Johnson at the Greater London Authority (GLA).
A section 106 agreement is a mechanism for the developer and council to agree mitigation measures for a proposed development. In this case, Officers have accepted that for viability reasons the scheme will not be able to fund the total amount of contributions commensurate with the scale of the proposals.
The revised plans for the scheme were submitted in May by Solumn Regeneration, a joint venture between station owner Network Rail and developer Kier Property. The plans revise previous proposals and reduce the height of the development by seven storeys and reduce the number of homes from 165 to 115.
"We have received a strong level of support from local people to the original proposals. However, the clear signal from the Council was that it was too high and they wanted more traditional architecture," said John Robinson, development manager with Solumn Regeneration.
The reduction in home numbers has meant that there is now no provision for affordable housing. The report to the planning committee acknowledges this, but concludes that the associated benefits of the scheme outweigh the need for affordable housing.
"It is considered that the redevelopment of the station and its immediate environment would provide a catalyst for the regeneration of the northern approach into the town centre benefitting Twickenham as a whole particularly as a gateway to the town and to Twickenham Stadium," the committee report said.
If the development is granted planning consent, the station could be ready for England's hosting of the Rugby World Cup in 2015, the developer said.
