THE WALWORTH SOCIETY

28 Sutherland Square, Southwark, London, SE173EQ

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/ 020 7252 5331

www.walworthsociety.co.uk
29th May 2015

Dear Southwark Council,

Peabody Planning Application: 15/AP/1062 – Manor Place Depot.

We would like to make the following comments about this planning application. The Walworth Society discussed the planning application in its full meeting of Thursday 7th May 2015. We have a number of comments to make but would initially preface them by making clear:

·  the quality of the engagement that we have had with developer Notting Hill

·  our pleasure at the retention of the former Coroner’s Court Apartments on Manor Place

·  the work to restrict through movement of vehicles through the site whilst maximising movement for cycles and pedestrians and developer’s support for the “Low Line”

·  the opening up of a number of railway arches and the development of new businesses in them

·  the benefits that the development of almost 300 new households in the area will bring to businesses on the Walworth Road.

We would like to express our concerns over the following issues:

·  The massing of the 7 storey range which runs continuously along the whole of the eastern length of the viaduct. We have expressed our concerns throughout the latter part of the consultation process at the lack of breaks in the linear block, the vertical delineation of the block and unequal distribution of amenity space. We feel that this concentration of accommodation in a single part of the Manor Place Depot site is excessive and has led to the creation of a single building which is too dominant for its surroundings in height and massing.

·  The treatment of materials on the eastern viaduct block. The use of yellow stock bricks rather than the dark red bricks which are proposed would both be more in keeping with the materials typically used in the area and offer far more light to the adjacent artists’ studios.

·  The provision of the angled projecting balconies on the eastern viaduct block. This is an incongruous device and gives unwelcome prominence to balcony elements in views along the viaduct route.

·  The potential to include bays for car sharing schemes within the scheme. We are supportive of the low levels of car access and car parking throughout the scheme but would suggest that to promote access to car share scheme, one or more car parking locations is reserved on site for a ZipCar or similar rather than relying on their being located on Manor Place.

·  The preservation of the memorial stones which are currently part of the Penrose St façade. We are keen to ensure that the Memorial Stones currently sited in the buildings on Penrose St are preserved and are given a suitably prominent location within the site once it is redeveloped.

We hope that these points will be taken into consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Jeremy Leach

Chair Walworth Society