IN RESPONSE TO AN ENQUIRY LAST WEEK ABOUT A LETTER FROM WESTBROOK'S PLANNING CONSULTANTS TO WESTMINSTER COUNCIL  CLAIMING  APPROVAL OF THEIR  AFFORDABLE HOUSING OFFER, THE GLA HAVE CLARIFIED THE TRUE SITUATION. IT APPEARS THAT WESTBROOK JUMPED THE GUN!

THE GLA RESPONSE IS AS FOLLOWS:

Thank you for your enquiry regarding development proposals at Dolphin Square (Westminster City Council planning application reference 18/01099/FULL). As I believe you are aware, the Mayor of London provided his initial comments on the application on 9 July 2018, these are available to view and download from the City Hall website here: www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/planning-applications-and-decisions/planning-application-search/dolphin-square

The absence of an affordable housing contribution was identified as a principal concern at the time that the Mayor issued his comments, and since then GLA Planning officers have been working with Westminster City Council and the applicant team to progress financial viability discussions in order to secure the maximum reasonable level of affordable housing. Whilst considerable progress has been made since July 2018 (as reflected by the City Council’s recent consultation on amendments to this scheme to include 57 on-site affordable housing units), at the time of writing there are still a number of technical affordable housing points to resolve in relation to financial viability and associated clauses of any future Section 106 agreement. Therefore, and noting the DP9 letter of 13 February 2019 to which you refer, I can confirm that at this stage we have not issued any formal written update of our position to the City Council on his matter. Typically we would do this in conjunction with a rounded assessment of the scheme as a whole, as part of the Mayor’s formal ‘stage 2’ referral process. I provide an outline of the ‘stage 2’ process and next steps below for your reference.

In due course Westminster City Council will formally consider this application at a planning committee meeting. Once the City Council has resolved to make a decision it must refer the case back to the Mayor where he has 14-days to decide: whether he agrees with the City Council's decision; that he wishes to direct refusal where the City Council is minded to approve; or, that he wishes to take over the application and determine the case himself. The latter is only possible if the application meets various criteria and policy tests set out within the Town and Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008.

When coming to a decision on the case the Mayor will take into account all representations received, including the responses received as part of Westminster City Council’s local consultation process. If you wish to make representations to the Mayor on this application you should address these to Mayor@london.gov.uk, please also copy to our new planning case officer: Connaire.OSullivan@london.gov.uk. In due course the Mayor’s decision on this case will be made available on the City Hall website at the address given above.

Kind regards

Graham Clements

Team Leader, Development Management

GREATERLONDONAUTHORITY
City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA

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