Property developer Galliard revealed its initial plans to transform the disused centre into a residential development in May after purchasing the 6.74 acre site from Bromley Council for £13.5 million in April.
Bromley Palace, the Grade II listed manor house next to the former Civic Centre site, was included in the sale but Bromley Palace Park remains in public ownership.
Bromley Council discussed Galliard’s plans to convert two of the centre’s office buildings—the Stockwell and North Buildings—into flats at a meeting of its Plans Sub-Committee No. 1 on June 26.
The committee took up the recommendation of Bromley planners and refused prior approval for the two applications.
Key reasons for refusal included that not enough natural light could be provided for the 128 flats across the two buildings, 115 of which would be designed for a sole occupant.
The council also felt that “insufficient waste storage and excessive parking provision have been provided” within the scheme.
It also found that the two buildings still remain within the Civic Centre’s former sui generis use, something that must be changed if the proposal was to be approved, and they also remain within the curtilage of the listed Bromley Palace.
A development must not be within the curtilage of a listed building to be granted planning permission. The refusal will be welcomed by many Bromley residents, with both proposals receiving 30 objections each.
Objectors took issue with the high frequency of one-bedroom apartments included in the scheme, feeling it was not in keeping with the surrounding area which is predominantly taken up with larger family homes.
They also feared that the influx of new residents would have a negative impact on local infrastructure and that the development would negatively affect the nearby heritage site of Bromley Palace and the potential loss of green space in Bromley Palace Park.
Although the plans for the Stockwell and North Buildings are the only ones that have been released with some detail, Galliard’s masterplan for the former Civic Centre site states that the palace will be “sensitively converted into beautiful parkside apartments”.
It also states that the site will include “high quality retirement accommodation”, as well as new public spaces, a new pavilion and improved pedestrian connectivity.
