Jules Pipe said the proposed development, which would include 228 homes and stand at 85 metres tall, fits in with City Hall’s plans to deliver “genuinely affordable” homes for Londoners.
He said the capital must “take opportunities available to us to build more housing and affordable housing” when they present themselves.
Bexley Council’s initial rejection in June was swiftly followed by the decision being ‘called in’ by the Mayor of London.
He is entitled to do so for any development that is either more than 150 residential units, over 30 metres in height or on Green Belt land.
Permission had originally been refused for four reasons – the proposed height of the building “exceeding the threshold” set out in the Bexley Local Plan, expected harm to a nearby heritage asset, increased flood risk and the lack of a legal agreement to mitigate other risks.
During the public consultation, Bexley Council received 11 objections from the public including concerns around building height and the impact of the development on local infrastructure.
The local authority primarily focused their argument for City Hall backing their decision on the height of the building and the potential damage to nearby Lesnes Abbey, a Grade II listed building.
A representative for Bexley Council told the meeting, which took place last Tuesday (September 30): “Growth must be achieved in the right way – development must be plan-led, sustainable and sensitive to the character of the place.
“The 85-metre height represents a fundamental departure from current policy- it’s nearly twice the height threshold for this specific site.
“The tallest approved scheme within Bexley stands at 15 storeys – almost half the height now sought. Rather than forming part of a cluster, the proposed tower would stand in stark contrast to its surrounding open skyline.
“The excessive height creates direct harm to the heritage asset. The proposal fails on three counts – height, heritage harm and drainage issues.”
Adam Kindred, a senior director at CBRE and the planning consultant for the scheme, accused Bexley Council of failing to take into account the introduction of the nearby Elizabeth Line station, which has cut journey times from Abbey Wood to London in half.
“The functional relationship between this part of Bexley and London has changed substantially,” he said.
“The response of Bexley is too grounded in what has gone before rather than to acknowledge the well established direction of travel for Abbey Wood.”
After deliberating on the evidence, Mr Pipe said: “We’re all aware of the urgent need to deliver more homes and particularly genuinely affordable homes if we’re to tackle the housing crisis and boost economic growth.
“Throughout his tenure, the Mayor has been committed to delivering new homes for London, and while we face unique issues in the capital and the Government recognises the scale and the breadth of our housing delivery challenge, it expects London to take steps to boost its output.
“Achieving this is dependent on the approval of well-designed developments with good levels of affordable housing.
“We must ensure that we take opportunities available to us to build more housing and affordable housing.”
He also cited the fact that the development will contain 61 affordable units and be in “extremely close proximity” to the Abbey Wood Elizabeth Line station as reasons to wave it through.
However, Mr Pipe did acknowledge the potential impact of the development on Lesnes Abbey, only noting that the “public benefits delivered by the scheme…would clearly and convincingly outweigh the identified heritage harm”.
In June, Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan had written to Bexley Council to inform them that City Hall were considering intervening in the case after the initial council refusal.
He said: “The proposal would have a significant impact on the implementation of the London Plan, through its potential contribution to housing and affordable housing delivery.
“The proposal has the potential to make a significant and positive contribution towards achieving relevant housing targets and London’s housing need, including within the Thamesmead and Abbey Wood Opportunity Area.
“The scheme will deliver new housing and affordable housing in the Thamesmead and Abbey Wood Opportunity Area, commercial floor space, landscaping and public realm improvements, and financial contributions.
“Subject to appropriate conditions and obligations being secured, the scheme could have local and London-wide public benefits. It is considered that there are sound planning reasons to intervene and become the local planning authority in respect of the application.”
Sir Sadiq is under increasing pressure to deliver more housing, including affordable dwellings, in London.
Only 30,000 homes have been completed in the past 12 months, despite the capital being expected to deliver 440,000 of the Government’s 1.5million new homes target by 2030.
