{"id":770210,"date":"2025-01-13T10:30:19","date_gmt":"2025-01-13T10:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=770210"},"modified":"2025-01-14T08:49:35","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T08:49:35","slug":"unlawful-woolwich-tower-can-stay-if-orange-cladding-is-removed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/unlawful-woolwich-tower-can-stay-if-orange-cladding-is-removed","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Unlawful\u2019 Woolwich tower can stay if orange cladding is removed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Developer Comer homes will have to pay nearly \u00a37 million to Greenwich Council to avoid having to demolish its controversial Mast Quay Phase II<\/a> building in Woolwich, south-east London.<\/p>\n

In September 2023, the council ordered complete demolition<\/a> within 12 months of the 204-home residential building \u2013 described as a \u2018mutant development\u2019 by once councillor \u2013 on the grounds that it violated planning policy with at least 26 deviations from the approved design.<\/p>\n

But, following an appeal by Comer Homes in October 2023, the Planning Inspectorate ruled last Thursday (9 January) that planning permission would now be granted for the already-occupied building subject to conditions.<\/p>\n

Inspector John Braithwaite ruled that Comer Homes would have three years to make key changes to the development – including removing what he described as its \u2018visually intrusive and uncomplimentary\u2019 orange cladding panels and replacing them with an \u2018appropriate\u2019 colour to be agreed by the council.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In addition, Comer Homes will have three months to draw up a detailed plan to ensure that 90 per cent of homes are accessible, as per the original planning permission, including adding accessibility features that many of the flats should already have contained.<\/p>\n

Changes will also need to be made to ensure compliance with fire safety regulations and to improve the public realm around the building.<\/p>\n

The developer has also been ordered to pay an affordable housing contribution of \u00a34.4 million \u2013 the equivalent of 40 affordable homes at \u00a3100,000 per home \u2013 because its affordable housing provision in Mast Quay Phase II fell 40 homes short (21.3 per cent) of the 35 per cent affordable required under Greenwich planning policy.<\/p>\n

Comer Homes must also pay a Community Infrastructure Levy contribution of \u00a32.34 million.<\/p>\n

The inspectorate cited \u2018compelling substantial benefits\u2019 to saving the scheme from demolition, including keeping its more than 200 existing homes in a borough with a \u2018woeful undersupply\u2019 of housing, and the benefit of the financial contributions for affordable housing and community infrastructure.<\/p>\n

It concluded that, so long as the developer adheres to the new conditions within the given time frames, Mast Quay Phase II will be \u2018sustainable and lawful\u2019. The council\u2019s demolition order has been upheld as an \u2018ultimate sanction’ in case the conditions are not met.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for Comer Homes said: \u2018We\u2019re happy with the decision made by the independent inquiry and pleased that a satisfactory outcome has been reached for the good of the residents of Mast Quay Phase II.<\/p>\n

\u2018We look forward to now working closely with Greenwich Council to move forward and bring this situation to a positive end.\u2019<\/p>\n

A Greenwich council spokesperson said: ‘This was a landmark case following unprecedented enforcement action.<\/p>\n

‘We stand by our decision to hold developers to account when unlawful development has taken place in our borough and we make no apologies for standing up for our residents and local communities. We look forward to commenting further in due course.’<\/p>\n

Mast Quay Phase II consists of two tower blocks, one of which is stepped with 23, 11, 9 and 6 storeys.<\/p>\n

Original designs for the building were drawn up by Upchurch Associates (dissolved in September 2022), according to documents submitted in a 2010 planning application.<\/p>\n

The residential scheme received planning permission in 2012 in an application made by Mast Quay Developments but the developer went into administration upon completion.<\/p>\n

The Phase II site was later bought by Comer Homes Group with the planning permission passed on<\/p>\n

Following complaints from locals post-construction, a council investigation took place between 2022 and 2023. The council concluded that the development was of poor quality and unlawful. It ruled that the building had to be knocked down within 12 months.<\/p>\n

Mast Quay Phase II residents called for the building to be saved while Comer Homes insisted the order was an \u2018unprecedented, unreasonable, extreme, and wholly disproportionate\u2019 measure.<\/p>\n

The developer argued that the council\u2019s description of the building as poor quality was \u2018simply not true\u2019. It said the council had exaggerated the differences between the proposed and completed buildings and that deviations to the permitted design had been made so as to adjust \u2018an external fa\u00e7ade that would not comply with post-Grenfell Building regulations\u2019.<\/p>\n

Comer Homes added that occupation of the flats had started in August 2022 \u2013 \u2018well before the council raised concerns or the enforcement notice\u2019 in September 2023.<\/p>\n

Greenwich Council has been contacted for comment.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nMast Quay Phase II as built<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Developer Comer homes will have to pay nearly \u00a37 million to Greenwich Council to avoid having to demolish its controversial Mast Quay Phase II building in Woolwich, south-east London. In September 2023, the council ordered complete demolition within 12 months of the 204-home residential building \u2013 described as a \u2018mutant development\u2019 by once councillor \u2013 …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":138919,"featured_media":714207,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[681],"tags":[1642,4090,1155,1489,3316],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018Unlawful\u2019 Woolwich tower can stay if orange cladding is removed<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An \u2018unlawful\u2019 tower that Greenwich Council ordered to be demolished can remain with design changes and two multi-million pound pay-outs, the Planning Inspectorate has ruled\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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