Highbury & Islington Station and Highbury Corner Planning Framework July 2004

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1 Highbury & Islington Station and Highbury Corner Planning Framework July 2004 INTRODUCTION Highbury Corner is a strategic gateway within the London Borough of Islington. It is a major junction on the A1 corridor and links the Borough s main town centres of the Angel and Nag s Head. Since the early 19 th century it has been a hub for public transportation. Currently the Highbury Corner area (as shown on Map 1) and Highbury & Islington Station do not reflect the area s importance as a gateway within the borough and a major transportation node. There are issues that need to be tackled such as improving the transport interchange, trafficpedestrian conflict, traffic-cyclist conflict, traffic congestion, unlocking the economic potential of the area, improving the quality of retail and other commercial uses, and improving the pedestrian environment. The aim of this planning framework is therefore to encourage improvements in the area in line with the One Islington polices: regeneration, working in partnerships, a vibrant local economy, access to a full range of leisure, cultural and retail services and a safer environment. This planning framework also aims for improvements in line with the A1 Borough Strategy by: seeking to mitigate against the detrimental effects of strategic traffic on the A1 passing through this part of the Borough, by raising the environmental quality of this part of the A1 and by encouraging further growth of activity and prosperity of this part of the A1. Islington Council therefore wishes to see significant improvements to the environment of the Highbury Corner area, including the comprehensive redevelopment of Highbury & Islington 1

2 Station to better serve the needs of the community and to provide a landmark development to mark this key location. This framework: Sets out the key principles that should be reflected in all proposals for new development; Provides detailed guidance for certain development sites in the Highbury Corner Area; and Sets out the steps the Council will take towards achieving the vision for the area. Map 11 Highbury y Corner Area (Not to scale) N 2

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4 KEY ISSUES & AREA WIDE PROPOSALS It is recognised that development and improvement to the streetscape will take place incrementally over a number of years in this area. The Council would want to see a phased approach with the initial stages providing short-term improvements to the quality and safety of the environment whilst at the same time complementing the longer term aims, as set out in this document. The following area wide issues and proposals will contribute towards the short term and long term future of the area (See Map 6). Highways and Transport Infrastructure Highbury Corner has a high level of public transport accessibility. Highbury & Islington station is served by the Victoria Line, West Anglia Great Northern and Silverlink services. Seven bus routes also serve the area, serving a wide variety of destinations. The East London Line is to be extended northwards from Whitechapel to Highbury & Islington Station and southwards towards Clapham Junction and West Croydon. It is planned that both the northern and southern extensions of the project will be operational by As part of the extension project a new fourth track is to be installed adjacent to and to the north of the current tracks in the Highbury Corner area. Any new development at the station or around Highbury Corner should not conflict with or complicate this scheme. It is the Council s long-term aspiration to remove the one way gyratory system that operates around the Highbury Corner central island. Modifications/ improvements would need to not adversely affect traffic flows, improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists and improve the environment around Highbury Corner. Options that may be considered could be introducing two way traffic flows around the island or closing one of the arms of the gyratory. Studies are currently being undertaken by Transport for London. To facilitate improvements to the one way gyratory, traffic management measures may need to be introduced to prevent an increase in vehicles using residential roads. Transport for London and the Council would consult widely on any proposals for the gyratory and the surrounding area to ensure that the needs of the community and business are fulfilled. The London City Car Club is working with a consortium of seven London Boroughs including Islington to launch a network of cars across the capital. The initiative is part-funded by Transport for London and supported by the Greater London Assembly. Car club spaces are provided on Highbury Crescent. As members of the car club only pay for the time they use the cars, joining the car club offers a cost-effective alternative to owning a car. Highbury Corner is served by 7 bus routes and there is a need to improve the interchange between the different bus routes and between bus and train/ tube journeys. The location of the existing bus stops are therefore to be examined by the Council and Transport for London. The aim is to make it easier to change between bus routes and to interchange with the station. It would be desirable to relocate, combine or upgrade bus stops to improve and facilitate interchanges. The current layout at Highbury Corner creates an environment that is unpleasant and often 4

5 dangerous for Cyclists. The Council will therefore seek safe, high quality access for cyclists around Highbury Corner through any long term changes to the gyratory, through S106 legal agreements and with specific schemes such as at the junction with Highbury Place. With regard to specific schemes, the Highbury Place junction will be examined to see if there is any potential for a northbound cycle lane. The Corsica Street junction will also be examined, although this is probably only likely in conjunction with any long term changes to the gyratory. In addition, secure cycle parking will be sought within any new development particularly at Highbury & Islington Station. Many people need to cross the roads around the one way gyratory, particularly Holloway Road/ Highbury Corner, to get to and from the station. There is a need to create a high quality pedestrian environment, including improvements to pedestrian crossing facilities in the Highbury Corner area. Streetscape and pedestrian environment Islington Council is pressing for this important part of the A1 corridor to be included in the Mayor of London s 100 public spaces programme. Inclusion in this programme would raise the profile of the Highbury Corner area and the need for improvement here, and generate additional support and advice from the Greater London Authority and Transport for London. The station forecourt area had resurfacing and lighting works carried out in summer 2003 that have had positive local benefits. However, in general the current pedestrian spaces outside the station and around Highbury Corner are poor quality, unattractive and cluttered. Further improvements to the public realm area are needed This includes continuous removal of and deterrence of flyposting / illegal signage (particularly on the Citizens Advice Bureau site at St. Paul s Road); a review of the number of charity collectors who congregate around an already busy station entrance; continuous monitoring and enforcement against illegal ice cream vans; and additional landscaping where possible (particularly on the wide pavements adjacent to 25 Compton Terrace and the Citizens Advice Bureau site). The Council is also currently looking at rationalising street furniture along the A1 (Holloway Road and Upper Street). Funding is available under the Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme (HERS) for grants for the repair and improvement of the front elevation of buildings. This is available for properties along the southern part of Holloway Road within the St. Mary Magdalene and Highbury Fields Conservation areas (including (odd) Highbury Corner, 2-32 (even) Highbury Corner, (odd) Holloway Road, (odd) Holloway Road, (even) Holloway Road and 5 Highbury House). English Heritage and the London Borough of Islington are funding this scheme with 450,000 available up to March There is also 60,000 set aside for environmental improvements in the area. This money has not yet been allocated to a specific project, but is likely to be used for improving paving and crossovers and rationalising the excessive amount of street furniture. To improve the pedestrian environment a review of the management of street cleansing is needed along with education and enforcement to discourage littering and flytipping. 5

6 A rationalisation of the clutter of street furniture and fencing is needed at the junction with Highbury Place and Highbury Corner. With the use of new landscaping, paving and public art a pedestrian priority square could be created. Vehicles would still be able to exit from Highbury Place to Highbury Corner, but it should provide an improved link for pedestrians from Highbury Fields to Highbury Corner. Access to the Central Island As part of Transport for London s study into the one way gyratory the existing and future use of the central island area will be examined. There may be potential to open up access to the central island subject to the impact of additional crossings on traffic flows. The central island could be used for pedestrian / cycle paths, seating, public art, cafés, public exhibitions, stalls / markets and / or play areas. Public consultation has identified the value of the existing trees in terms of absorbing traffic noise and pollution and screening the area from traffic. There is concern that public access could have a detrimental impact on the attractiveness of this green space. Therefore, any public access would need to be carefully considered and assessed. The trees on the Central Island are also extremely important as a visual feature in their own right. They are a unique asset in the Borough, any tree removal can only be considered as a part of a scheme that allows the remaining trees to flourish Public consultation also raised concerns about crossing busy roads to access the Central Island. As part of Transport for London s study pedestrian crossing facilities will be examined. There may be potential to include a pedestrian bridge, subject to funding issues and the need for a high quality design SITE SPECIFIC PROPOSALS Unitary Development Plan (UDP), 2002 Designations This framework will be an important document in deciding any planning applications that are submitted in the area for new development or streetscape works. All relevant Supplementary Planning Guidance documents (SPG s) should be observed, along with all relevant policies within the UDP, including: Highbury Corner is within the Highbury Corner Special Policy Area (see Map 6). Highbury & Islington Station is an Area of Opportunity. The Highbury Corner area is covered by the Highbury Fields, St Mary Magdalene, Upper Street (North), Canonbury and Barnsbury Conservation Areas (see Map 6). The Channel Tunnel Rail Link safeguarding area runs alongside the North London Line (see Map 6). A grade 1 Nature Conservation area runs along the North London Line and Upper Street are within a protected local shopping centre. 6

7 Union Chapel, Compton Terrace is a Local Landmark and a Listed Building Corsica Street is a designated Housing development site. Under new Government proposals UDPs will be replaced by Local Development Frameworks. The new system is expected to come into operation in September 2004, however our adopted UDP will still be relevant for the next 3 years. All relevant documents and policies in the new Local Development Framework need to be observed after that. Map 6 Highbury Corner Special Policy Area, Conservation Areas & Channel Tunnel Rail Link Safeguarding Area (Not to scale) CTRL Safeguarding area N 7

8 Other Planning guidance There are a number of vacant/ under-utilised sites around Highbury Corner that detract from the local environment and are in need of improvement (see Map 7 and the vision plan). This section will explore appropriate uses, building heights and potential development on these sites. On all sites the Council seeks well designed outward looking buildings that relate positively to the special qualities of the area. There is an opportunity to provide imaginatively designed buildings that reflect the area s importance as a gateway / hub within the borough. Given the high level of public transport accessibility in the area, all development is expected to be car free. Further information can be found in the Supplementary Planning Guidance Note on Car Free Housing, August 2002 and Green Travel Plans, June There are a number of trees around the Highbury Corner area, some protected by Tree Preservation orders, others within Conservation Areas. Those protected by Tree Preservation orders or within Conservation Areas must be considered in any proposals and retained. All other trees generally have a positive impact on the streetscene and should be retained where possible. Where tree removal is considered adequate supplementary planting must be provided so there is no net loss of tree cover. As the area is covered by five conservation areas (St. Mary Magdalene, Highbury Fields, Upper Street (North), Barnsbury and Canonbury), due regard must be paid to the Conservation Area Design Guidelines, January The access needs of disabled people, elderly people and carers must be fully incorporated within the design of any development. This should be in terms of the physical access to buildings/ spaces and the design of facilities provided. Further information can be found in the Supplementary Planning Guidance on Lifetime Homes and Wheelchair Users Housing, Aug Detailed consideration will have to be given to pedestrian routes, changes in levels, tactile paving, signage, lighting, the design and positioning of any street furniture, ticket booths and the connection to the surrounding streets. The Council is keen to ensure that any new development demonstrates environmental awareness in its architectural design, use of materials and energy, construction techniques and management. The Council will wish to see evidence that such factors have been taken into account. Please also refer to the Supplementary Planning Guidance Note on Green Construction, November 2003 and Sustainability Assessments, August

9 Map 7 Potential Development Sites (not to scale) (Please note that this plan does not indicate building lines) N 9

10 Highbury & Islington Station Map 8 Development site & potential building line at Highbury & Islington Station = Potential development site. = Approximate location of potential building line. N The station has a poor external appearance and is tucked away from Holloway Road and Highbury Corner. Internally the station gets very crowded during peak times in the ticket hall, the circulation areas and on the platforms. In recognition of these problems a planning brief for the station was adopted in July Any significant improvements to the station are likely to be achieved through redevelopment rather than refurbishment of the existing buildings. The buildings on the station site (station buildings, crown post office, public house and 2-4 Highbury Station Road) do not make a positive contribution to the area and could be demolished. The existing Crown Post Office must be relocated within any redevelopment unless it has already been relocated within the area. There is potential to deck over the existing railway lines and build above the tracks. This would increase the development potential of the site and maximise the advantages of the exceptional public transport access of the site (See, Map 7, 8, 9 and the vision plan). Any new development is expected to be between 5-7 storeys (20-25 metres), with some elements up to 7-10 storeys (30 Metres). Any development fronting Highbury Station Road is expected to be 3-4 storeys. Decking could extend from Liverpool Road to Highbury Corner, although the actual buildings would not cover this entire area, but would be in a U shape, focused on Liverpool Road, Highbury Crescent Road and Highbury Corner (see Map 8). Depending upon the extent of 10

11 the decking, new street frontages should be provided to Highbury Corner, Holloway Road and Highbury Station Road and on Liverpool Road. Development is dependent upon the impact of any new development and decking on residential properties surrounding the site, in terms of overlooking, overshadowing, overbearing and increase in train noise. These properties include 1-31 Court Gardens, all floors within 1-29 Highbury Corner and Holloway Road, the southern end of Crane Grove, Highbury Station Road and Liverpool Road.) Additional decking or other suitable measures may be needed to alleviate the impact of increased train noise to existing adjacent properties caused by the reflection of noise by any new development. A smaller scale development may be acceptable if the erection of decking proves unviable. In this instance a new street frontage to Highbury Corner/ Holloway Road should be provided with the building line corresponding to the existing building at 17 Highbury Corner. The Victoria Line and West Anglia Great Northern tunnels and the escalator and stairwell area within the station present a constraint for any new foundations. The site is also constrained by the presence of the Silverlink tracks and platforms that need to remain operational during construction. The options for supporting columns for any proposed decking are therefore limited and the cost of construction could be greater than normal. The Council wishes to see a high quality mixed use scheme. This should include a new railway station building, public toilets and a Crown Post Office to the ground floor. Small retail units (A1), Estate Agents/ Solicitors office uses (A2), food and drink outlets such as restaurants, cafes and public houses (A3) could also be included on the ground floor. If decking is proposed any development on the upper floors could include a hotel use, offices, leisure uses, education uses and residential. A purely residential development is unlikely to be acceptable. Any residential accommodation needs to be carefully designed and detailed environmental assessments examining air quality, airborne noise, groundborne noise and vibration will need to be submitted with any planning application. A high quality, external public space should be provided fronting Highbury Corner/ Holloway Road in front of the station entrance (as shown on Map 3 and Map 6). This should incorporate a bus lay by and sufficient secure cycle spaces. This space should also be linked to the public space around the junction of Highbury Corner and Highbury Place. There is an opportunity to provide a new pedestrian link through the station site from Highbury Corner to Highbury Station Road. New development can be provided above this pedestrian link. The Council considers that the old station entrance on Holloway Road should be reopened in conjunction with the station redevelopment if possible. The old station building is quite small, therefore it is likely that the ground floors of 12, 16 and 18 Holloway Road would be needed for a ticket hall and provision of escalators, lifts and stairs. A number of other potential development sites lie adjacent to the station (e.g. the former Citizens Advice Bureau site at Highbury Corner and Northway House at Upper Street). There may be scope to combine some or all of these sites in order to facilitate development of the station. The Council will seek a proportion of affordable housing on all residential schemes of 15 11

12 units or more. This means that for sites of 15+ units, 25% of all the housing to be provided should be social housing and a further 10% should be within the definition of being intermediate housing (such as shared equity or sub market rented key worker housing). The Council recognises that there may be abnormally high development costs involved with any decking over the railway, and that there are a range of other obligations sought relating to new public spaces and improved interchange facilities. In order to agree a fair contribution that will not render the scheme unviable, the Council will request that the developer provide a financial appraisal of the scheme (which will be treated in the strictest confidence). If it is agreed that the scheme cannot support the full contribution towards affordable housing there may be some flexibility on the amount of affordable housing and tenure to be provided. All servicing should take place from Highbury Station Road and Liverpool Road. There may be the potential for a new taxi rank close as part of a redevelopment subject to the impact on traffic flows, pedestrian safety and bus services. The Council is keen to protect views from Holloway Road of Union Chapel (a designated local landmark). Particularly the view from the Drayton Park junction with Holloway Road. There is a remaining pillar of the 1872 station building still in place adjacent to the existing station entrance. Opportunities should be sought to include this as a decorative or artistic feature of a new station, not necessarily in its current location. A memorial plaque to the V1 bomb attack on this site may also be erected close to this pillar. If so this plaque should be relocated within any redevelopment. 12

13 Map 9 Engineering Constraints Highbury & Islington Station and CAB sites. (Not to scale) Shaftsbury Works & adjacent sites (37-49 Holloway Road) N 13

14 Shaftsbury Works & adjacent sites (37-49 Holloway Road) = Potential development site. = Approximate location of potential building line. Map 10 Development site & potential building line at the Shaftsbury Works site. N This site is within the St Mary Magdalene Conservation Area. The general presumption is in favour of the retention of buildings within a Conservation Area that contribution to the character of the Conservation Area. The onus is on the owners of this site to prove whether or not these buildings make a positive contribution to the character or appearance of the conservation area. If it can be shown that these buildings do not make a positive contribution to the conservation area there is the potential to demolish all the buildings on this site. Any new development must be of a high quality design that preserves or enhances the Conservation area. The local planning authority will need to have full information about what is proposed for the site after demolition. Consent for demolition will only be given if there are agreed acceptable and detailed plans for any redevelopment. Any new buildings on this site should be no taller than Salisbury House (17-35 Holloway Road). The Council would prefer to see the development/ refurbishment of the complete terrace at Holloway Road as opposed to the piecemeal development/ refurbishment of each property. There should be no unacceptable overlooking, overshadowing or overbearing impacts upon existing residential properties within 1-29 Highbury Corner, Holloway Road or Court Gardens. Overlooking should be minimised with the use of opaque glass and carefully thought out internal layouts to minimise the number of habitable rooms facing these properties. The Council wishes to see a high quality mixed use scheme with the following uses: small 14

15 retail units (A1), Estate Agents/ Solicitors office uses (A2), food and drink outlets such as restaurants, cafes and public houses (A3) on the ground floor and residential and/ or offices on the upper floors. This site is also suitable for the existing Post Office to be relocated to (if not provided elsewhere). Ideally servicing would be from the side road adjacent to this site and the Magistrates Court. Any vehicles using this side road would need to enter and leave in forward gear, therefore a turning head should be provided. Alternatively it may be possible to use Holloway Road to service this site. This would be subject to the condition that deliveries were carried out during non peak hours of the day, outside of the operation of the bus lane, to ensure that normal traffic flows are not restricted by deliveries Highbury Corner, 2 52 Holloway Road (including 3, 3A and 4 Highbury Crescent) = Potential development site. Map 11 Development site & potential building line along Holloway Road. = Approximate location of potential building line. All buildings except for 50,52 Holloway Road and Spring House (6-44 Holloway Road) are within the Highbury Fields Conservation Area. The general presumption is in favour of the retention of buildings within a Conservation Area that contribution to the character of the Conservation Area. The onus is on the owners of this site to prove whether or not these buildings make a positive contribution to the character or appearance of the conservation area. If it can be shown that these buildings do not make a positive contribution to the Conservation Area there is the potential to demolish all the buildings on this site except for 3 Highbury Crescent. 3 Highbury Crescent is a Grade II listed building and should be retained and refurbished. Any new development must be of a high quality design that preserves or 15

16 enhances the Conservation area. The local planning authority will need to have full information about what is proposed for the site after demolition. Consent for demolition will only be given if there are agreed acceptable and detailed plans for any redevelopment. The existing buildings on these site range in height from 1-4 storeys on the Mann & Overton site, 4-5 storeys at Spring House (with the top floor being a mansard roof), 5 & 6 storeys at Highbury House, 1 storey at 2 Holloway Road, 4 storeys at 4 Highbury Crescent, 2 storeys at Highbury Corner, 1 storey at the rear of 12 Highbury Corner and 3 storeys at 3 and 3A Highbury Crescent Development up to a maximum of 5 storeys (16 metres) may be accepted at the southern end of this site fronting Highbury Corner/ Holloway Road. The scale of building may be increased up to 7 storeys (22 metres) further northwards, although building heights will need to be carefully stepped down at the northern most end of the site to have regard for the for the adjoining conservation area, incorporating the Statutory Listed Central Library, immediately to the north and properties in Highbury Crescent, notably York House, immediately to the east. Any 6th and 7th storeys should be set back from the main frontage. New development fronting Highbury Crescent should be a maximum of 4 storeys. The use of existing basements and the provision of additional basements is encouraged. These building heights will be dependent upon the impact of new development on adjacent residential properties in terms of sunlight/ daylight, overlooking and overbearing particularly on 7-15A (inclusive) Highbury Crescent, 54-66a Holloway Road, 1-20 Fieldway Crescent and residential properties on the other side of Holloway Road Particular care needs to be taken at the rear of the Mann & Overton site at 52 Holloway Road. 15A Highbury Crescent is only 4m away from the rear boundary and 14 Highbury Crescent is only 5m from the rear boundary. The flats within these properties all have habitable rooms facing onto the site with this being the only outlook for some of the flats. Any suitable new development should be at least 18 metres away from the rear boundary and should step down in height towards the rear of the site. Particular care also needs to be taken at the northern boundary of the Mann & Overton site where existing habitable rooms of Holloway Road overlook this site. Any new development should be at least 18m away from any habitable rooms of these properties. Particular attention will also need to be paid to the impact of new development on the views from Highbury Fields towards Holloway Road. The adjacent buildings at Holloway Road are only 2-3 storeys high. The Grade II listed library building at 68 Holloway Road is also close to the side boundary of the site. Buildings should therefore step down at the boundary with these properties to respect their scale and setting and any existing habitable rooms. Because the pavement here is particularly narrow, a set back of the building line of any new development on Holloway Road/ Highbury Corner will be expected (in line with the existing Spring House building 6-38 Holloway Road). The Council wishes to see a high quality mixed use scheme including small retail units (A1), Estate Agents/ Solicitors office uses (A2) and offices (B1), night-club, education and residential uses. Given that 52 Holloway Road is currently in employment use (B1 and B2) the provision of some replacement employment (B1 and some B2) uses will be expected. Please also see 10 Holloway Road below as that has implications for the use of the ground floor of 12, 16 and 18 Highbury Corner. This site is also suitable for the existing Post Office 16

17 to be relocated to (if not provided elsewhere). Any proposed night-club uses would be appropriate within the basements of the buildings. It is acknowledged that Spring House and 50 Holloway Road were only relatively recently constructed. It may not therefore be economically viable to redevelop this part of the site. In this instance these buildings could be improved with new facades, materials, architectural details etc. Additional storeys on these buildings will only be considered if a high quality design is proposed and if there are no overlooking, overshadowing or overbearing impacts on residential properties to Highbury Crescent. Spring House and 50 Holloway Road are currently in education use. In line with Policy Ed 2 and Ed 4 in the UDP this use should be retained within the site. Should these buildings be converted there may be overlooking issues to the residential properties to the rear on Highbury Crescent. Overlooking should be minimised with the use of opaque glass, carefully thought out internal layouts and restrictions on intrusive balconies to minimise the number of habitable rooms to the rear of the building. Servicing should take place from Holloway Road/ Highbury Corner. This would be subject to the condition that deliveries were carried out during non peak hours of the day, outside of the operation of the bus lane, to ensure that normal traffic flows are not restricted by deliveries. Servicing may be possible from Highbury Crescent, if servicing requirements are low or intermittent, but due to the residential nature of this street this would be limited depending on the level proposed and the size of the vehicle. There is a Tree Preservation Order on the tree adjacent to the boundary between Spring House and Highbury House. Buildings should therefore be sufficiently set back, or there should be a gap between buildings to ensure that this tree is retained. 5 preserved trees are also located adjacent to the electricity sub station to the rear of Spring House, again buildings should be sufficiently set back to ensure these trees are retained. Other trees with Tree Preservation Orders or within a Conservation Area are located close to the boundary with the Mann and Overton Site, Spring House, Highbury House and along the Highbury Crescent boundary of the site. (Buildings must be set back to the guidance give in Table 1 of British Standard 5837 Trees in Relation to Construction Foundations designs must accommodate the presence of tree roots in this area, in line with the guidance given in The NHBC Guidance, Building Near Trees, Revised Chapter ). 10 Highbury Corner (old station entrance) Map 12 Development site at 10 Highbury Corner. N 17

18 This has not been used as a public station entrance for many years. It is currently used for storage by London Underground. The Council considers that the old station entrance should be reopened in conjunction with the station redevelopment if possible. The old station building is quite small, therefore it is likely that the ground floor of 12, 16 and 18 Holloway Road would be needed for a ticket hall and provision of escalators, lifts and stairs. The site is within the Highbury Fields Conservation Area, the general presumption is in favour of the retention of buildings within a Conservation Area that contribute to the character of the Conservation Area. The onus is on the owners of this site to prove whether or not these buildings make a positive contribution to the character or appearance of the conservation area. If it can be shown that these buildings do not make a positive contribution to the Conservation Area there is the potential to demolish the building. Any new development must be of a high quality design that preserves or enhances the Conservation area. The local planning authority will need to have full information about what is proposed for the site after demolition. Consent for demolition will only be given if there are agreed acceptable and detailed plans for any redevelopment. Subject to the Conservation issues above, it may be possible to demolish the existing building, retain the Holloway Road façade and erect a new building on this site to facilitate the reopening of the old station entrance. In this instance the archways in the façade could be opened up to provide additional access into the new building or glazed in. Development up to a maximum of 5 storeys (16 metres) will be accepted. Particular attention will need to be paid with the relationship between this site and the adjacent sites. This site would primarily be used as an alternative station entrance. Therefore as much space as is required should be used for station ticket hall, stairs/ escalators/ lifts, ancillary offices etc. There may also be potential for offices and residential uses above the new station entrance Servicing should take place from Holloway Road/ Highbury Corner. This would be subject to the condition that deliveries were carried out during non-peak hours of the day, outside of the operation of the bus lane, to ensure that normal traffic flows are not restricted by deliveries. Servicing may be possible from Highbury Crescent, but due to the residential nature of this street this would be limited depending on the level proposed and the size of the vehicle. 18

19 Former Citizen s Advice Bureau site ( St. Paul s Road) = Potential development site = Area over railway where new structure could be provided. Map 13 Development site and potential decking over the railway at the CAB site. N The site is in a prominent gateway location, but is currently vacant and is an eyesore. A planning brief was adopted for this site and St. Paul s Road in December The Council wishes to see this site redeveloped in the long term in line with the station redevelopment. However there is potential for short-term (the next 5 years) development on this site. The Council will encourage the development of this site as a first phase of the station redevelopment with the relocation of the Post Office here. This would bring this site back into use, would have considerable benefits for the existing station and would free up more land for a long term development of the station. In the short term a temporary building of a suitably high quality design may be acceptable. Suitable uses would include small retail units (A1), Estate Agents/ Solicitors office uses (A2) food and drink outlets (A3) (such as restaurants, cafes and public houses). Planning permission was granted for a temporary 2 storey building for restaurant (A3) use on (our ref. P/02/1879) If a short term development is sought, the site will need to be suitably repaved and landscaped. The side wall of 322 St. Paul s Road is covered in graffiti, this would need to be cleaned and there is potential for a temporary mural here. The Council will not accept any advertisements on this site and has successfully won an appeal recently confirming this (our ref. P/03/0685). In the long term there is potential to deck over the existing railway lines, and include

20 and 1A Corsica Street in any redevelopment. Street frontages should be provided to Highbury Corner, Highbury Place and Corsica Street. The building should curve around the corner of Highbury Place and Highbury Corner in order to take advantage of views from Highbury Corner towards Highbury Fields. Development up to a maximum of 5 storeys (16 metres) will be accepted, with the potential for a 6 th storey set back. Particular attention will need to be paid with the relationship between this site and the adjacent grade II listed building at 1 Highbury Place. The Council wishes to see a high quality mixed use scheme including a relocated post office (if not provided elsewhere), small retail units (A1), food and drink outlets such as restaurants, cafes and public houses (A3), estate Agents/ Solicitors office uses (A2), offices (B1), leisure. Issues surrounding air quality, airborne noise, groundborne noise and vibration indicate that the site is not suitable for residential development. Servicing should take place from Highbury Corner. This would be subject to the condition that deliveries were carried out during non peak hours of the day, outside of the operation of the bus lane, to ensure that normal traffic flows are not restricted by deliveries. There is a level change between the road and the pavement, so adequate ramps would need to be provided for this. Channel Tunnel Rail Link Vent Shaft site, Corsica Street Map 14 Development site and potential building line adjacent to the CTRL vent shaft. = Potential development site. = Approximate location of potential building line. N A Channel Tunnel Rail Link vent shaft is currently being constructed on this site and should be completed in The whole of the site is currently being used for construction 20

21 purposes. Once the shaft is complete the triangle piece of land shown on the map above will not be required and is therefore available for redevelopment. Residential development is acceptable on this site. Adequate sound insulation is required within the units and along the site boundary to protect the units from noise from the two adjoining railways. Landscaping will also be required along these boundaries to screen the railway lines from the units. Any new residential development would need to provide a new street frontage to Corsica Street Development up to a maximum of 4 storeys will be accepted. All servicing and refuse collection should take place from Corsica Street. Garages at 7B Corsica Street Map 15 Potential development site at 7B Corsica Street N Residential development is acceptable on this site. - Conservation Area consent and planning permission granted under P/00/1265 & P/00/1266 on for Redevelopment of site including demolition of existing lock-up garages to provide new development comprising one x 2-bedroom maisonette, three x 2-bedroom flats, two x 1-bedroom flats and 2 studio workshops. However the associated Section 106 legal agreement was never signed, so the decision notice was never issued. Any new residential development will need to provide a new street frontage to Corsica Street. Development up to a maximum of 3 storeys will be accepted All servicing and refuse collection should take place from Corsica Street 21

22 Part of Dixon Clark Court N Map 16 Development site at Dixon Clark Court There may be potential to provide a 3 storey building adjacent to 154 Canonbury Road, as shown on Map 16 and the vision plan. This would provide extra surveillance and security in this relatively open area. New development should have a west facing frontage on to Highbury Corner and a south facing frontage on to the Dixon Clark Court green space on Highbury Corner. One tree adjacent to 154 Canonbury Road will need to be removed. A new A1/A2/A3 or B1 unit could be provided to the ground floor, with B1 or residential uses to the upper floors. This development will need to include one toilet for bus drivers sole use. This should be provided as an integral part of the building and be accessed directly from the southern or western elevation. Servicing/ refuse collection for this site is restricted by the bus stands located on Highbury Corner, although this may be affected by future changes to the one way gyratory. Any new building layout will also have to reflect any changes to access into the site caused by any future changes to the one way gyratory. Any development here will need to be worked up in consultation with the Dixon Clark Court Tenant Management Organisation. 22

23 Fords Garage site, 85 Canonbury Road Map 17 Potential development site at 85 Canonbury Road N The current buildings do not make an efficient use of the site. There may be potential for a residential or mixed use development here, ideally with the retention of the existing car dealership. A high quality mixed use development will need to be carefully designed to ensure that the site is not overdeveloped and that there is a high quality external design of any new buildings. Development is potential for a 2-3 storey development fronting Compton Avenue and Edwards Cottages. This may be increased to 4-5 storeys fronting Canonbury Road. The quality and height of any proposed buildings must respect the nearby Grade II* listed building, adjacent Conservation Areas, adjacent residential properties and existing trees. Street frontages should be provided to Canonbury Road, Compton Avenue and Edwards Cottages. The trees on Canonbury Road and Edwards Cottages are protected with Tree Preservation Orders; buildings should therefore be sufficiently set back to ensure that these trees are retained. (Buildings must be set back to the guidance give in Table 1 of British Standard 5837 Trees in Relation to Construction Foundations designs must accommodate the presence of tree roots in this area, in line with the guidance given in The NHBC Guidance, Building Near Trees, Revised Chapter ). Particular attention will need to be paid to the impact of new development on adjacent residential properties in terms of sunlight/ daylight and overlooking particularly those on Compton Mews and Edwards Cottages. Care needs to taken with the relationship between this site and the adjacent grade II* listed 23

24 building at Union Chapel. The pavements around this site are particularly narrow, there may be potential for any new building lines to be set back to increase the width of the pavements, particularly on Compton Avenue and Edwards Cottages. All servicing should take place from Edwards Cottages, if servicing requirements are low or intermittent. As this is a very narrow road, where servicing requirements are significant in terms of vehicle numbers or vehicle type, it may be more appropriate to have a new vehicular access into the site from Canonbury Road (where visibility is appropriate). IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS Partnership working Planning Policy & Projects officers will lead the project with involvement from Conservation & Design, Traffic & Transportation, Development Control, Regeneration and Greenspace officers. Officers will work in partnership with key stakeholders such as Transport for London, Network Rail and London Underground and key landowners. This will be in the form of regular communication and updates on all stakeholders projects in the area and landowners plans for their sites. Any proposals on Transport for London Roads such as Highbury Corner, Holloway Road and Upper Street have to be approved by Transport for London. Funding Funding for some of the transport related schemes and initiatives will be sought from Transport for London through the Borough Spending plan submission. Through Section 106 legal agreements, the Council will ensure that redevelopment sites in the Highbury Corner area contribute to the wider vision for this area and result in area based improvements. Potential Section 106 heads of terms therefore include, but are not necessarily limited to the following: Affordable housing The Council will seek a proportion of affordable housing on all residential schemes of 15 units or more in line with the Council s current policy on affordable housing. At present this means that for sites of 15+ units, 25% of all the housing to be provided should be social housing and a further 10% should be within the definition of being intermediate housing (such as shared equity or sub market rented key worker housing). Please refer to the Affordable Housing SPG for more detail on this. Improved public transport interchanges as an integral part of any station redevelopment scheme. Financial contributions towards the redevelopment of Highbury & Islington station from all developments in the area, where new residents or workers are likely to use and benefit from improvements to the station. The provision of pedestrian circulation space immediately outside the entrance to the station. High quality improvements to the pedestrian environment in the vicinity of developments, including: pedestrian crossing facilitates at key desire lines, upgrade of footways, lighting, reduction in street clutter and improved signage (any new signage must integrate with the Angel Wayfinding project). Home zones where appropriate. 24

25 Funding for environmental improvements and improvements to the open space and play areas within and around Highbury Fields, including the Highbury Corner Central Island, and open space within Dixon Clark Court. Funding for environmental improvements at the southern end of Highbury Place/ junction with Highbury Corner. This could include reduction in street clutter, landscaping, upgrade of footways and lighting. Environmental improvements to Highbury Station Road and Hampton Court. This could include repaving, improvements to servicing areas and lighting. New development is expected to be car free, with no car parking spaces provided and new residents not being able to obtain a parking permit Membership provision to a car club for residential occupants and employees and provision of spaces for car club cars. Removal of any redundant vehicular crossovers. Improvements to cycle facilities and cycle parking. Improvements to existing library facilities at the Central Library (68 Holloway Road). The Council will expect to see its Percent for Art policy applied to provide new works of art in and around new development. Contribution towards the cost of implementation of a Code of Construction Practice The Council has a Code of Good Practice for Construction Sites that it wishes to be applied to all development in the Borough. In this case, the Council will be particularly concerned with the routes used by vehicles removing spoil and delivering materials and the timing of those vehicle movements; and with the hours of building work on site. The Council will also expect that a contribution is paid towards the cost of monitoring and facilitating compliance with this code. Contribution towards the Biodiversity Action Plan Reference should also be made to the Council s SPG on Section 106 and the appropriate Section 106 Area Strategies. Programme The following general programme has been drafted. This is based on which work can be undertaken incrementally, the logical progression and degrees of complexity of projects. Further discussion is needed with key stakeholders and landowners to work up this up in more detail. Proposal Timescale estimate Monitoring and enforcement against flyposting, Continual illegal ice cream vans etc. Heritage Economic Regeneration scheme Relocation/ rationalisation/ upgrading of bus 2004/05 stops. Pavement widening and pedestrian environment 2004/05 improvements. Repaving and upgrade pavements where 2004/05 appropriate. Improvements to cycle routes. 2004/05 Street furniture review/ rationalisation and 2004/05 upgrade. Repaving and new layout at southern end of 2004/05 25

26 Highbury Place/ junction with Highbury Corner. Repaving, landscaping and new layout to wide 2004/05 pavement adjacent to 25 Compton Terrace. Review of access arrangements to the central 2004/05 island. Street cleansing review. 2004/05 Cycle crossover added to Holloway Road 2006/07 crossing and improvements to Holloway Road, St. Paul s and Upper Street pedestrian crossings. Improve bus interchange facilities between bus 2006/07 routes and to/ from Station. Upgrade lighting where necessary. 2006/07 Artwork/ gateway structures where appropriate. 2006/07 Longer-term traffic changes to the gyratory if 2006/07 possible. Opening of the East London Line extension An important part of the programming will be to ensure work is co-ordinated between stakeholders and landowners. The programme of projects will depend upon funding availability, approvals of landowners, completion of necessary consultation, and dependence upon other projects before implementation. Project Blocks Responsibility Highways and Transport infrastructure changes Works on Transport for London roads Traffic orders and works on borough road Bus routes and stops Cycle improvements Pavement widening Continual provision for car club cars Co-ordination with other major programmes East London Line extension Greenspace, housing, education improvement programmes Network Rail and London Underground Limited s short, medium term and long term plans for the station and other land in their ownership Development sites Financial appraisal of land uses, building costs and capital value Negotiation with owners/ developers and architects Planning Application process 26 Transport for London London Borough of Islington (LIB) Traffic & Transportation, Highways, Planning Policy & Projects Transport for London Network Rail London Underground Ltd LBI various sections Private landowners and their agents LBI Development Control, Conservation & Design, Traffic & Transportation, Planning Policy & Projects, Development Control team Environmental improvements which the Council can pursue on land in its own control Public highway, Greenspace, Housing and LBI various sections Education land Landmark projects Public act strategy LBI Arts and Heritage Section Planning Landmark buildings on key development Policy & Projects, Conservation & Design, sites Greenspace

27 Use of the central island Business development & support Promotion of local businesses Promotion of Highbury Corner as a vibrant area with retail, art and leisure uses LBI Regeneration, Planning Policy & Projects Planning guidance Proposals for new development, building alterations, changes of use etc, will occur and will have to be guided through the planning process. The Council will ensure that any proposals contribute towards the overall vision for the area and do not close options prematurely. 27