Land adjacent to 104 Gibson Gardens N16 7HD

Land adjacent to 104 Gibson Gardens

2015/1301 - 22 May 2015

2015/1301 - Full Planning Permission - Erection of four-storey building to provide three-bedroom dwellinghouse.

The applicant sought the Hackney Society's Planning Group's views on his draft scheme, pre-application. We have been broadly supportive of the design and have welcomed design amendments in response to our comments.

We support a modern design approach for this awkward site, the views of which are limited. The proposal does not cause harm to the heritage context, and sits comfortably against the adjacent, modern AHMM-designed Rains Court. The development is not visible from within the main Gibson Gardens courtyard, where the largely unaltered terrace has the most significant visual impact. The new house is likely to be visible only from the rear garden of the immediate neighbours, across the railway tracks from the George Downing Estate, and in a narrow view from the railway bridge across Northwold Rd.

We are aware of the considerable controversy this application has already caused and believe residents of Gibson Gardens are better placed than us to comment upon any impact the development might have on their continued use of the land within the estate. The apparent conflict illustrates why applicants - even householders - ought to be advised to consult widely and early, rather than leaving it to the vagaries of the inherently negative planning process.