client

London Borough of Sutton

​

Project

Helena House, Sutton

 

Challenge

The proposals were for the redevelopment of an existing office building to provide a part 5 / part 8 storey mixed use building of 41-apartments and ground floor commercial space. 

​

The council had refused the planning application on the grounds of design and lack of affordable housing. The appellant’s viability assessment was showing that the scheme was significantly unviable with zero affordable housing – in these circumstances the council’s affordable housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) required evidence on how the scheme can be delivered. The appellant had not sufficiently demonstrated how the scheme could be delivered. Urbà was instructed by the council to act as an Expert Witness at the Hearing to advise on the scheme delivery. 

​

process

Urbà reviewed the appellant’s deliverability evidence, which was based on changes in costs and values. Urbà advised the council that this evidence was not sufficiently robust and still did not address the requirements of the SPD.​

​

Result

Urbà provided evidence to the Inspector on how the appellant had failed to sufficiently demonstrate delivery and what should have been provided as part of a robust assessment. Urbà also advised the Inspector as to why scheme delivery was important to the council. ​

​

​

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​