14 Dec 2023
A bid to redevelop the near-derelict buildings at 113-115 London Road has failed to win planning permission at appeal.
Not far from the prestigious Gabriel Square development, on the corner of Alma Road, are two abandoned business premises which are slowly falling into wrack and ruin.
The former Mumtaj Tandoori at 115 London Road was one of St Albans’ original and most highly-regarded Indian restaurants in its day, but closed for good three years before the pandemic devastated the city’s hospitality industry.
Meanwhile, 115A London Road, which was once office space occupied by Verulam Insurance Bureau, is in a similar state of disrepair. Faded posters have been flyposted over masked-out windows, there is overgrown vegetation on the path, and the shabby paintwork is in stark contrast to the beautiful avant garde cinema that is The Odyssey opposite.
The proposed development was described as “demolition of existing buildings and erection of a part three-storey, part four-storey, part five-storey building comprising 10 apartments”.
The appeal follows St Albans district council’s failure to determine the application within the prescribed period, but SADC said in a statement that had it been in a position to determine the application, it would have refused planning permission.
The main issues were whether the proposed development would preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the St Albans Conservation Area, and provide acceptable living conditions for future occupants, with particular regard to natural light.
The appeal property is a pair of semi-detached buildings, which would have historically been dwellings. They are finished in red brick, with red tile roofs which, along with render, are common materials in this part of the Conservation Area.
The appeal building has been altered over time with the introduction of advertisements, dormer windows and window alterations. The building has somewhat fallen into a state of disrepair with boarded up windows and loss of tiles apparent from London Road. Therefore, the appeal property as a whole makes a neutral contribution to the character, appearance and significance of the Conservation Area.
The proposed development would replace the existing building with a five-storey building, with the top floor set back from the front elevation.
It would be finished in facing brick and render, and would have an additional element to accommodate the staircase/lift, which would project upwards above the height of nearby buildings.
Planning Inspector Tamsin Law said: “Whilst the contemporary style design of the proposed building has some merits, the scale and massing of the proposed building would nevertheless be substantial in this location.
“Although set back from the boundaries and set back at roof level, the overall scale and massing of the proposed building would be significantly larger than the existing building on the site, with the proposals full height continued for the entire depth of the building. “Additionally, with the staircase/lift element it would appear taller than the similarly designed flats to its rear.
“This would be further exacerbated by the proposal’s prominent position at a mini roundabout which would be visible from a number of public vantage points
along London Road and Alma Road. The proposed development would, apart from a strip of open space to the rear, almost fill the entire plot providing limited opportunity to soften the impact of development through a landscaping scheme. I therefore consider that the proposed development, by virtue of its scale, layout and design, would fail to promote or reinforce the distinctive characteristics of the area and would adversely harm rather than positively contribute to the character and appearance of the area.”
She added that the proposed building would fail to preserve or enhance the setting of the Conservation Area and also harm the setting of the adjacent locally listed building.
Despite the lack of a Local Plan, the impact on the Conservation Area was deemed to outweigh the demand for housing in the district. The appeal was therefore dismissed and planning permission refused.
Yet despite this latest knockback, construction work is continuing on the site, with no signs of the project halting due to the failure of the appeal. But with planning permission refused for the proposed building, whether this situation remains in place over the coming weeks remains to be seen.
