Planning Granted for 3 New Apartments in Haringey
We have obtained planning permission for 3 new apartments on unused land adjacent to a residential block at 1- 6 Romney Close for Haringey Council.
Pinchin Architects have been appointed by the London Borough of Haringey to collaborate on an ambitious programme to deliver 1,000 homes at council rents by 2022. We are proud to be working with a group of specialist consultants and key stakeholders to help them realise these bold targets. We will analyse and develop designs for 9 sites in their programme, ranging in scale from single houses in the Noel Park Conservation area to a 9 storey multi-unit tower in Wood Green.
Many of the sites are on back-land and infill sites, such as old garages, empty shops or are unusual spaces left over after previous estate planning. We are working hard to develop appropriate strategies to maximise the site for new homes, whilst also making positive contributions and improvements to the wider street-scene and public realm. All new homes are aiming for 50% carbon reduction over normal building control levels and are using sustainable technologies such as air-source heat pumps, mechanical heat recovery ventilation and high- performance thermal envelopes.
The site is accessed via Chalgrove Road, an intermediate road between Manor Road and Lansdowne Road within Haringey. Entrance to the site is between 2 properties, down a narrow passage that currently leads to an underused and poorly maintained parcel of land with a number of unused lock-up garages, like many similar sites across the country. One of the key challenges on site is an enormous 28m high Hybrid Black Poplar tree adjacent to the site. Following a specialist tree survey, which recommend this valuable tree specimen be retained, the designs were modified to accommodate its extensive root systems.
The apartment block at Romney Close has been designed to fit into its surroundings with a simple yet modern form, built with the high-quality, durable materials. Panels of projecting brick bands and high performance doors and windows combine to achieve a sleek design that will stand the test of time. A full refurbishment of the public realm is proposed at Romney Close to provide an improved outlook for both the existing and new residents. This has been developed with Frances Christie of Remapp Landscape Architects.
The generous external amenity areas are currently underused and the refurbishment aims to encourage use of these, which could reduce the potential for anti-social behaviour.
Although this scheme was designed for a Local Authority, an alternative proposal with a few modifications could have been produced with a developer to produce high quality flats on an unused garage site for the private market.