Lambeth Hospital

1. Why are you replacing a hospital site with a residential site?

There is an urgent need to improve our facilities and buildings, including Lambeth Hospital. The option was to refurbish or rebuild the hospital on site investigated but the cost, disruption to patients and residents and time needed made improving the site unviable.

The proposals for Lambeth Hospital site are to redevelop it for housing and to help fund better mental healthcare facilities and services.
 

2. Why is the site being used for housing specifically rather than a different type of community development?

Having established that redeveloped site could be used to fund improved mental health services, we, the Trust began to establish what use would be an appropriate alternative use for the site whilst recognising government guidance to deliver new housing from surplus assets. Through also working closely with Lambeth Council to understand what an appropriate use for this site was, including meeting with planning officers, councillors and the Council’s Design Review Panel, it was established that residential would be the most successful use on the Lambeth Hospital site.

As a public sector organisation, we want to ensure that we work with the Council to help them meet their housing targets, and so delivering significant housing on the site will enable us to deliver a significant number of affordable housing units. We recognise that a key source of many people’s mental health problems is poor quality housing or the lack of a secure home to live in and so the Trust is eager to ensure we do our part to deliver homes that are affordable for people in Lambeth.

3. The Lambeth Local Plan identifies key areas for growth and development. Clapham North/Stockwell is not one of these development areas, so why is this housing development being planned here given the viability and availability of other sites that are less disruptive to existing residents and infrastructure?

The Mayor of London has set Lambeth a target of delivering 1,335 additional homes each year over the next 10 years. The site was not identified in the Local Plan as at the time it was being prepared the Trust had not confirmed plans to improve its facilities and consequently could not confirm whether the site was available as a development opportunity. Following the service re-provision consultation it has been agreed that the site could be redeveloped for other uses.

Whilst the site is not specially identified in the existing Lambeth Local Plan for development, planning policy seeks to focus new development on previously developed sites, like Lambeth Hospital. Lambeth Council now see the hospital site as a key site to help meet its housing need, including affordable housing.

The Trust has been working closely with the Council to develop the plans for the site and respond to the housing needs of the people of Lambeth. This has included meetings with planning officers, the GLA, presenting to the Growth and Investment Panel and the Council’s Design Review Panel.

The proposed scheme contains 2 units totalling 279m2 fronting Landor Road that have been identified for “community uses”. We are seeking views from residents on what this space could be used for. In addition, a detailed examination of the existing social infrastructure (schools, doctors, dentists) has taken place and the proposed impact of the development has been assessed.

 

4. Do you understand the impact this is having on residents, being faced with this huge development on our doorstep and massive changes to our community and way of life?

We are aware that this development does represent a big change for residents who live near the existing mental health hospital site. Therefore, we are committed to continued community engagement to ensure we understand the views and listen to the concerns that people have regarding the proposals.
 

To reduce the effect during the construction of the site we will be required to prepare a construction environmental management plan (CEMP) which will detail measures to minimise negative effects such as noise, vehicular traffic etc. We have included some initial information on such matters as part of our planning application which will help to inform the CEMP.
 

We recognise the strength of feeling from the local community and our scheme will continue to build upon this by providing homes for families in the area. The scheme has been designed to provide a mix of affordable and private homes, and proposes to deliver high-quality, safe communal gardens and doorstep play, vital to attracting young families to the area. We believe that the proposed development once completed will therefore positively contribute to the family focused, vibrant community that currently exists around the scheme for many years to come.

 

5. Why were you unable to carry out the visits to neighbours' gardens, as originally planned?

As NHS staff we need to minimise COVID risk. At the time the group limit and travel restrictions for all but essential travel also limited any such non-critical visits.

6. What infrastructure is proposed to offer extra schooling, medical care, public transportation and car parking for up to 1000 new residents in an already heavily populated urban area?

As part of our planning application we have undertaken an initial audit of the capacity of key local infrastructure and services, such as schools and GP surgeries.

If planning consent is granted then it will be a requirement to pay a Community Infrastructure Levy. This is a cash payment, which is set by the Local Council and Mayor of London, based upon the amount of floor space proposed and is to be used to pay for the infrastructure needed in the local area, such as schools, healthcare, transport improvements etc.

We are conscious of the potential impact of this development and we are working closely with the Council to ensure that where possible we mitigate the impact of the proposals on the community infrastructure.
 

7. What is there in this development for the existing local community?

As our proposals have developed, delivering benefits for the existing local community has been at the core of our vision. Key local benefits include:

• New high-quality green spaces, creating an ecological corridor for wildlife and flora, improving local ecology
• The creation of 195 FTE jobs for local people during construction and a further 295 indirect jobs
• 50% affordable housing, of which 70% low-cost and 30% intermediate, providing homes for local people on the Council waiting list.

The proposed new community space will be approximately 279 sq. m and face out onto Landor Road. It could accommodate a range of community spaces including a nursery or doctors’ surgery. A decision on what this space will be used for has not been taken yet and we would welcome your views on what you think would be a useful addition for the area, such as a community centre. We are conscious that the Landor Road already has several retail and commercial uses, and we would be sympathetic to these uses, looking to complement what is already on offer with an increased footfall passing and supporting these premises.
 

8. Will the simulation facilities at the hospital be moved to the new building in Denmark Hill?

The new building at the Denmark Hill site has been designed specifically for service delivery. However, we are exploring two options on the Denmark Hill site which would provide bespoke, refurbished space for the simulation facilities.

9. How can you justify putting an 18-storey tower in this area?

We are very aware that the height of the proposed development is a key issue for residents.

Lambeth Hospital site is a key strategic site, which could contribute significantly towards Lambeth’s housing targets and would allow us to achieve the funding required to improve our mental health facilities. As such we have sought to establish how we best strike a balance between meeting the demand for high quality affordable homes, whilst planning the site to best arrange the scale and form of the residential buildings. The feedback we have received from the Council and the independent Design Review Panel is the site can support one taller, well designed building. This design approach provides a variation in height of the other proposed buildings across the site including lower four storey buildings, with a setback fifth floor, which sit closer to the neighbouring properties.

Planning officers at Lambeth and the independent Design Review Panel both support a new well-designed single building of height which will provide a sense of place and an elegant addition to the skyline. It should also be noted that the tall building has been designed such that the outlook from the apartments look north and south, to avoid overlooking of the existing neighbouring properties.

It is also important to remember that the Mayor of London has set Lambeth a target of delivering 1,335 additional homes each year over the next 10 years. The Council, therefore, sees the hospital site as a key site to deliver much needed housing, including affordable housing, to meet this target.

10. What impact assessments have been done on the surrounding properties’ views regarding privacy, overlooking, impact of daylight/sunlight? Can these be shared?

We have carefully developed the design of the proposed buildings and assessed the relationship of the development with the immediate neighbours and wider community context.

The Mayor of London and Lambeth Council provide policy guidance that we have used to inform our proposals. An overall assessment of these policies is set out in the Planning Statement that we submitted as part of our planning application. More detailed explanation of our design approach is set out in the Design and Access Statement. All the assessments that we have undertaken have been submitted as part of our planning application and are available to view on the Council’s website. Should you have difficulty locating these documents please contact SLaM on the details provided and we would be happy to help.

A key consideration in the scheme development has been to assess the townscape views from the surrounding streets, both in the local and wider context. A detailed townscape and visual appraisal report with the scheme illustrated in several key verified views accompanies the application.

The design has also been developed by assessing the effect the scheme will have on surrounding properties in regards to daylight and sunlight. The scheme has been designed to mitigate daylight impact where possible, whilst meeting the brief of delivering the significant number of needed homes and affordable family homes for Lambeth. A detailed assessment accompanies the planning application and sets out why it is considered the proposal achieves a good level of adherence to the BRE Guidelines given the site’s urban location.

11. Has a Residential Visual Amenity Assessment (RVAA) been carried out for the proposals?

As part of the planning process we have agreed with the Council the assessments it considers will be necessary to fully assess the acceptability of the proposals. In this case it was not considered that a Residential Visual Amenity Assessment was required. However, our application has undertaken a detailed and thorough Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment that assesses the effect the scheme will have in changing key viewpoints and/or townscapes.

12. Will the new properties in the development have obscured windows so they do not overlook existing properties?

The Scheme has been developed in line with the London Housing Design guidance with regards to the distances between new residential windows and those of both existing and proposed dwellings. We are adhering to this guidance by setting a minimum distance of 20m from the proposed development to the existing residential windows.

13. Can you tell us the distance of the proposed buildings from the neighbouring existing housing?

We have set a minimum distance of 20m from the proposed new buildings to the existing residential windows. This is in line with London Housing Design guidance.

14. What is the affordable housing provision?

This site will deliver 50 per cent affordable housing.

Of this 70 per cent will be made available for low cost rent which means that those people on the Council’s social housing waiting list or those on low incomes will be eligible for these homes. A registered social landlord (RSL) (e.g. a housing association or a registered provider of social housing) will manage how these homes are allocated.

30 per cent of the affordable homes will be provided under what is termed ‘intermediate tenures’. This is targeted towards households with slightly higher incomes, but who still cannot afford to buy or rent on the open housing market. For example, this could include shared ownership options.

15. How much will the private housing units be sold for?

At this stage we are not able to say how much the private housing will be sold for, as they are unlikely to be brought to market for several years. However, when the development moves to the construction phase the pricing will be reflective of the comparable properties in the local area.

16. Will any of the housing be available for key workers

Feedback received from individuals and local groups, asked if any of the proposed homes would be set aside for keyworkers. It is not possible to ring-fence/allocate homes for key workers. However, 50 per cent of the new homes will be affordable and a significant number (170) will be available at a social rent through the council waiting lists.

The Trust will ensure our local key worker staff are made aware of the availability of the affordable housing on the scheme.

17. Where will new residents park their cars? Will you be prevented from owning a car if you live on the development?

The development will be car-free, given its high level of accessibility via public transport, which means that there will be no car parking spaces included as part of the proposals, apart from disabled spaces.

This is in line with the transport policies set out by both Lambeth Council and the GLA which specify that new developments that are well-connected by public transport should minimise reliance on car travel. The idea is to reduce traffic congestion, reduce air pollution and better manage the limited amount of space available for on-street parking.

If planning permission is granted, it will be a condition of the consent that residents will not be able to apply for parking permits. This is an approach used by Local Planning Authorities across London who are all striving to reduce the dependence on cars.

18. Does your assessment on parking take into account the fact that residents and visitors would be able to park their cars outside of Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) hours?

We are aware that the CPZ is not in operation for 24 hours a day and therefore there are periods when people without permits are able to park. This is a situation that is common across London and therefore a matter that Councils are alert to, especially as they are actively seeking to reduce car ownership. In most cases residents that chose to live within a car-free development do so because they have no need or desire to own a car. Moreover, the practical difficulties of owning when you are not allowed to have your car parked in the local area whilst the CPZ is in operation dissuade people from seeking to own a car.

Councils continue to review the effectiveness of their CPZs in light of growing levels of car-free development and ultimately it will be up to them to decide whether the hours of operation need to be reviewed to ensure car-free developments remain as such.

19. What transport assessments have been done to assess the impact on local roads and public transport? Were these assessments done before the Covid-19 pandemic?

A thorough transport assessment has been conducted as part of the planning application which has been submitted as part of the application. This is available to view via the Council’s planning portal. The assessment is based on the traffic movements for the area from before the COVID-19 lockdown period.

20. Can we have access to the data on transportation?

All the data that our Transport Assessment has used is included within the report and its appendices. These have been submitted as part of the planning application to Lambeth Council.

21. Where will the site entrance be?

The site entrance will be from the north-eastern corner from Landor Road. The locally listed existing hospital gateposts on Landor Road will re-located and re-used to mark the entrance of the new development.

22. How many cycle spaces will be provided in the new development?

There will be approximately 1,200 cycle spaces across the whole development.  

23. How will cyclists use the roads nearby as there are no cycle lanes on Landor road?

We don’t have any influence on the roads outside of the development as these are in control of the Council. However, Lambeth Council and TfL may require financial contributions towards local highways schemes to improve the area and address future impacts.

24. Will pedestrians be able to walk through the site? Will it be a gated community?

The site will not be a gated community so local people will be able to access the site via the entrance on Landor Road and walk along the central boulevard.

The designs have been developed so that in the future if there is an opportunity to open up a connection onto Pulross Road. It would be possible to create a pedestrian route through the entrance of the Pulross Centre. However, this is not in SLaM’s ownership, therefore we continue to engage with Guys and St Thomas’ who own the Pulross Centre to see if we can make it work, whilst being sensitive to the service users of the Pulross Centre.

 

25. What consideration has been given to designing out crime as part of the proposals’ design?

As the design proposals have progressed the team have consulted with the Metropolitans Police's Design Out Crime department. They are generally supportive of the scheme and the scheme will of course continue to be refined to include their requirements during the subsequent project stages. The Design Out Crime Officer highlighted several considerations specific to the site context and this type of scheme:

It is important to keep a clear distinction between public and private space. There are many sites where pedestrian routes that increase permeability of residential developments can have a positive impact, but it was felt that this is not one of them. The advice was that the courtyard spaces should be private in order to manage safety and reduce potential for criminal behaviours. 

• Planting up to 10m trees should have clear stems up to 2m height to ensure visibility.
• Planters should not too dense to remove hiding places. Planters should be full to brim with earth, to avoid places to hide items.
• Lighting – to standard BS5489 ensuring external spaces and external elevations meet safety standards.
• Bike stores should be partitioned into clusters of 75 max.
• Defensible space must be included to all ground floor units.
• Access should be compartmentalised where an entrance serves more than 25 flats – residents should have access limited to their core, their floor, their unit, their bike store, and their bin store. This has many positive effects, for example, compartmentalisation gives a sense of ownership over a floor – making it easier for residents to know who should or shouldn’t be on their floor. Compartmentalisation could be implemented with fob access controls.
• CCTV should be provided in Bike store and entrance lobbies.

These are just some headline points in terms of designing out crime. Should the scheme secure a successful planning consent the proposals would continue to be developed in consultation with the Met Police, to ensure a safe and whilst accessible scheme.

26. Will the new public spaces be open to all residents in the area?

There are some areas of the proposed scheme, including the main boulevard and public realm, which will be for all to access.

Whilst it was a key focus to try and open the site up as much as possible, there are also some private spaces for residents. Providing private spaces is important for security and management reasons. We have entered into discussions with Lambeth as to how best to provide safe and secure access to the amenity and play spaces onsite.

27. How does the scheme meet the policy requirements for public open space (not public realm) in an area of significant deficiency? Is the proposal to make an off-site contribution?

The proposed development contains a significant range and quantity of new open spaces, courtyards, gardens, children’s play areas and community gardens to adhere to planning policy requirements. The scheme meets the policy requirements for outdoor amenity space which is provided through private gardens/balconies and communal amenity space. Play space requirements are also met and covered below.

The main boulevard and side streets (which we have called Greenways) will be publicly accessible. We are also proposing to improve the public realm of Landor Road with better street frontages including planting and seating to mirror the much-loved Edible Bus Stop and Kerb Garden on the other side of Landor Road.  Lambeth Council and the Met Police have raised concerns that the security of the open spaces could be compromised for residents living on the site if unmanaged access was provided to these open spaces. If planning permission is granted we will look to see if it is possible to work up a management plan that addresses the concerns raised and allows existing residents access into some of the new open spaces that will be created.

28. Where is the children’s play area mentioned? I want to better understand how far above the statutory requirements the children’s play area goes. 

The proposed development contains a significant range and quantity of new of open spaces, courtyards, gardens, children’s play areas and community gardens to adhere to and exceed planning policy requirements.

Under the Mayor’s London Plan, development proposals that include housing should make provision for play and informal recreation, based on the expected child population generated by the scheme and an assessment of future needs. We have used the  Mayor’s Supplementary Planning Guidance Providing for Children and Young People’s Play and Informal Recreation to calculate what is required to meet the required provision for different age groups.

We have provided the required playable spaces for young children, including ‘door-step’ play features and older children including more challenging equipment throughout the scheme within the courtyards, communal gardens and side streets or ‘Greenways’. The site is also within a 10-minute walk of two major parks, Max Roach Park and Slade Gardens, which offer opportunities for group ball games and Stockwell Skate Park. 

29. What measures will you be putting in place to maintain the new public spaces, especially regular tree care where trees on the site impinge/affect neighbouring properties?

Maintenance of the new landscape spaces will be managed through a site wide management and maintenance plan and regime. This will include long term care of the existing trees which we are looking to retain at the site boundary.

30. What impact will the proposals have on local biodiversity and green space?

Due to the existing building configuration and significant onsite parking provision there is very little green space, trees or planting. Existing green space is isolated areas of ornamental planting, grassland and several standard trees which are of negligible to low ecological value.

The proposals present the opportunity to improve significantly the local biodiversity through additional tree planting, new roosting opportunities for bats and more diverse nesting habitats for birds.

As well as planting within the development, the proposals include an ‘ecological corridor’ that wraps around the southern and western sides of the development and allows space for nature through retained existing trees, new native planting and wildlife habitat.

31. What is the expected environmental impact of the development and how will this be mitigated?

Our strategy from the outset has been to incorporate passive and energy efficient measures in order to reduce the wider impact on the environment. The scheme has been designed in line with the GLA energy planning guidance and  LETI Climate Change Design Guide, these include:

• Significantly improved Air Permeability targets
• Enhanced glazing specification in accordance with daylighting and overheating requirements
• Low targets for annual energy use through improved building fabric and form
• Provision of energy display devices so occupants can monitor their energy use
• The provision of energy efficient lighting and display lighting
• Photoelectric sensor controls within communal and circulation areas of the building
• Time and temperature zone control
• Energy and Water metering and submetering in all appropriate areas
• Overheating analysis to avoid overheating risk through passive measures without the reliance on mechanical cooling
   

The following renewable energy technologies shall be considered within the development, in line with the GLA energy planning guidance and LETI Climate Change Design Guide:

• Central Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) plants to provide heating and hot water requirements of the development this will provide carbon savings in excess of the minimum requirement of 35% required under the Part L Building Regulations
• This will enable the provision for the development to become zero carbon as the grid decarbonises
• High efficiency Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) to provide ventilation requirements to areas where required
• Photovoltaic Panels at roof level where appropriate

Other sustainability initiatives included for within the design of the development include:

• The use of construction materials that are responsibly and sustainably sources
• Embodied carbon consideration to construction materials, sourced locally where viable
• Future functional and climate change consideration incorporated into the design
• Consideration to Life Cycle Analysis of key building fabric and Mechanical and Electrical items
• The ‘future proofing’ of the heat network to allow for a future connection to a district heating network
• The provision of cycle storage for building users
• Electric Vehicle Charging points
• The fit out works will provide for sanitary fittings which will be water efficient through measures such as dual flush toilets and low flow taps
• Green roof provision

An Environmental Impact Assessment was also submitted as part of the planning application. This is a detailed assessment which helps to understand the potential environmental impacts of the development proposals. The key areas assessed range from air quality through to wind and microclimate. The reports and supporting data are currently being analysed by the Council’s independent experts to establish whether the effects of the development comply with environmental regulations.

The Trust is committed to sustainable development across their estate and as such are reviewing options in terms of improving performance in the future and working towards carbon net zero, by the time the project comes to site in 2024.

32. Will the proposed electric vehicle charging points be accessible to local residents?

No. All the parking spaces on site are specifically for disabled residents of the new development. We are providing the disabled parking bays with electric vehicle charging points to encourage use of electric vehicles by any disabled residents of the proposal.

33. Will the buildings all have solar panels?

Yes, we will be installing solar panels on site. We have clear strategy to reducing the carbon emissions from this site as much as is viably possible, which meets the GLA energy planning guidance and LETI Climate Change Design Guide.

34. What measures will be put in place to mitigate increased noise from the development once it is complete and occupied?

The proposed development is for homes which will create a different noise environment compared to the existing hospital. For example, there will be fewer vehicles entering and exiting the site on a daily basis and so this source of noise will actually reduce.

The proposed homes will be built to the latest acoustic standards and the design of the development has put the proposed open spaces within central courtyards and by enclosing these spaces they will help contain any noise generated by people using these areas. 

35. What is the Trust doing to retain maintain the heritage of the Lambeth Hospital Site?

The majority of the site was built relatively recently and therefore most of the current buildings have limited heritage value. The existing gate piers at the entrance to the site are Locally Listed. These will be retained within our proposals, but it will be necessary to relocate them from their current position.

We are keen to reference the history of health care provision on the site through public art and naming of buildings. The amenity and green space strategy has also been designed with a health and mental wellbeing ethos at its core. Thus overlaying the history of the uses on site within the new external spaces.

36. Is the plan for the Trust to gain planning permission and sell the site to a developer or will they engage a developer and retain ownership of the site?

The Trust's intention is to retain ownership of a proportion of the development for the long term, this is balanced against the need to realise capital receipts from the development to support the new clinical facilities at Maudsley Hospital. The Trust aims to be an active owner for the long term and is intending to work with both public and private sector partners by accessing their expertise to collectively deliver the development. Detailed arrangement and the structure of engagement with potential development partners for the remaining portion of the site has not been finalised. Our approach will be based on achieving the overall aims of the development.

37. How long will it take to build?
It is expected that, subject to planning approval, construction works will commence in Spring 2024 and would be completed in 2028.

38. What hours of the day do you see the building works commencing and will it just be weekdays?

As part of the application we have submitted a Construction Method Statement. This provides details of the proposed construction programme, including construction working hours and will need to be approved by Lambeth Council. Within this document we recommend that no construction of demolition work is undertaken outside of the following hours:

• Monday to Fridays 08:00 – 18:00
• Saturdays 09:00 – 14:00
• No time Sundays and Bank holidays

 This is consistent with the normal working hours recommended by most local authorities when granting planning consent.

39. How will the impact of the construction be mitigated for residents?

As part of our planning application a Construction Method Statement that has been submitted. This outlines the numerous measures which we will undertake during construction in order to mitigate disruption to neighbours and the surrounding area.

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust intends to appoint a contractor who is part of the Considerate Constructors Scheme. This means that the contractor has signed up to a code of conduct and will make every effort to ensure the site teams care about the appearance of the site, respect the local community, protect the environment, secure everyone’s safety and value its workforce.

The construction will be subject to particular rules and regulations that will need to be adhered to during construction, including recognised construction working hours. These will be strictly controlled and any work outside of these hours will be agreed in advance.

There will also be an identified point of contact during the construction process for residents to get in touch in case they have any concerns or problems. Construction traffic will be managed in accordance with a Construction Traffic Management Plan which will be submitted as part of the planning application to Lambeth Council. Strict environmental controls relating to construction generated dust and noise will be in place and a secure site boundary will always be maintained.

 A contractor has not yet been appointed to develop the site. It is therefore not possible to provide every detail of the construction programme and method. If planning consent is granted, it would be a requirement to provide further detail to that already set out in the application for the Council’s approval.

40. Have you considered the impact of the construction phase on local residents’ mental health?

We are aware that construction can cause noise and disruption to residents. This is why our application provides initial details as to how we will minimise such disruption. Once a contractor is appointed further detail will be submitted for the Council’s approval before any work can commence.

Similarly, the Trust will ensure the contractor will provide a point of contact for local residents to raise concerns during the process if they feel the work is not being undertaken in accordance with the requirements set out in the planning application.

41. What provisions will you make to compensate adjoining owners for reduction in property value caused by the development?

We are designing the proposed development to ensure that it is in keeping with the area and that it provides benefits for Lambeth, including the provision of a significant amount of much-needed affordable housing. The development is also completely in line with Lambeth Council’s policies for a development of this nature. Lambeth Council will carefully consider whether the application is valid, including whether it will bring significant benefits to the local area and the Borough as a whole. 

42. How can I provide my feedback on the redevelopment?

We welcome your constructive and open conversation; your feedback is important to us.
You can share your feedback by emailing; 

The Capital Projects & Modernisation Programme,
Communications Team:
E: ModernisationProgramme@Slam.nhs.uk