technical

Included with the planning submission are numerous technical documents supporting the application, all of which are available online at GBC’s planning portal.

Below are extracts from the summaries and conclusions of the submitted reports.

Planning and Regeneration Statement

An assessment of the proposed Development for the Heritage Quarter against relevant planning policy confirms that the scheme is in accordance with the requirements and objectives of national, regional and local planning policy. Indeed, planning policy provides substantial support for the regeneration proposals, which would secure the comprehensive redevelopment of the Heritage Quarter.
The proposed Development is the result of a substantial and ongoing commitment by EHEL and has been shaped and influenced by extensive consultation with the local community, local interest groups and key stakeholders. The proposed Development would provide the significant investment required to deliver an urban renaissance in Gravesend and breathe new life into the Heritage Quarter. The proposed Development would create opportunities for new and existing communities to live, work and shop in an inclusive, accessible, vibrant and attractive environment.
The principles of sustainable design and construction are central to the proposed Development of the Heritage Quarter. New residential development has been designed to achieve Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 and new retail development has been designed to achieve the BREEAM Retail ‘VERY GOOD’ rating. Buildings have been designed to reduce energy use, while the development will seek to utilise renewable energy.
The proposed Development would deliver the intensive mixed-use redevelopment of the Heritage Quarter envisaged in the Gravesend Heritage Quarter Development Brief and in doing so would meet the regeneration needs of three major town centre development sites identified in the Local Plan.
The proposed Development would make efficient and effective use of previously developed and under-utilised sites within the existing town centre, including land currently used for surface car parking. The location provides good accessibility to public transport, jobs, shops and services.
In accordance with PPG 17, the proposed Development would provide an overall net increase in public amenity space within the Heritage Quarter and qualitative improvements to existing amenity space at St Andrews Gardens, St George’s Church Gardens and the riverside walk. The proposed Development includes a new town square and new public amenity space. Three new north-south routes and new pedestrian crossings on West Street and Crooked Lane would re-connect the town with the riverside.
The buildings proposed have been designed to introduce a contemporary element, providing a proud and positive statement that would enliven the town centre, delivering high quality architecture with active frontages. The proposed Development responds to the need for greater legibility and respects the context of its surrounds.
On balance, the proposals would have a positive effect on Gravesend and the setting of the High Street Gravesend Conservation. The demolition of uncomplimentary buildings and improvements to the existing landscape would improve the setting of the High Street Conservation Area and the six listed buildings within the planning application boundary.
The proposed Development promotes public transport, walking and cycling as primary modes of travel. The Heritage Quarter is located within easy reach of Gravesend Railway station, is served by a number of bus routes and would be served by Fastrack. A new bus stop is proposed on Crooked Lane. Car parking would be provided at a level below the relevant national, regional and county maximum standards.
The Draft South East Plan (including the Secretary of State’s Proposed Changes) supports the regeneration of Gravesend Town Centre. The proposed level of retail provision is consistent with the role of Gravesend within the retail hierarchy in Kent and the South East and would greatly enhance the quality, range and choice of shopping available. This growth is vital to ensure that Gravesend remains attractive and competitive, to maintain and enhance its position in the Thames Gateway and the wider network of town centres in the South East.
The proposed Development includes restaurants and cafes, which would complement the retail offer, stimulate the evening economy and create a focal point for families. In addition, a new hotel in the Eastern Quarter would attract tourists and increase the number of over-night stays in the town centre.
The proposed Development would create a significant number of jobs in the Heritage Quarter and an increase in the range and quality of job opportunities available to new and existing communities. The proposals would deliver high quality office accommodation, including provision for small businesses and start-up firms.
The proposed Development would contribute to the emerging RSS housing target for Gravesham and would reduce pressure to deliver housing on greenfield sites. The proposed Development would promote an integrated mix of housing types, sizes and tenures, to offer greater choice for new and existing residents.

Retail Statement

PPS6 requires that the proposed Development helps to sustain and enhance the vitality and viability of Gravesend Town Centre.
Whilst we do not need to demonstrate impact or need as this is a town centre site, we consider some of the benefits arising from the scheme.

Compliance with planning policy

The proposed Development would maintain and enhance the role of Gravesend Town Centre as a comparison goods shopping centre. It would arrest trade leakage from the area to larger competing centres, in particular Maidstone and Bluewater, rather than extend Gravesend’s catchment area.
The scale of the proposed Development and its function is fully compliant with the development plan.
In short the proposed Development makes a positive contribution towards achieving the spatial planning strategy and hierarchy of centres sought by strategic planning guidance.

Benefits

The Old High Street is an open thoroughfare with attractive buildings of domestic scale. It has emerged as a secondary/specialist area. There is a diverse range of occupiers in this area, and this variety enhances its attractiveness as a mixed-use area.
The development of the St George’s Centre in the mid-1980s consolidated the prime retail core in the town centre. Since then, there has been no investment in the town centre in retail terms. The lack of available large modern shop units is a clear weaknesses when compared with competing centres and there is a general shortage of available shop units.
The proposed Development involves the attraction of approximately £120m of private sector investment to Gravesend Town Centre.
This area of the town centre is a priority location for new retail-led investment (primary shopping area). The proposed Development would introduce new quality shopping facilities to this part of the town centre as sought by planning policy. It would also deliver major enhancements of the public realm and bring new activity to the town centre through new residential development.
The scheme would maintain and improve existing public rights of way and improve pedestrian flows to new and existing shopping areas. New crossings on West Street and Crooked Lane would improve pedestrian links between the town centre and the riverside.
One of the principal benefits of the proposed Development would be to enable quality comparison retailers currently not represented in Gravesend to come into the town. The major example of this would be further high street retailers. In addition there are a large number of retailers listed in the EGi database indicated as requiring representation in Gravesend. These include: Bathstore; Cargo HomeShop; The White Company; Baronjon; and TK Maxx.
The scheme may also offer the opportunity to provide better space for retailers who currently have accommodation in the town centre which is inadequate for their current needs.
The proposed Development would make a positive contribution to the quality and attractiveness of the centre and its role in the community. It would enhance the core shopping area of the town centre, where the key retailers are located.
The proposed Development is aimed at improving ‘quality’ shopping in the western side of the town centre. The principal effect of this, as described above, would be to make the town centre more attractive as a shopping destination and to draw more shoppers to the town centre. In our view this would benefit the town centre as a whole, including the more specialist area of the Old High Street.
Providing the required space for national retailers would mean shoppers continue to be attracted to the town, subsequently helping give confidence to smaller or local retailers to fill any void left.
Competition between traders is a key feature of retailing and is to be expected. We are confident that competition brought about by the proposed Development would be to the overall benefit of Gravesend Town Centre, and would not have a material adverse impact on any part of the town centre.
We do not believe that the application scheme would lead to any material increase of vacancies in any part of the centre.

Wider Benefits

Expansion of the St George’s Centre would help draw the core of town centre closer to the river and help establish a gateway to the west of the town. The development would assist in the creation of a link between Northfleet Embankment, one of the Council’s regeneration projects, and the town centre.
The proposals would assist in transforming the image of Kent Thameside and raise Gravesend’s profile, in the context of wider competition from other expanding towns and shopping centres. The scheme would be able to take advantage of rising population levels as a result of new residential development in Kent Thameside, and capture tourist expenditure coming in via improved transport links at Ebbsfleet.

Summary

There is a quantitative need for the development proposals which is pressing and that if it cannot be secured, there is a real danger that Gravesend's position within the regional shopping hierarchy would continue to decline.
There is sufficient comparison floorspace identified in the AIT Study to support EHEL’s proposals for further comparison goods retailing at the St George’s Centre.
We are also comfortable that in policy terms, there is a need for further convenience retailing in Gravesend in the period up to 2016. Whilst the AIT Study identifies some convenience capacity for a small foodstore of approx 2,000 sqm gross by 2011 in Gravesend up to the test period, it doesn’t support capacity for a larger one of up to 4,000 sqm until 2014/2015.
However, any new convenience goods floorspace should be directed to Gravesend Town Centre, as the main centre in the Borough with good transport connections. Although a new large foodstore may slightly exceed the capacity to 2016, realistically, it would only take expenditure from other existing out of centre stores which are not protected in policy terms. Promoting a new foodstore in the town centre would reduce the risk of another one being promoted out of centre, given capacity has been identified. As a matter of planning policy, therefore, this should be encouraged in principle.
The scheme proposals would significantly improve the shopping experience in Gravesend - in terms of range, quality, new retail offer, enhanced environment and accessibility and would increase the town’s market share. It would also allow the town centre to compete effectively with other higher order centres in the region.
It is concluded that Gravesend Town Centre is, overall, vital and viable. It is at present a reasonably healthy centre but is only just performing its sub-regional role. It is clearly not the first choice for investors and retailers alike. It has suffered significantly from competition from out-of-centre developments.
It is doubtful that the town could maintain its market share without a substantial increase in floorspace. First, other centres are improving their offers. Second, new retailers are needed to maintain the market share and the opportunities do not exist at present for significant numbers to come in.

PPG 17 Statement

The proposals for amenity space are wholly in accordance with the objectives policy requirements of PPG 17 Planning for Open Space and as a result also respond to the saved policies of Gravesham Local Plan First Review (1994) and Gravesham Borough Council emerging policy which both broadly reflect the objectives of PPG17.
The proposed Development of the Heritage Quarter would provide an overall net increase in public amenity space within the Heritage Quarter and qualitative improvements to existing amenity space. The scheme balances the provision of additional amenity space in the Heritage Quarter with the desire to achieve high density, mixed use development to regenerate Gravesend Town Centre.
Delivering high quality amenity space is fundamental to achieving the regeneration needs of the town centre and broader Government objectives for amenity space. The proposals seek to maintain and enhance the usability, attractiveness and quality of existing amenity space and, where possible, improve accessibility. Through good design, they would deliver qualitative improvements to amenity space.
New amenity spaces would be provided on previously developed land within the town centre.
The overall effect of the amenity space proposals would be to provide high quality, vibrant and usable recreational areas benefiting new and existing communities and visitors to the town centre.

Statement of Community Involvement

Extensive consultation has been undertaken as the proposals for the Heritage Quarter have evolved. This statement has illustrated that EHEL, in partnership with the Council, has consulted local communities and key stakeholders. The consultation strategy that has been pursued is in accordance with the relevant Government guidance on community involvement and GBC’s Statement of Community Involvement. It is widely accepted that regeneration is needed to ensure the future viability and vitality of the town centre and the scheme has been responsive to the consultation feedback as far as possible.

Environmental Statement

In order to control and manage the potential environmental effects of demolition and construction, a Construction Environment Managements Plan (CEMP) would be developed and implemented throughout the works.
A review of relevant national, regional and local Planning policies, including the Gravesham Local Plan First Review (1994) and Second Review (2000) Saved Policies and the Gravesend Heritage Quarter Development Brief (2005) concludes that the Development accords with the key aims of national, regional and local planning policy.
An assessment of the social and economic effects of the proposed Development was undertaken using a wide range of information sources. These sources included a detailed review of planning policies, guidance and standards, population Census data, published data and professional experience of similar development schemes. The assessment establishes that the construction programme would result in nearly 900 person years of employment. The operational Development would provide a considerable amount of employment floorspace through the proposed retail, food/drink/restaurant, hotel and office uses, and these are estimated to support around 600 additional jobs compared to the existing uses. Additionally there would be increased levels of spending in the local area through the introduction of new residential and employment populations within the proposed Development. It is anticipated that £6m per year would be generated from household spending and shopping and £780,000 per year would be generated from new employees as a result of the Development. An addition of around £380,000 per year would be spent associated with tourism due to the proposed hotel.
An assessment of the potential visual effects of the proposed Development on the surrounding townscape character and views has been undertaken, the conclusions being that views of the proposed Development would generally change from a poorly structured urban area to a modern mixed-use development with high quality public space and improved visual connectivity. The proposed Development would give a new, contemporary appearance to Gravesend and provide local orientation through the presence of the former views from open spaces such as St Andrew’s gardens, Fort Gardens and Windmill Hill. The new Development frontage would also bring restaurants and café’s closer to the river frontage.
A Historic Environment Assessment has been undertaken and concluded the replacement of open parking areas out of keeping with the historic context of the site would benefit the setting of nearby listed buildings as well as the removal of poor quality structures. For most of the proposed Development, the assessment indicated that the potential effects on the built heritage at the Site and in its vicinity are either beneficial or insignificant.
There would inevitably be some additional traffic on the roads, however the highway network is capable of accommodating this traffic flow. Parking would be improved through the provision of new car parks and enhances access arrangements, including for disabled users. The development would provide extensive pedestrian improvements, including new crossings at West Street and Crooked Lane, opening up of the Gravesend Thameside pedestrian area and encouraging walk trips between the town centre and the riverside. The proposed junction improvements would provide significant benefits for all types of road traffic. New bus facilities and cycle linkages would encourage the use of more sustainable travel options. Furthermore, a Travel Plan would also help promote visitors and commuters to use alternative transport options to the car.
The existing flood defences are of sufficient height to protect the Site from flooding up to 2110, and an effective Flood Response Plan would be implemented to protect human safety.
An assessment has been made of how the proposed Development might affect the quality and duration of daylight and sunlight experienced by people in buildings and open spaces surrounding within the Site, using Buildings Research Establishment (BRE) industry recommended practice. Testing was undertaken in conjunction with the design team on various iterations of the scheme design as they were being developed to ensure the final layout provides a good level of daylight and sunlight.
The wind assessment showed that the conditions at ground level throughout the operational Development would be suitable for the intended pedestrian activities with the proposed mitigation in place.
The proposed Development incorporates sufficient space to facilitate recycling. Information would be provided to commercial and residential occupants of the Site to promote the recycling of waste.

Sustainability Statement

Overall, it is considered that the Development accords with many of the goals of sustainable development. The Sustainability Appraisal (SA) indicates that the Development would make a substantial contribution to the social, amenity and economic vitality of the area. There is also a considerable commitment to reduce the Development’s environmental effects, which have been explored as part of the design evolution.