Comer Homes’ 204-home tower scheme in Woolwich, previously ordered to be demolished after being found to have breached its planning permission, can stay but the Planning Inspectorate has ruled that design changes must be made.
The developer has been allowed three years to fix the issues raised with its Mast Quay Phase II development, which had been found to have 26 “main deviations” from the green-lighted plans by Greenwich Council back in September 2023.
Comer has handed another blow as it was found to have not included enough affordable housing in the scheme and will have to pay £4.4million towards affordable housing elsewhere as well as £2.3million in community infrastructure levy payments.
The Mast Quay Phase II development comprises a 26-storey tower alongside two other blocks and was completed in 2022 by Comer Homes after the original developer went into administration. Comer appealed the council’s demolition order in October 2023 and an inquiry was launched by the Planning Inspectorate in the summer of 2024.
The council’s initial list of 26 planning deviations was reduced to 11 by the inspector, but ultimately the demolition order remains in place if Comer fails to make all the required changes within the three-year period.
The inspector deemed the orange cladding used on the scheme to be “visually intrusive” and has ordered Comer to replace it with a colour approved by Greenwich Council. It will also need to install grey panelling beneath windows on the scheme.
The accessibility features that were found to be missing from accessible apartments will also be required to be built, and fire safety work and improvements to the public realm at the foot of the buildings will also need to be addressed.
In the inspector’s report, it was noted that there were “compelling substantial benefits” to the development remaining despite breaching planning permission, not least due to the “woeful undersupply of housing” in the borough.
A spokesperson from Comer Homes said: “We’re happy with the decision made by the independent inquiry and pleased that a satisfactory outcome has been reached for the good of the residents of Mast Quay Phase II.”
“We look forward to now working closely with Greenwich Council to move forward and bring this situation to a positive end.”
Comer had previously said that fire safety regulations following the Grenfell fire were behind its decision to change some aspects of the scheme which was approved ‘pre-Grenfell’, and said that it had informed Greenwich Council of its plans to do so.
The council, however, said that changes regarding the scheme’s façade were just one aspect of the development that breached planning permission.
