OPEN Dalston's objections to conversion of the Ridley Road Shopping Village to residential uses

Planning Ref.: 2024/1580: Ridley Road Shopping village, 51-63 Ridley Road, Hackney E8

Objections to application for Prior Approval to convert part of the second floor from business

use (Use class E) into 8 self-contained studio flats (Use Class C3)

The application is to convert part of the existing office space on the second floor of Ridley Road

Shopping Village into seven one-person and one two-person self-contained studio flats comprising a

bathroom and an open plan bedsitting room/kitchen. All units are single aspect with south-facing

views over Ridley Road market and the London overground line.

Background History

The whole of the first and second floors had for over 10 years been used as studios by artists and

creative businesses and for workshops, exhibitions and performances. The studios were affordable

due to their location within the street market. These cultural uses were a material consideration when

the Hackney Council designated the whole of the Ridley Road Shopping Village as an Asset of

Community Value in December 2019 (copy of decision attached).

The owner abandoned its earlier plans to convert both the first and second floors studio/office spaces

into residential flats and has obtained planning permission (reference 2021/0930) for refurbishment

only. In February 2022 the artists were required to vacate their studios when refurbishment of the

building was to commence.

Hackney Council Market Services has recently taken occupation of part of the refurbished first floor

for its own offices. Part of the second floor has also recently been refurbished as offices.

We object to the application for approval to convert part of the second floor to residential units

for the following reasons:

1 The residential units will not meet the requirements for good design.

1.1 The flats range in extent from 38 square metres (2 units), 39 square metres (3 units), 46 square

metres (1 unit) and a 2-person flat of 106 square metres The smallest units do not meet the minimum

space requirements of 39square metres required by the London Plan 2021 Policy D6 and Hackney’s

LP33 Policy LP17

1.2 All units are single aspect and south facing and will suffer from maximum solar heat gain and

have limited opportunity for adequate passive ventilation. The narrative accompanying Policy D6 at

paragraph 3.6.5, reproduced below *, relating to single aspect dwellings, demonstrates that the

approval of the application will not result in satisfactory accommodation with adequate amenity.

1.3 All units will experience high levels of noise during the 6-day trading week and during unsocial

hours when the Ridley Road street market is setting up ( from 6am) and dismantling ( until 7pm at

weekends) and thereafter during market street cleansing using pressure hoses and water bowsers.

1.4 All units will also experience high levels of noise from the popular neighbouring Market Bar

which holds a premises license extending until 3.00am from Thursday through Saturday

1.5 The applicants Noise Impact Assessment Report of KP Acoustics Ltd dated 27.01.23, opining that

installing secondary glazing will result in the recommended internal noise levels being achieved,

cannot be relied upon. KP Acoustics Ltd.’s environmental acoustic tests took place mid-week (

between 15:53 on Wednesday 11/01/2023 and 13:13 on Thursday 12/01/2023) and not when the

market and night-time activities in Ridley Road are busiest eg on Thursday’s from 17:00 through

Saturday until 3am. Furthermore KP Acoustics Ltd failed to address the fact that adequate ventilation

will require permanent opening of the single-aspect windows overlooking Ridley Road which will

defeat the proposed mitigation of secondary glazing.

1.6 In the application form the applicant acknowledges that none of the flats will be compliant with

M4(2) of Approved Document M Volume 1 of the Building Regulations. The flats will not therefore

provide inclusive homes capable of lifetime occupation contrary to policy LP18 of the Hackney Local

Plan 2033

1.7 In view of the forgoing, and contrary to policy, the flats will not provide heathy homes which

enable a sense of well being.

2 The loss of office space would be detrimental to this town centre site

2.1 The Ridley Road Shopping Village is within the Dalston Town Centre where employment uses

are encouraged. Approval of the application will result in a net loss of existing office/employment

space

2.2 It is unclear from Hackney’s site allocation map whether the site is within the Dalston Office

Priority Area (POA). Hackney Plan 2033 policy LP27.H provides that net loss of office space within a

POA will not be permitted.

2.3 Hackney Plan 2033 policy LP27.I provides that outside a POA net loss of office space requires

robust evidence that there is no demand for existing office space and that the opportunity for

retaining/reusing the space for existing or similar uses or by creating smaller units, has been fully

explored. The applicant has not satisfied these requirements.

2.5 It should be noted that the Council, in its ACV decision, considered that there was no reason why

the existing uses for cultural activities providing community benefit and well being should not

continue for the foreseeable future.

3 The loss of office space would further damage the uses for which the Ridley Road Shopping

Village was designated as an Asset of Community Value

3.1 The Ridley Road Shopping Village as a whole was designated as an Asset of Community Value

because of its cultural and creative uses on the first and second floor, its use by small independent

businesses on the ground floor, its use for market storage in the basement and its open space frontage

all contributed to the community’s benefit and sense of well being.

3.2 The potential for re-instatement of studios for cultural uses in the Ridley Road Shopping Village

has already been compromised by the occupation by Hackney’s Market Services in part of the first

floor and by offices in part of the second floor. The permission for 8 residential flats on the second

floor would further compound the damage to the Community Asset and for this reason approval

should be refused.

4 Approval of residential use would result in the loss of arts and cultural uses

4.1 Hackney Local Plan 2033 PP2 Vision for Dalston emphasises the importance of

creative, cultural and social organisations that give the town centre its distinctive

identity

4.2 The application proposes private residential use on the second floor without alternative provision

for arts or cultural uses being made elsewhere, and without the change to residential use providing

any wider planning benefit to the community. Approval of the application in these circumstances

would be directly contrary to LP10.D of Hackney Local Plan 2033 which emphasises the importance

of arts and cultural activity to the local economy and for regeneration, social inclusion and community

benefit and the need to build on, not diminish, the existing strong presence of these activities in

Dalston.

*Policy D6 provides “3.6.5 Single aspect dwellings are more difficult to ventilate naturally and are more likely to overheat,

and therefore should normally be avoided. Single aspect dwellings that are north facing, contain three or more bedrooms or

are exposed to noise levels above which significant adverse effects on health and quality of life occur, should be avoided.

The design of single aspect dwellings must demonstrate that all habitable rooms and the kitchen are provided with adequate

passive ventilation, privacy and daylight, and that the orientation enhances amenity, including views. It must also

demonstrate how they will avoid overheating without reliance on energy intensive mechanical cooling systems