Agenda item

Report of the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director covering the planning and listed building consent applications associated with the Illuminated River project within the City. The project comprised a major public art installation which would illuminate fifteen of the central London bridges across the River Thames, including six within the City of London.

The Comptroller and City Solicitor advised Members of an update to the report following the resolution of an issue relating to the boundary of London Bridge. The application was not a cross-boundary application as all of London Bridge and the application site fell within the City boundary, which was acknowledged by Southwark Council. As further publicity and consultation may be required, the recommendations should be amended to reflect this. It was also clarified that there were two Listed Buildings involved in the application, Blackfriars Bridge and Southwark Bridge and the main statutory duty in relation to the listed building applications was to have special regard to the desirability of preserving the listed building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest it possesses.

An addendum detailing additional representations received after the publication of the agenda was circulated to Members. The Chief Planning Officer and Development Director introduced the application to Members and presented the officer’s report, informing the Committee about the details of the scheme and its wider implications. The application was recommended for approval, subject to the imposition of the conditions set out in the Schedule appended to the report.

At this point, the Chairman sought approval from Committee Members to continue the meeting beyond two hours from the appointed time for the start of the meeting, in accordance with Standing Order 40, and this was agreed.

Roy Palmer, a local resident, addressed the Committee in objection to the scheme. There was concern amongst local residents that the lighting on the bridges would cause disruption, particularly to those who worked from home, or had bedrooms looking onto the bridges. It was felt that residents had been consulted at too late a stage in the process, after many decisions had been made. A number of conditions should be added to the application, to give residents further consultation, and a voice in the colour scheme, as well as restrictions to prevent noise or light-related disturbances during night time hours. It was felt that the colours should be changed to softer, white light, as the current colour scheme was inappropriate, particularly with regards to respecting the history of the bridges and commemorating events. Residents in the area were permanent, and if the installation was also to be permanent, the concerns of local residents needed to be addressed, and the installation respect and honour the history and legacy of the bridges.

Sarah Gaventa, Director of the Illuminated River Foundation, addressed the Committee in support of the application on behalf of the applicant. The scheme aimed to celebrate and capture the spirit of the River Thames. The installation was based on a single concept, but designs would be tailored to each bridge to reflect its location and history. The scheme would reduce existing light and energy consumption on the bridges, and it was hoped the scheme would be calming, bring coherence to the decoration of the bridges and reflect London’s burgeoning night time economy. The scheme was accessible for everybody and visible to all modes of transport. All funding for the scheme had been raised from private sources, and maintenance of the scheme would also be privately-funded. The applicant had met with stakeholders and resident groups, and hosted pop-up events to gather opinions on the scheme. The applicant recognised concerns about the scheme and was keen to work with everybody to address them. The lighting would be controlled locally by each bridge owner and not the artist and could be adjusted if needed to minimise any disturbance or harm, or turned off or reprogrammed to commemorate holidays or events. The applicant was working with the Port of London Authority (PLA) to ensure the scheme’s lighting did not impact on navigational lighting and the safety of the bridges. The lighting would not put more light onto the river itself and reduced overall lighting on the majority of bridges involved in the scheme.

Members of the Committee then debated the application. Whilst Members were generally supportive of the scheme, there was some concern amongst Committee Members about the level of consultation that had been undertaken, and whether all groups who would be impacted by the scheme had been consulted. Members stressed that the scheme should not interrupt or delay any work to improve the condition of Blackfriars Bridge and Underpass. A Member stated that the installation should account for the views of residents and be adjusted if it caused discomfort. Members also stressed the importance of managing the scheme’s impact on river traffic and that it was imperative that the scheme did not impact on safety. It was suggested that the scheme be run for a trial period to test it against potential conflicts.

A Member moved that a number of amendments be made to the conditions; that condition 3 relating to a trial period include the power to refuse the application if the trial was not successful; that condition 12 be amended to include dark periods; and that the scheme should be subject to a review after two years. The motion was seconded and subsequently put to the vote amongst eligible Committee Members, with 8 Members voting for the amendments, 10 voting against the amendments, and 2 abstentions. The amendments were therefore defeated.

The Chief Planning Officer and Development Director then addressed queries made by Committee Members. It was clarified that Tower Bridge was not included in the application as it was not within the boundaries of the City of London. The installation would be fine-tuned following installation to mitigate any light spillage. Officers would work and consult with the PLA and applicant to ensure there was no adverse impact on navigation lighting or safety. The Committee was assured that officers were negotiating with the applicant to ensure there would be no delay to works on Blackfriars Bridge. It was proposed that condition 3 be amended to include further consultation with the PLA. If there were concerns about protections, then these could be reported back to the Committee before approval was given.

The Chairman advised that the recommendation would be subject to any further publicity or consultation which may be appropriate in respect of London Bridge, as proposed by the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

Arising from the discussion, the application, with the proposed amendments, was then put to the vote amongst eligible Committee Members, with 16 Members voting for the application, 1 voting against the application and 6 Members abstaining from the vote. One Member was not eligible to vote as they had not been present for the duration of the item. With the assurances given the majority of Members accepted the evaluations in the report.

RESOLVED – That the Planning & Transportation Committee grant planning permission subject to the imposition of the conditions set out in the Schedule appended to the report, taking account of proposed amendments. In respect of London Bridge, the recommendation is subject to any further publicity or consultation which may be appropriate resulting from acknowledgement that London Bridge is wholly within the City. If considered appropriate, the CPO is authorised to consider any further representations resulting from any such further publicity or consultation, and to determine the applications in respect of London Bridge (unless any representations raise significant new issues in which case they shall be reported to the Committee).