As a recognised Amenity Society, HyPER is a statutory consultee on all planning applications that are made in the HyPER area.
HyPER has a wealth of expertise on the committee and able to be called upon:
- One committee member is specialised in urban design, having recently qualified as an architecture. She brings experience and understanding of public realm design and spatial strategic thinking. This combined with having grown up in the area enables her to provide a balanced and insightful opinion on both local planning applications and public realm proposals.
- One HyPER member who is frequently called upon for professional design and planning opinions by the committee has set up and owns an architecture practice (Rise Design Studio), which specialises in West London sustainable residential new builds and renovations.
In order to focus our resources so that they have the most impact, HyPER will generally only comment on significant planning application (there are many hundreds of smaller applications). Below we list any such pertinent applications.
Extant applications
25/06145/CLEUD – 1-3 Connaught Street
An application for a Certificate of lawful development has been made for these properties, to make their use as short-term let permanent and authorised (on the basis that they have been short-let illegally for many years).
HyPER objected to this planning application and invited other residents to do so, many of whom were not aware.
25/05001/FULL – Ross Nye Stables
An application has been made to convert Ross Nye Stables into residential accommodation. Having discussed within the HyPER committee and surveyed members, HyPER has registered an objection to this application as below:
HyPER objects to this planning application.
The Stables have been listed as an Asset of Community Value under the Localism Act 2011, recognising their long-standing contribution to the social and cultural life of the area. This formal recognition must be given significant weight in the planning balance, particularly against Westminster City Plan Policies 13 and 39 and London Plan Policies HC1 and HC5, which safeguard cultural and heritage assets. The loss of this unique use would conflict with these policies and the NPPF (including paras 93 and 199-203). Robust evidence of non-viability should be required before any loss of the existing use is contemplated.
The planning application involves the loss of community facilities: the stables is used by local children to learn to ride and is relied upon by local schools for lessons and activities during term time.
While we acknowledge that Ross Nye Stables is classed as sui generis and not formally protected under Policy 17, we believe the proposal raises significant policy conflicts under Westminster City Plan Policies 13 and 39, and London Plan Policies HC1 and HC5.
The Westminster City Plan states that: “Existing community facilities and floorspace will be protected other than where it can be demonstrated that either: 1. the loss or relocation is necessary to enable service provision to be reconfigured, consolidated, upgraded, or delivered more effectively as part of a published strategy to improve services and meet identified needs; or 2. there is no demand for an alternative social and community use for that facility or floorspace, evidenced by vacancy and appropriate marketing for at least 18 months.”
The 2 exceptions stated above for the loss of a community facility do not apply in this case.
Additionally, the stables provide strong heritage and cultural value. Within the City Plan, point 7 of Westminster’s spatial strategy is “Protecting and enhancing the city’s unrivalled heritage assets” and this is referenced widely in the document. The use of the property as a working stables should be protected to ensure that this unique part of London’s heritage is retained: the building’s heritage is closely tied to its operation as a functioning stables. Conversion to residential not only alters the building’s historic character, but removing the activities associated with the building will destroy the heritage and cultural value for good.
The stables form part of the historic working character of Bathurst Mews – one of the last remaining examples of active equestrian use in central London – representing a unique cultural and heritage asset.
The loss of this use would erode the mixed-use character and cultural identity of the Mews and wider Paddington area, contrary to both the City Plan’s objectives for sustainable neighbourhoods and the London Plan’s protection of cultural infrastructure.
We therefore request that the application be assessed not only in terms of use class but also with regard to the site’s cultural, heritage and community significance, and that evidence of the existing use’s viability be required before any change to residential use is considered.
HyPER has surveyed its members and found found that 87% of respondents are against the shutting down of the stables and the change of use to residential.
We believe that having the facility of riding stables as a community asset is more important than the small number of residential houses that could be located in the same area. Whilst there is another stables close by, this is more used by visitors to the area and less so by local residents. In any case, capacity would be more than halved.
There are a number of other points that we would like to highlight:
- The horses from the stables represent an iconic presence in Hyde Park, where they are enjoyed by the millions of tourists who visit London annually. As such they contribute something unique to the life of our nation’s capital.
- Blue badge guides and others bring tourist groups to Bathurst Mews, showcasing the stables as adding to the unique character of our area and exemplifying the history and charm of West London.
- The stables bring customers to our neighbourhood from all over London, the UK and the world, adding considerably to the richness, diversity and a sense of inclusion in our community.
- Local businesses are considerably enriched by the thousands of stable users who come to the area each year and spend money on food, drink and casual footfall shopping.
- The stables help maintain mental and physical health: they provide an opportunity for people to engage with animals and those around them. This helps combat social isolation, by bringing people together in a community of values.
Finally, conversion to residential would be an irreversible loss: the stables could never be restored to their original function due to modern planning constraints. The few working stables left in London are an essential part of the capital’s unique character and old-world charm. Once gone, they will never return. We owe it to future generations to preserve them.
25/05005/FULL – 28 Connaught Street
Interior and exterior alterations and refurbishment to ground floor and basement shop,
and maisonette above, including internal demolition, changes to internal arrangement,
refurbishment and replacement of windows, associated structural works, installation of
PV panels, mechanical plant, and associated works to enable environmental retrofit of
building.
HyPER has supported this application: it sees the renewal of a heritage property within the estate in a sympathetic manner to the area, whilst also using opportunities to future-proof the property enhance its environmental characteristics and energy efficiency.