Tower Hamlets Council has granted planning permission for the redevelopment of the former Professional Development Centre site in Bethnal Green, which will facilitate the relocation of the Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club.
The Development Committee of Tower Hamlets Council approved the plans for the comprehensive redevelopment of the site at 229 Bethnal Green Road and 10 Turin Street. The project will deliver 44 new homes, including 24 social rent homes, and a new Idea Store and Residents' Hub.
A key point of discussion during the meeting was the relocation of the Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club, which has been a part of the community for nearly a century. The council has committed to a robust relocation strategy, to be secured through a unilateral undertaking, which will ensure the club is rehoused in suitable premises before its current building is demolished, with costs covered by the applicant.
The relocation strategy requires the submission and approval of a BGWLC Relocation Strategy prior to the demolition of the existing premises. This strategy would address: Location, Floorspace, Layout, Operational requirements, Reasonable and proportionate fit-out requirements, Access arrangements, Lease or occupation terms, Delivery programme, and Measures to minimise interruption to the club's operation.
The replacement premises would need to be suitable for use as a weightlifting club and community sports facility, including fit-out works and facilities on a like-for-like basis commensurate with the club's existing accommodation and operational requirements. The Unilateral Undertaking would also secure that the existing facility cannot cease operating on site until suitable replacement accommodation has been secured, completed, fitted out and made available for occupation and operation. Officers are satisfied that the proposed obligation and conditions provide a robust mechanism to ensure the continued provision of the weightlifting community facility through the relocation process.
The redevelopment will also see the refurbishment and conversion of the former Professional Development Centre (PDC) building, a non-designated heritage asset, into 20 market-rate homes. The new five-storey building will house the 24 social rent homes above the Idea Store and Residents' Hub.
Concerns were raised by objectors regarding the loss of the club, potential impacts on daylight and sunlight for neighbouring properties, and the scale and massing of the new buildings. The development would result in reductions in daylight and sunlight to a number of neighbouring residential properties, with impacts ranging from minor adverse to major adverse. However, affected rooms often benefit from additional windows on other elevations with limited changes to daylight levels, and retained VSC values remain reasonable within an urban environment. The development would also incorporate privacy screens to selected balconies and obscure glazing to specific windows to mitigate overlooking and privacy concerns. The proposed development would also increase overshadowing to a communal open space, but this is considered acceptable as the space would still receive a reasonable level of direct sunlight.
However, the committee ultimately voted in favour of the plans, which were recommended based on significant public benefits, including much-needed affordable housing and community facilities. The applicant has agreed to cover relocation costs and fit-out, which would be secured through the unilateral undertaking.