Projects Full – Mix Developments Forum

Pieter Zitman, as consultant project manager with Chantrey, delivered these two complex schemes, one on a steep gradient and the other adjacent to the DLR line link to London City Airport.

The City Airport scheme required archaeology digs carried out by the Museum of London Archaeology Services who uncovered iron-age timber jetties that would have provided access to the Thames River at the time.

For this development proposal for which Mix was best bidder, Mix has maximised the scale, mass and full length of the site. Our proposal seeks to provide open access to the grounds, save the ground floor properties which are provided with private terraces. This concept allows the landscaping to reflect the design of the developments around the site and better integrate them. We have included a green wall, a feature successfully provided on previous schemes to soften the edge, improve the visual amenity and increase bio-diversity.

To the west of the site, we have proposed a café or other commercial area with associated external terrace in a stretch of road with limited public amenities. We will seek to restrict the use class to mitigate any anti-social behaviour.

At higher level, where the building steps back, we will create private terraces and, at the lower west end, we are proposing a communal terrace with planter beds and seating.

The majority of flats to the south of Cable Street face south, away from this site. Potential overlooking has been minimised through maintaining a minimum of 18 metre distance between the windows in the existing and proposed flats. Where the buildings are closer, the proposed flats will face away from neighbouring properties, as do the flats opposite.

We have sought to minimise the removal of trees, though some of the younger and smaller ones will need to be either removed. New planting is being proposed at the west end of the site. It may be necessary to pollard some of the larger trees.

Cable Street has a very important social history whose integrated community lessons we continue and celebrate. As evidenced by the mix of flat types, sizes and the affordability of the homes to people on a range of incomes, this development has been conceived to support this integration.

The design also supports this through the provision of:

Communal terrace with “grow-your-own” planter beds
Large open entrance lobby with notice boards to assist communication, with no separate entrances for different tenures
Accessible ground floor landscaping for all residents
Commercial space for the provision of a café or similar facility with a dedicated outdoor terrace for the residents and the wider community to meet and use.

This is a highly sustainable development based on a housing model that is affordable in perpetuity using a fixed-share equity model. All the 108 flats will be sold as Affordable Intermediate homes at a range of 20% to 62.5% discount to open market prices to singles, couples and families. We proposed Tier 1 homes are sold to people with a household income of £25,000 or less, Tier 2 homes at £35,000 or less, Tier 3 at £50,000 household income or less, and Tier 4 at Mayor of London thresholds.