Winica Consulting’s Post

😍 She's a beauty! We are delighted to announce that HOLD Self Storage has secured committee approval for our site in London, Chiswick W4.*  Many thanks to all at London Borough of Hounslow and the planning committee for recognising this quality scheme and approving it (unanimously!).    This is a big win for HOLD. Anyone involved in large-scale planning applications knows they are a true labour of love. War and Peace meets Operational Real Estate.    Special mention must be given to our excellent team of consultants, architects and designers, led by Tolstoy himself Callum Kempe and the wild-eyed (and haired) support of John Minter. They have worked tirelessly to secure this art deco urban self storage vision with up to 85,000 sq ft of storage space and 4,000 sq ft of creative office space. In particular, we would like to thank our consultancy partners – too numerous to list all, here but to name a few:    Pegasus Group - Barry Cansfield | Kate Simpson | Wei Mo | Richard Cook DMWR Architects Ltd - Jeff Stokes | Kit Cope | Barry Harper-Smith i-Transport - Neil Marshall | David Webb Edge Structures Ltd - Tony Bailey SRE Ltd Adam Tucker | Grace Boatfield Terrapin Peter Bingle | Ian George   3Stories - Helen Gilbert | Jordan Littler Jim Tarzey Warning ⚠: if you see a group of pit-stained people slumped over their pints in Marylebone later this evening, do not approach.   Onwards and upwards! * Subject to S.106 agreement. #selfstorage #realestate #property #planning  

Cities should eliminate minimum parking requirements, which often mandate more parking spaces than the market requires. Studies have shown that parking spaces in a garage can add $30,000 or more to the price of a unit. https://lnkd.in/eHDHr-KQ #planning #zoning #housing #parking

𝐀𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟓𝟎 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐊 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟓𝟎 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬. 🏙️ One such project was the Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme (LPTIP), a multi-year initiative designed to transform public transport accessibility and the city’s public realm. 🚆 Tobermore’s Braemar paving was the preferred hard landscaping solution for its stunning granite appearance, durability, and low maintenance requirements. This visionary scheme prioritised “people-first” infrastructure, featuring wider pavements, improved cycle lanes, and welcoming public spaces to make Leeds safer, more sustainable, and easier to navigate. Braemar met the council's aesthetic and quality needs within budget, while its availability in large quantities and short lead times impressed the contractor. Partnering with Leeds City Council, Capita Symonds, and John Sisk & Son Ltd, Tobermore proudly contributed to creating a world-class arrival gateway for all. 🤝Discover how Tobermore supports local authorities in making hard landscaping easy for public realm projects: https://lnkd.in/eyuDtnQx #PublicRealm #SustainableDesign #HardLandscaping #LocalAuthority #UrbanDesign #ActiveTravel

Should a rooftop garden be considered as a storey? This is a question that was brought before the First-Tier Tribunal when considering whether a new building should be considered a “higher-risk building” under section 65 of the Building Safety Act 2022. We are taking a closer look at the decision made in Blomfield and others -v- Monier Road Limited. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eSQcdBc5 #BuildingLaw #BuildingSafetyAct

On June 10, 2024, City Council approved a text amendment to Zoning Bylaw 20001 that exempted particular regulations for an office to residential conversion. The exemptions reduce the need for variance approvals for components of a development that are generally beyond the applicant’s control. This helps reduce the regulatory barriers associated with these conversions, by providing greater certainty for applicants. The proposed exceptions apply to existing buildings, and for full and partial conversions of a building from a non-residential use to a residential use. The proposed exceptions can be broken down into two categories: 1) Exceptions to the existing building, such as setbacks, height, floor area ratio (FAR) and tower floor plate area requirements. 2) Exceptions to the site, such as site area, landscaping, outdoor amenity area and loading space requirements. These regulations do not apply to any development that results in additional floor area. The City will be engaging with IDEA, and other industry associations for feedback. Feel free to email us at info@infilledmonton.com to share your thoughts on these projects! #yegZBR

Planetizen | Peter Calthorpe calls this the “grand boulevard” strategy, noting that it “could be implemented with a basic form-based code with zero parking requirements.” “A 15 percent inclusionary zoning requirement would create 300,000 affordable housing units in the Golden State.” That strategy is central to a 2023 California state law, AB 2011, which allows for more mixed-use development and higher density in certain areas. “Using UrbanFootprint software, Calthorpe analyzed a 43-mile commercial corridor between San Francisco and San Jose, the El Camino Real. Reimagining this as a grand boulevard allows 3,500 acres of infill development, with up to 250,000 dwelling units—some with ground-floor commercial space.” Infill development on Bay Area commercial corridors could create over 1 million new housing units.

Good to see the Sydney Morning Herald reporting on the proposal for the historic Parcels Post Building at Central Station. There is a case for adaptive re-use (it’s already a hotel), but it is difficult to justify a proposal that demolishes an entire historic elevation of a building which was always designed to be seen in the round (like Sydney’s Lands Department and Education Department buildings - both also on long term leases from the NSW Government and both also being converted into hotels). It is also worth remembering this building is apparently protected by the State Heritage Register. A far less damaging solution should be possible for one of our more important public buildings. https://lnkd.in/gU5ezbJq

🏢🌱 Is a roof garden a “storey” for the purposes of higher-risk buildings? Alex M. and Corinna Whittle discuss a recent First-tier Tribunal decision that has led to some uncertainty. In Blomfield and others v Monier Road Limited, the question of what constituted a storey was considered in detail . In this Insight, we consider higher-risk buildings (HRBs), the definition of a storey, the tribunal’s decision, and potential post-decision outcomes as the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Building Safety Regulator, consider the decision. With rooftop gardens becoming increasingly popular in new developments, those considering these green spaces will need to consider their plans carefully. Read the full article on our website: https://lnkd.in/ejaKXfyU

Paper Streets are a unique opportunity for new housing. Throughout the City of SF, there are many "streets" that were never built, but remain open land. In some areas, like Bernal Heights, these paper streets are far too steep to ever develop for cars, so they have turned them into wonderful trails, stairs, and parks. In some cases, they are overgrown weed patches with treacherous slopes. They could be prime sites for infill housing if the city considered selling these parcels. We have a project at 1039 Hudson Street in the Bayview where we have designed 9 new units on 3 lots. Each lot receives 1 primary dwelling, 1 ADU, and 1 J-ADU. These are family sized units intended for Section 8 housing tenants. The good news is, we sailed through Planning, Building, Fire, and Mechanical reviews. The bad news is, DPW will not allow us to install the street unless our client takes ownership of it as a private driveway. Except, this street serves 6 other parcels, one owned by OCII (formerly Redevelopment) and another by PG&E. Without flexibility for development of these streets to meet the unique needs in our city of hills, all 7 of these lots will go undeveloped. Our housing crisis demands a solution to this problem. Does anyone else have one of these challenges on a paper street? #housingcrisis #DPW #Section8Housing #paperstreets #syncopatedarchitecture

Retrospective 2 Storey Rear Extension Planning Appeal Wychavon Council Wychavon District Council refused this application 1st February after originally validating it on 7th December. There reasons were stated as; In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority the scale and design of two storey side extension would fail to represent a high design quality. The rear extension fails to incorporate a design break and shows a higher ridge height than the original dwelling and does not therefore appear as subordinate to the host dwelling. This will increase in the visual massing of the property from its original form. As a result of these factors, the proposal is considered to be contrary to Section 8 of the South Worcestershire Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document 2018 and Part viii of Policy SWDP 21 of the South Worcestershire Development Plan 2016. The Appeal Statement for this case that is detailed in the video, and it was produced specifically to overcome the refusal reasons issued by Wychavon District Council for this application. As with many of these types of refusals, the reasons are very subjective and as such require a comprehensive and robust detailed appeal statement. Never under-estimate the level of detail needed, covering policies both locally and nationally and where possible brining other approvals and appeals into the argument. I explain in detail in the video what and how to achieve this. The Planning Inspectorate visited the site on 14th June and issued the decision on 13th July. We are pleased to share that this appeal was successful. https://lnkd.in/euWhXwsB