wembley-plan-app (small) , item 9. PDF 8 MB - Meetings, agendas ...

16Wembley Area Action Plan - Proposed Submission Version2 Strategic Planning Contextdestination, a beacon of sporting and architecturalexcellence and will boast a comprehensive rangeof high quality hotels, leisure, commercial,residential and retail activities all in a contemporary,lively and distinctive setting.Policy Context History of the Area2.20 4.5 Wembley has a tradition ofmasterplanning and design. The 1924 EmpireExhibition layout introduced a strong formalcharacter to the area. A broad avenue wasestablished on a north-south axis from WembleyPark Railway Station to the Empire Stadium.Cutting across this route was a large rectangularlake and garden/park running on an east-west axis.2.21 The Empire Exhibition closed in 1925 andsubsequent development has slowly moved awayfrom the Exhibition layout. The historic east-westgrain is still in evidence, particularly alongEngineers Way and Fulton Road but the park hasbeen lost and the formal ceremonial route to theStadium – Olympic Way – has no sense ofenclosure.2.22 Although there have been many significantimprovements in the Wembley area over recentyears, the general pattern of development over thelast 80 years has removed any clear sense of urbanform across the area. The Stadium area is currentlyfunctionally disconnected from the High Road andsurrounding residential development by two railwaylines at the north and south that converge in theeast.2.23 The Wembley Industrial Estate, located tothe east of the Stadium, consists of a number ofsmaller industrial estates of differing ages andforms. The dominance of heavy industrial uses andthe presence of ‘bad neighbour’ activities meansthat the area has never been well integrated withthe residential, retail and leisure uses that surroundit. The area has a poor quality environment withmany underused sites and premises that turn theirbacks on the Stadium.2.24 Wembley Town Centre, at its height in the1960’s, is the product of years of decline, and thegradual loss of major retailers created a limitedshopping environment. However, recentimprovements to the public realm and the approvaland build out of a series of large scale schemeshave added to the climate of change in Wembley.The town centre is now experiencing higherdevelopment pressures but this is generallyoccurring on a piecemeal, ad hoc basis.Planning Context2.25 A key requirement of local plans, such asthe Area Action Plan (AAP), is that they mustconform with national and regional planning policy.The key policies are contained in the NationalPlanning Policy Framework published in March2012 and the London Plan adopted in July 2011.The relevance to planning policy in Wembley isexplained in individual sections of the AAP.National Planning Policy Framework2.26 The new National Planning PolicyFramework (NPPF) sets out national planning policyand provides general guidance on a wide range ofplanning matters. Of general importance is theintroduction of a presumption in favour ofsustainable development.Presumption in favour of sustainabledevelopment2.27 When considering development proposals,the council will take a positive approach that reflectsthe presumption in favour of sustainabledevelopment. It will work proactively with applicantsto find solutions which mean that proposals can beapproved wherever possible, and to securedevelopment that improves the economic, socialand environmental conditions in the area.2.28 Planning applications that accord with thepolicies in this Plan will be approved without delay,unless material considerations indicate otherwise.2.29 Where there are no policies relevant to theapplication, either within this Plan or other relevantand up-to-date plans for the area, then the councilwill grant permission unless material considerationsindicate otherwise – taking into account whether:Any adverse impacts of granting permissionwould significantly and demonstrably outweigh