POLICY KOV5: IMPORTANT LOCAL VIEWS

The Neighbourhood Plan identifies the following Important Local Views, as shown on the Policies Map, to protect their composition and character from harm.
Kennington Cross to Gas Holder No.1
Vauxhall Station to the Oval Cricket Ground
Kennington Park Road to the City of London

Development proposals that are located within or in the vicinity of an Important Local View will be supported, provided they do not compromise foreground or mid-ground buildings or structures that will harm an appreciation of the view or of the silhouette of any landmark buildings within the view.

5.22 This policy is intended to complement Policy Q25 of the adopted Local Plan and Policy HC3 of the new London Plan by identifying three local views that are considered by local people as important in helping define the character of the KOV area. Further details on each view are provided below.

5.23 In the 2017 survey, 402 local people told us to protect local views by regulating building heights. The KOV area is an historically important part of London and has been of strategic importance since Roman times.  It contains many listed buildings and structures, notable parks and modern buildings and is located south of the World Cultural Heritage Site of the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey.  Our neighbourhood area straddles the Central Activities Zone and congestion charge area and is bordered by the River Thames along the Albert Embankment including the northern part of the Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea Opportunity Area.

5.24 The KOV Area consists of and/or is visually connected to a number of notable townscapes, buildings and structures both old and new including the Palace of Westminster, the River Thames, Kennington Gas Holder (No1), St Marks Church Kennington, St George Wharf, SIS (MI6) building, Vauxhall Bus Station and others.  Maintaining visual links with those landmarks is considered important, connecting different parts of the neighbourhood particularly for those on foot, cycling and using public transport.  The lack of a strategic approach to tall buildings results in an erosion of the spatial hierarchy of the local and wider context, orientation, legibility and way finding.  Therefore, adverse impacts of taller buildings and structures on local or strategic views are to be avoided.

5.25 Given the precedents created in the Opportunity Areas to the west and north of our neighbourhood, the number of planned developments and pressures of making a scheme financially viable to cross-subsidise affordable homes and employment uses, it is important to ensure that impacts of taller buildings are studied, understood and considered in the context of local character, orientation and identity outside the Opportunity Areas and conservation areas which are subject to different policies protection.

5.26 Until recently, some roads such as the Clapham Road/Kennington Road (A3), the old Roman Road, offered views into the heart of the City of London.  Such views are being consistently eroded by new buildings that visually cut off the area.   Even local views of relatively new tall buildings such as St George Wharf Tower have been obstructed by newer buildings.  The lack of a tall building strategy and an up to date Local View Framework contributed to this regrettable situation.  A focused and appropriate consideration of the placement of new buildings and their design and size would result in a much better visually connected built environment, local identity and orientation.

Kennington Cross to Gas Holder No 1

5.27 The listed gas holder provides a significant cultural orientation point in the Kennington area and north Lambeth as a whole.  It is a landmark which makes an aesthetic, historic and cultural contribution to the view.  It is a view of architectural and landscape composition of historical significance.

5.28 The gas holder was listed Grade 2 in March 2016 based on:

historic and architectural interest in the world’s largest gas holder when built
early example of the use of wrought iron in the construction of the guide frame
involvement of three of the most prominent Victorian gas engineers (Woodall and F and G Livesey)
landscape interest: the gas holder affords urban landscape value and international recognition as the background to the Oval cricket ground

5.29 In seeking to comply with this policy, those designing development proposals located within this view should take account of the following factors:

the view is very sensitive to buildings in its foreground and middle ground and especially to the gas holder as a landmark
There is a strong established pattern of buildings and spaces within this view
Its silhouette and design features are vulnerable to the massing of new buildings in its background in the view


Vauxhall Station to the Oval Cricket Ground

5.30 The Oval Cricket Ground is internationally renowned and the view to it along Harleyford Road is of significance to the area. It is therefore important to retain an open, uncluttered panorama between the Oval and the Station, including their wider urban context in relation to the station and the Ground.

5.31 In seeking to comply with this policy, those designing development proposals located within this view should take account of the following factors:
Development in the foreground and middle ground of this view must not be overly intrusive, unsightly or prominent to the detriment of the view
Development proposals must not create a canyon effect from new buildings crowding in too close to the panoramic view along Harleyford Road in the foreground, middle ground or background
The scale, grain and massing of development proposals must not obstruct or intrude in any way on the existing view
The appearance and materials (that may include, for example, texture, colour, scale and reflectivity) of development proposals must not obstruct or intrude upon the existing view
Development proposals, including the night time effects and lighting effects, must not result in detrimental effects or intrusion on the skyline within the existing view
Development proposals must not have a detrimental effect on the visual relationships between the two landmark buildings and the view, settings and surroundings between them along Harleyford Road
Proposals for buildings taller than their neighbours will be deemed inappropriate.
Proposals and their accompanying Design Statements must be respectful of the existing character of neighbouring buildings and the wider street scene
Where new buildings are deemed acceptable in principle, whether in or adjoining the conservation area, they must preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the area.

Kennington Park Road into the City of London

5.32 The view of the tall buildings that characterise the City of London is special along the straight and perfectly-aligned Kennington Park Road. It helps visually associate the KOV area with one of the landmarks of this international city. In seeking to comply with this policy, those designing development proposals should ensure that development in the foreground and middle ground of this view must not be overly intrusive, unsightly or prominent to the detriment of the view.