William Martin Court

FAQ’s

Thank you for taking the time to visit our information page relating to the change of use for William Martin Court.

Below are some FAQs that should hopefully be useful – please send us with your thoughts via our contact page.

Daylight / sunlight

Has a daylight / sunlight assessment been carried out?
Yes

Height & Massing

What changes to the existing building are you proposing?
A complete internal refurbishment and an additional floor set within a mansard roof and façade & fabric improvements.

Do you think that a building of this size is suitable for the area?
The proposed plans fit in well within the context and is of a similar or lower height than its immediate neighbours.

Planning

Has the Council designated the site suitable for this kind of development?
We have engaged positively with Islington Council already and made them aware of our plans. We are keen to hear from local residents before making a formal planning submission.

Are the Council supportive of this proposal?
We have met with various Islington Council officers and have had positive discussions. We will continue these meetings as the planning application is made and hope to continue our good working relationship with both Islington and our neighbours.

How far advanced are you with the design? Might you change it?
Our architects have drawn up plans for the building that we feel are respectful of our neighbours and would deliver us an excellent new facility. Depending on the feedback there may be alterations we could make.

What impact will this development have on local services and traffic?
Due to the nature of the scheme’s use, we expect minimal impact on local services and traffic.

How does the design fit in with and respond to the buildings in the area?
The building is currently in poor condition and its design is not sympathetic to the conservation area. Our renovation and extension will improve its appearance and make it more in-keeping.
The Proposed Development is in keeping with its context and is the same height as the townhouses on Wilmington Square to its rear and is subservient to Earlom House to its front.

How will these proposals impact parking in the area?
There will be little to no impact on parking in the area. The families staying in William Martin Court will typically not have access to a car and will not have access to the local parking facilities.

How will you encourage other means of transport?
A lot of our residents will be receiving hospital treatment at Great Ormond St Hospital, which is within walking distance, some will require taxis to assist them due to their treatments.

Will there be new bike storage? How much?
We currently do not plan any new bike storage as part of the development.

Public Realm and greening

Will you plant new trees or other greenery?
Yes we will green the rear garden and the frontage will be used for low planting along the street. The narrowness of the rear garden means smaller trees will be possible.

What public realm improvements will be made?
The existing low brick wall to the front will be removed and replaced with railings and planting. The entrance will be improved.

Will there be deliveries at unsociable hours?
We will not have deliveries at anti-social hours.

Will residents be permitted to smoke around the entrance and block the public walkway?
No, this will not be permitted.

Sustainability

How sustainable will this development be?
As a retrofit building the building is inherently lower carbon than a new build would be. The works will include highly efficient air source heat pumps and no gas boilers. All of the external fabric will be significantly improved in terms of heat loss.

Is the scheme ‘zero carbon’?
Unfortunately complete ‘Zero Carbon’ is not possible on a building of this nature, but the ambition is to be as sustainable as possible within the envelope that we have.

Timeline

Have you submitted a planning application? When do you expect to submit one?
We are carrying out local consultation to make sure we have understood any issues and can address them before making our formal planning application. We hope to be making that later in the summer.

When will construction works start taking place on site?
Target start date January 2024.

How long will construction works take to complete?
Circa 12 months.

When do you expect residents to arrive on site?
Following handover. Targeted Christmas 2024.

Consultation

How have you consulted on these proposals?
As well as meeting with members of the council we are conducting this local consultation to hear views from local residents and businesses.

Will you make any changes to the proposals following feedback?
Where possible, yes. We are providing a very tailored offer for families going through a very difficult time, so there are needs they have which we want to meet.

Who have you consulted?
We are consulting with local neighbours, stakeholders and the local authority.