Revised Devil’s Tongue project back at DPC

The revised application for a 19-storey mixed-use development at Devil's Tongue Queensway will be discussed at this morning’s meeting of the Development and Planning Commission.

In February this year the outline planning application was deferred at the request of the developer, with the DPC also giving some recommendations.

The developer, Hepta Limted, believes it has now addressed these concerns and detailed as such in a newly submitted design statement.

“As recommended by the DPC, the new scheme is restricted to the footprint of the site currently owned or controlled by the applicant,” it said.

“Furthermore we have removed any indications or design proposals that do not form part of the application.”

The new design is set back to allow a clear vista of the upper town and the Moorish Castle when viewed heading east along Waterport Road.

In doing this the new scheme is now set back away from this particular line of sight.

At the same time the new geometry and angular shape of the building has been designed to open views around and through the building as much as possible.

The DPC had raised a number of concerns about the project’s proximity to the city walls, something the developers have also addressed.

“The new scheme now addresses this issue by breaking up the building into two distinct sections whereby the bulk of the superstructure is set back in critical areas over a raised ‘plinth’,” it said.

“This plinth mirrors the scale and massing of the fortification wall opposite.”

In addition, “the west elevation has now been broken up and reconfigured to address the concern laid out by the planners and DPC, which considered the visual aspect and massing of this façade to be extensive and over bearing.”

The new design re-orientated the entrance and main approach to the building so that this sits to the north, where pedestrian footfall is greatest.

On car parking the developer states it is keen to explore imaginative ideas to reduce dependency of private car, but can if need be provide for the number of car parking spaces required.

The closing of Queensway is no longer on the table as the site’s footprint has been reduced.

Both the architects WSRM Architects and objectors will address the DPC this morning.

The 19-storey development will have 20 one bed apartments, 25 two bed apartments, 22 three bed apartments, 15 four bed apartments, four five bed apartments, one four bed duplex and one five bed duplex. Giving a total of 88 units.

The development starts off at 02 Basement level where together with 01 basement level there will be car parking spaces.

On the ground and first floors there will be retail and commercial spaces.

Levels two, three, four, five and six will be for offices and the remaining 10 levels will be residential