The new vision for Jericho Wharf

Jericho’s longest-running planning saga now has a new, and possibly final, episode. The Jericho Wharf Regeneration Company has applied for planning permission for the derelict canalside site.

The plans are similar to those presented in a public consultation in July 2019. On the north of the site, the new community centre is partly above the boatyard and then extends into the Council-owned land in Dawson Place. Another important part of the application is that the developer wants to incorporate the current community centre (owned by St Barnabas Church) into the overall site, and convert it to social housing.

The developer has also been reinvigorated, in that its now a partnership – between the Hong Kong-based entity Cheer Team and an Oxfordshire-based property developer, Cornerstone Land. Cornerstone was also involved in the redevelopment of Grantham House at the top of Cranham Street. Working with a local company should make things easier.

The developer proposes that the site be developed in two phases. Phase 1 would include the commercial housing the public piazza, the boatyard, and also part of the new community centre – of which the developer plans to build the shell. Phase 2 would include a pre-school, meeting rooms, and rented offices.

The developer has been working closely with the Jericho Wharf Trust – which comprises four local bodies: the Jericho Community Association, Jericho Community Boatyard, St Barnabas Church, and the Jericho Living Heritage Trust. The negotiations, via the Bath-based architect Stride-Treglown, have involved a lot of give and take but there is now a proposal that the local organizations can continue to work with.

A major remaining sticking point is the piazza. In the previous plan, which the developer received conditional planning permission for but did not pursue, the public piazza was a central feature of the development with a broader open view of St Barnabas Church. Now it is more of ‘residual’ space, having been encroached upon by the commercial housing.

The JWT argues that the piazza is too small and oddly shaped to accommodate many standard street stalls, for example, or offer sufficient space for concerts or other public events. The encroachment by private housing also makes it less welcoming for passers-by and diminishes the essential view from the canal of the Grade I-listed St Barnabas Church.

The developer plans to build in two phases, but the JWT aims to raise the funds to ensure that both phases are built together. This would be particularly important for the JCA which will be running the community centre. JCA Treasurer, Peter Stalker says: “Phase 1 will have the café, sports hall and dance studio and a couple of other spaces. That should enable us to break even in the short term. But this would not be sustainable. To have the funds to keep going and secure the long-term future of the centre we need the revenue from Phase 2, which would include a pre-school, offices for rent, and a business centre. This is the cross-subsidy model we have used very successfully at our current centre – through which office rents help pay for repairs and maintenance and subsidize community use of the building.”

The development includes a bridge onto the piazza which will have a stairlift that can take mobility scooters or buggies across. While this bridge is part of the current submission JCA trustee Michael Barnes has also been discussing with the developer the possibility of making the bridge of interlocking wooden beams. A rainbow bridge of this type could be assembled with the help of experienced woodworkers as a community project.

The plans have now been registered with the City Council planners. This triggers the start of a period of public consultation – as well as enabling further debate – which will continue also on Jericho Online. You can view the plans by searching on the City Council Planning Site for 20/01276/FUL. 

The deadline for submitting comments is 16/9/20 though Officers will take comments after that, and they will be reported to the Committee, however they may not appear in the written report.