CMA Planning
Where: Errol Street, EC1
Who For: City YMCA
What: 5714 sqm hostel (146 beds)
Architect: Levitt Bernstein
City YMCA had a hostel at this site in Clerkenwell, just to the north of the City. The proposal was for a new seven storey hostel building, delivering more hostel rooms and improving the quality of accommodation with a variety of one, two and five person flats and 16 rooms for disabled residents. It also included better communal spaces for residents and two commercial units which could be used to provide training to the residents of the hostel if need be. Other facilities include a public gym in the basement, meeting rooms, residents’ social space and YMCA offices. The building has been designed to Breeam ‘Excellent’ with a number of sustainable features including photovoltaic panels and a green roof. CMA Planning took the scheme through the planning system dealing with issues as they arose. Key points included controlling potential anti social behaviour from residents of the hostel, height and scale, daylight to adjoining flats and the principle of the hostel use itself and how this could be controlled via a s106 agreement without impacting on operations or the value of the building to YMCA. CMA secured permission from the London Borough of Islington in May 2014. The scheme was then shortlisted for the 2014 Housing Design Awards. The building was completed in 2021.
