02/P/1234/F PROPOSAL AND LOCATION AS IT APPEARS ON MVM IN BOLD FONT SIZE 12

5.3

 

WEST AREA COMMITTEE

17th November 2005

 

 

ITEM NO: 3

 

APPLICATION NO: 05/P/1989/F

 

 

TARGET DATE: 17-OCT-2005

 

 

APPLICANTS NAME: Langcourt Ltd

 

 

APPLICATION: Change of use of and conversion of the upper ground, first and second floors of the property into 6 studio apartments including replacement windows to the front upper ground floor elevation.

 

 

SITE ADDRESS: Upper Floors, 2 Royal Parade, Weston-Super-Mare

 

 

PARISH/WARD: Weston super Mare Central

 

WARD COUNCILLOR(S): Crockford-Hawley & Baker

 

The following plan is for illustrative purposes only, and cannot be guaranteed to be up to date or to scale.

 

LOCATION PLAN: (This map is based upon Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office c. Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. North Somerset Council, LA09063L,2001)

 

 

 

3       05/P/1989/F Change of use of and conversion of the upper ground, first and second floors of the property into 6 studio apartments including replacement windows to the front upper ground floor elevation. 2 Royal Parade, Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, BS23 1AJ

(GR 3317 - 1614)                                                                               Jason Beale

 

Agent council employee

 

Site Description

 

2 Royal Parade is a mid terrace 4-storey building which faces onto Royal Parade near to the Grand Pier. The building is constructed with bath stone and has UPVC windows throughout apart from the upper ground floor front windows which are timber sliding sash. There is a flight of external steps to the upper ground floor of the building and a front balcony. To the rear of the property there is a small yard, which is accessed by a shared private path from Salisbury Terrace.

 

The lower ground floor of the building is used a retail shop and there is a small forecourt area to the front of the property. The upper ground floor was allegedly last used for offices (use class B1). The first floor is used as a 2 bed flat and the second floor as a two bed flat.

 

Relevant Planning History

 

Year

Reference

Proposal

 

Decision

2004

04/P/3388/F

Change of use for the conversion of the property into eight studio apartments including an extension to the front elevation, upper ground floor.

 

Withdrawn

1973

81808/C

Change of use to betting office.

 

Refused

1972

81808/B

Conversion of upper ground floor into restaurant.

 

Approved.

1969

81808

Alteration and extension to form shop

Approved

 

The Application

 

Full planning permission is sought to convert the upper three floors of the building to form 6 self-contained one double bed room studio apartments. It is also proposed to replace the existing upper ground floor timber sliding sash windows with UPVC windows. An existing out building at the rear of the property would be repaired to provide a bin storage facility.

 

 

 

Policy Framework

 

The site lies within the Beach Lawns Conservation Area.

 

The main relevant policies are as follows:

 

Development Plan

 

North Somerset Local Plan (NSLP)

 

CON/13 – Development within Conservation Areas

 

HOU/15 – Subdivision of properties

 

HOU/13 – Encouraging mixed communities.

 

RL/7 – Crime prevention

 

T/13 – Vehicle parking standards

 

Planning Policy Guidance Notes

 

Relevant guidance is contained in the following PPG’s:

 

Planning Policy Guidance Note 15 – Planning and the historic environment

 

Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 – Housing

 

North Somerset Replacement Local Plan (second deposit draft March 2004)

 

Policy ECH/3 – Conservation Areas

 

Policy H/6 – Flat conversion and houses in multiple occupation

 

Policy T/6 – Parking

 

Consultations

 

Third Parties:  Two letters of objection have been received from one resident.  The principal planning points made are as follows:

 

1.      There are already too many HMO’s in the area.

2.      There is no parking in the area.

3.      The amount of rubbish for six flats would be horrendous.

4.      This is within the heart of the tourist area.

 

Weston-super-Mare Town Council:      “The Town Council are not in favour of the proposal and consider it to be an unsuitable HMO conversion, two-three bedroom apartments”

 

Environment Agency: No objections

 

Planning Issues

 

The principal planning issues in this case are (1) the principle of development, (2) achieving balance communities, (3) impact on Conservation Area, (4) living conditions of neighbours and (5) parking.

 

Issue 1: Principle of development

 

The site is located within the residential development of Weston-super-Mare where the principle of new residential units is acceptable since it would encourage the use of alternative modes of travel to the private car.

 

Issue 2: Achieving balance communities

 

The Development Plan seeks to achieve a balance and mix of housing types in order to avoid the creation of areas of housing with similar characteristics. This part of Weston-super-Mare has an excessive amount of small one-bed room flats. The proposed development would add 6 additional one-bedroom units to the area.

 

Whilst the proposed units would provide double beds and the agent argues that there is demand for this type of development in the area this is not considered to be sufficient reason to increase the number of one-bed units in the area. The proposed development would therefore fail to provide a mix of flat sizes and would not encourage a mixed community and is therefore contrary to policy HOU/13 and HOU/15 of the North Somerset Local Plan.

 

Issue 3: Impact on Conservation Area

 

The proposed development involves the removal of existing timber sliding sash windows and replacement with UPVC windows. The loss of these windows would have an impact upon the historic character and appearance of the Conservation Area. However, all of the other openings of the front façade of this terrace are UPVC. It is therefore considered that the proposed replacement of these windows with appropriately designed UPVC windows would have, on balance, a neutral impact upon the Conservation Area and accords with policy CON/13.

 

Issue 4: Living conditions of neighbours

 

The use of the property for 6 one-bed flats would have no materially greater impact upon the living conditions of neighbours in terms of noise and disturbance that that created by the existing use of the building. However, it would increase the amount of refuse to the collected. At the moment refuse is stored at the rear of the building and the occupants walk it down the lane at the rear on collection day. Whilst this arrangement is not ideal it is the only option for this property and there is no reason why it could not continue to function in this manner with 6 flats. The development therefore complies with policy HOU/15 in so far as the living conditions of neighbours are concerned.

 

 

Issue 5: Parking

 

Whilst no parking exists at this location the site is located within the centre of Weston-super-Mare where there is a full range of services and good public transport connections. At such location the need to rely upon the private car is minimal and the Development Plan allows for the provision of residential development with no parking allocated. The proposed development therefore complies with Policy T/13 and T/6.

 

Conclusion

 

The proposed development would therefore fail to encourage a mix of flat sizes and is therefore contrary to the objectives of the Development Plan and central government guidance. Further, there are no other material considerations that indicate that the objectives of the Development should be set aside.

 

RECOMMENDATION:  REFUSE for the following reasons:

 

1.      The proposed development would provide 6 additional one-bedroom flats in an area that has an excessive amount of one-bedroom residential units. The proposed development would therefore not provide a mix of residential accommodation and would fail to encourage a mixed community and would increase the amount of accommodation in the area with similar characteristics. The development is therefore contrary to policies HOU/13 and HOU/15 of the North Somerset Local Plan, policy H/6 of the North Somerset Replacement Local Plan (second deposit draft March 2004) and the principles contained within Planning Policy Guidance Note 3.