Borough of Poole

Planning Committee

List of Planning Applications

THURSDAY 20 APRIL 2006

BOROUGH OF POOLE

Planning Committee

DATE: 20TH APRIL 2006 at 9:30 am

NOTES:

1. Items may be taken out of order and therefore no certain advice can be provided about the time at which any item may be considered.

2. Applications can be determined in any manner notwithstanding the recommendation being made.

3. Councillors who are not members of the Planning Committee but who wish to attend to make comments on any application on this list or accompanying agenda are required to give notice by informing the chairman or Head of Planning Design & Control Services before the meeting.

4. Councillors who are interested in the detail of any matter to be considered should consult the files with the relevant officers to avoid queries at the meeting.

5. Any members of the public wishing to make late additional representations should do so in writing or by contacting their Ward Councillors prior to the meeting.

6. Letters of representation referred to in these reports together with any other background papers may be inspected at any time prior to the Meeting and these papers will be available at the Meeting.

7. For the purposes of the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, unless otherwise stated against a particular report, “background papers” in accordance with section 100D will always include the case officer’s written report and any letters or memoranda of representation received (including correspondence from all internal Borough Council Service Units).

8. Councillors are advised that if they wish to refer to specific drawings/plans which are not part of these papers to contact the relevant case officer at least 24 hours before the meeting to ensure these can be made available.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Planning Committee

20th April 2006 at 9:30 am

Page

Not before 09:30

1
SV / POOLE RAILWAY STATION AND FORMER GOODS YARD, SERPENTINE ROAD / 05/17054/021/F / 4
2
SV / POOLE RAILWAY STATION AND FORMER GOODS YARD, SERPENTINE ROAD / 06/17054/022/F / 34

Not before 11:30

3
SV / 3 LAKESIDE ROAD / 06/05703/007/F / 40
4
SV / 189-191 SANDBANKS ROAD / 06/22855/005/P / 45
5 / POOLE FIRE & RESCUE STATION, WIMBORNE ROAD / 06/03211/009/F / 51
6 / 2 MANOR AVENUE / 05/03796/006/F / 60

Not before 12:30

7 / 2 COMPTON AVENUE &
93 LILLIPUT ROAD / 06/11668/007/F / 66
8 / 6A BIRDS HILL ROAD &
54-56 CHURCHFIELD ROAD / 06/09614/013/F / 76
9 / FLAT 6 FISHERMANS WHARF,
1-7 BLANDFORD ROAD / 06/38832/000/L / 83

Item No:1

Case Officer:Mr K Chilvers

Site:Poole Railway Station and Former Goods Yard, Serpentine Road, Poole, Dorset.

Application No:05/17054/021/F

Date Received:15th March 2005

Agent:Savills Wessex House Priors Walk East Borough Wimborne Dorset BH21 1PB

Applicant:Bellwinch Homes & Network Rail

Development:Mixed use development, including new railway station, transport interchange, housing, retail, restaurant, cafe, hotel, office and multi-storey car park as amended by plans received 12/12/05.

Ward:C 030 Poole Town

This application is brought before the Planning Committee because of the scale and importance of the proposed development.

Site Description

The application site is a triangular parcel of approximately 2.9 hectares of land accessed from Serpentine Road.

The site can be divided into three main areas:

  • the south west corner is occupied by the Railway station and associated car parking, taxi rank and vehicle circulation area;
  • railway sidings located to the north and east of the station car parks;
  • adjacent land recently used as a temporary car park.

Parts of the site are covered by rough scrub and most of the site boundaries are marked by chain link fencing.

The site is bounded:

  • to the east by 5 storey office buildings (St John’s House);
  • to the north and west by the Weymouth to London railway line, Poole Railway Station and Railway Land;
  • to the south by Towngate Bridge (an elevated dual carriageway); and
  • to the north and east by the car park to Poole Stadium, and a multi storey car park for Barclays (seven floors).

The Barclays International building is in close proximity to the site and provides a backdrop to the site when viewed from the direction of the A350 Holes Bay Road to the west.

The site is 50m from Holes Bay, which is a SSSI and is otherwise designated as an SPA and Ramsar site being internationally important as a natural habitat.

History of Application Site

  • The railway and original station were constructed in 1872. The site has been a goods yard since the nineteenth century and the northern part was gradually reclaimed from low lying marsh land up to the 1950’s by which time the site was fully occupied by rail sidings. The majority of sidings have been taken up, leaving only the three lines present today.
  • In the 1970’s the railway station was displaced northwards by the development of Towngate Bridge. It was replaced by a concrete building which was removed in 1988 when the present station was built.
  • Applications for office development were approved in the 1970’s but not implemented.
  • An extension to the station car park was approved in 1985.
  • Part of the site was used in the 1990’s as a temporary car park by staff and visitors to Poole Hospital and consent was given in 2001 for temporary use of part of the goods yard as a car park for Poole NHS Trust.
  • Temporary consent for a mobile catering unit adjacent Towngate Bridge was granted in 1994 and a subsequent consent was given in 1996.

Current Proposals

The proposal includes

  1. A replacement railway station with behind a curved frontage with large areas of glazing. The scheme includes a new foot bridge over the railway line and roof canopies over the entrances to the station and over the platforms.
  2. Two new sidings running parallel to the railway line and the northern part of site reserved for operational use by Network Rail.
  3. A transport interchange, including new bus, coach and taxi parking areas with drop-off/pick-up areas for private vehicles, a landscaped station square, bicycle parking and pedestrian priority area with routes to the town centre.
  4. A 260 space multi-storey car park with 6 floors of parking for rail users & staff, hotel patrons, office workers and off peak visitor use.
  5. An 11 storey 103 bedroom hotel with meeting and conference rooms – to be built on site of the existing station.
  6. 265 flats in 6 buildings comprising 44 x 1 bed, 164 x 2 bed and 57 x 3 bed flats, and including 66 units of affordable housing. The 66 flats that would be made available by Housing Associations as affordable rented and shared ownership homes represent 25% of the total scheme.
  7. 4221m2 of B1 office floorspace in two buildings – a 5 storey office building on Serpentine Road, and the upper floors of the building fronting Station Square and Serpentine Road, wrapping around and screening the multi-storey car park.
  8. 480m2 of retail units facing Towngate Bridge at ground level below the office space on the floors above.
  9. café/restaurant unit in the 25m high circular tower feature on the south west corner of the multi storey car park.
  10. Improved pedestrian and cyclist links between the station and Falkland Square, Poole Stadium, Serpentine Road and Holes Bay Road, including a public access link over the railway on a new bridge that is the subject of a separate application.

The proposals would have a density of approximately 90 dwellings/hectare.

The applicants indicate a 48 month construction period with distinct phases identified in a construction programme. These phases are dictated by issues such as the need to keep the existing station in operation whilst the new one is being built and the need to provide affordable housing and the access bridge at an appropriate time.

The application is accompanied by an Environmental Statement and a supporting planning statement.

Environmental Statement

The document describes the proposed development, the environmental aspects likely to be significantly affected and the measures intended to offset any significant adverse effects.

In considering the potential impacts on the community the statement addresses issues relating to population and housing change, employment, shopping, and tourism issues.

The Statement acknowledges the impacts on community/health/education and recreation facilities and states that the proposed development would make an appropriate contribution to enable facilities and services to be improved on a co-ordinated basis as part of the wider regeneration and development occurring in the central area.

The following advice is given in technical reports which provide the background information used in the Environmental Statement:

Transport Appraisal:

  • The appraisal forecasts that the traffic generation of the various land uses will be 2250 vehicles per day, and this is agreed by Transportation Services. It is forecast that the total traffic increase, of 2400 vehicles (per day, Monday to Friday) will be split between Serpentine Rd, near Wimborne Rd (1100 vehicles), and Towngate Bridge slip roads (1300 vehicles). Whilst there is an increase of about 1600 per day in the vehicle use of the George roundabout, this is less than 5% of the total use. No significant increase in congestion is expected at The George or the Serpentine Rd./Wimborne Rd junction due to the development.
  • The proposed footway/cycleway link up to the site boundary with the Stadium can link with the planned extension of Stadium Way.
  • Travel Plans for Residential and hotel to be prepared and submitted.
  • The car parking provision meets the Parking Guidelines.
  • The residential provision is one space per unit, and the shared provision in the multi-storey car park is considered to be adequate, provided that an effective management system is applied.
  • Adequate cycle spaces are proposed.

Flood Risk Assessment:

  • The 200 year flood level at this location is 1.95m above OD. Topographical survey shows site to be relatively flat with a fairly consistent elevation between 2.3m and 2.5m AOD.
  • Given levels of site AOD and undercroft parking, the habitable areas would be afforded a higher level of protection than the minimum standards.
  • Infiltration based drainage solution inappropriate because of soil strata and possibility of residual contamination. Surface water flows should therefore be directed to existing sewers with flows attenuated with storage volumes.
  • Pollution control measures to be implemented prior to commencement of development works and these measures to be complete before any connection to a drainage outfall.

Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental report:

  • Holes Bay is a sensitive receptor to any contamination migrating off site but, no evidence of significant contamination of groundwater and contamination poses no apparent risk to Holes Bay or to Groundwater.
  • Site is generally underlain by a variable thickness of made ground (average depth of 1.42m). This ground is locally contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons and the elevated concentrations are generally associated with a near surface layer of ashy made ground.
  • Developer has statutory responsibility under Duty of Care Regulations in Environment Protection Act 1990 to ensure that contaminated soil and water is disposed of off site to a suitably licensed waste management facility.
  • All services to be placed in a service corridor and surrounded with clean uncontaminated material.
  • Further monitoring required to confirm soil/gas regime beneath site but no specific gas protection measures are likely to be required.
  • Majority of new buildings on site require pile foundations.
  • Landscaping scheme to use isolated planters and presence of hydrocarbons may require localised remedial measures.

Noise and Vibration:

  • Proposed development includes some noise sensitive land uses and because site is close to main Weymouth to London railway, main roads and Poole Stadium, an assessment of potential effects of these sources of noise on the development is included in the Environmental Assessment.
  • The development could give rise to noise and vibration during its construction due to activities on site and also construction traffic.
  • Potential noise impacts due to construction and occupation of proposed development on surrounding area are considered to be not significant or a low to moderate adverse impact if percussive piling should be necessary. If it proves necessary to adopt a noisy method of piling the construction methodology should consider the restriction of working hours and regard needs to be given to impact of piling on birds in Holes Bay.
  • Increase in road traffic noise from completed development is not considered to be significant.
  • Detailed designs should consider mitigation against structure borne noise and incorporate measures to mitigate vibration from railway.
  • Noise mitigation should be provided for facades of development facing the railway and Towngate Bridge, ie acoustically designed glazing with attenuated ventilation for windows.

Air quality:

  • Predominant wind direction from south west. The greatest potential for adverse impacts due to dust will be experienced by the offices and stadium to northwest of the site boundary. All impacts on local air quality during construction phase will be short term and reversible and impact of development is not considered to be significant.
  • Management of operations should consider monitoring of emissions during construction phase and a number of other mitigation methods are listed – these could be conditioned.
  • Access route for construction traffic to be established and Green Travel Plans for hotel and residential will be prepared to minimise number of trips made to and from site.

Landscape, townscape and visual appraisal:

  • The town centre location and built up setting with high rise building in close proximity the site gives low sensitivity to change.
  • Overall visual impact is not significant and will be beneficial from most viewpoints. Mitigation is therefore not required for landscape or visual impact.
  • Variation in form, height and colour will provide interest and landmark buildings are proposed.
  • Streetlight fittings should be selected to keep vertical light spill and light pollution to a minimum but aesthetic uplighting is suggested for the hotel tower to mark its location and that of the station.
  • Along the footpath parallel to Holes Bay Road a shoreline tree planting scheme would give a green edge to the development at road level from the west.
  • The pedestrian/cycle link to the town centre under Towngate Bridge and through the underpass should be enhanced by the provision of lighting, matching paving materials, better signage and de-cluttering of the streetscape.

Ecology:

The statement addresses the predicted impact the construction and subsequent occupation of the development might have on habitats, plants and animal species on site, and on the ecological functioning of the site as a whole. It also addresses the impacts on areas and wildlife surrounding the site in particular with regard to the adjacent Poole Harbour SSSI/SPA/Ramsar site.

Reference is made to an Appropriate Assessment carried out by the Borough of Poole in connection with the Poole Bridge Regeneration Initiative which was undertaken in order to assess the potential for a significant adverse effect on Poole Harbour SPA as a result of development. The Appropriate Assessment considered the contribution of other development proposals within 300m of the shoreline of Poole Harbour in order to identify in-combination effects.

  • The site has no significant natural habitats, limited vegetation and no notable plants have been recorded and it is considered to be of negligible value for habitats, vegetation communities and flora.
  • The site has no suitable habitat for supporting birds.
  • The site is considered to be of negligible value for birds, bats and water voles.
  • The extent of suitable reptile habitat is limited on the application site, the most important area being around the Network Rail compound to the north. Two relatively common reptile species (Slow worm and Viviparous Lizard) occur in the limited extent of habitat available and the site is considered to be of local importance for its reptile communities. The reptiles will need to be excluded and captured from the development area and translocated to a suitable receptor site.
  • Within 300m of the mudflats in Holes Bay, hammered piling, the use of pneumatic drills and concrete breaking must be restricted to May or June or in other months at periods of high tide when the key species are not feeding nearby.
  • Impact on Poole Harbour SSSI/SPA/Ramsar is considered insignificant provided good construction practice is followed and a contribution is made towards:
  • improved screening and management of the public walkway/cycleway along Holes Bay,
  • improvement of open space facilities at the Esplanade, and
  • monitoring of bird species during the construction phase and for 3-5 years during the operational phase.

Archaeology:

  • Desk study concludes that there are no Scheduled Monuments or Listed Buildings within or directly adjacent the site and unlikely to discover archaeological remains other than Medieval and post medieval date.
  • A subsequent evaluation of the desk study and a machine excavated trial trench revealed the presence of a number of shallow archaeological features possibly dating to the Medieval period.

Travel Plans

A Technical note has been submitted to give an outline of the likely content of the Residential and Hotel Travel Plans.

Conclusion

The proposals have been guided by the conclusions and proposals of the Environmental Statement. The likely environmental impacts and the proposed mitigation measures identified by the Environmental Statement already form the basis for the approved methodology for the remediation of the site, and subject to appropriate conditions, detailed consideration of construction methods and contributions towards ecological work the Environmental Impacts of the scheme can be adequately mitigated.

The Environmental Statement summarises the mitigation measures with a view to enabling their inclusion in conditions and a 106 Agreement.

REPRESENTATIONS

9 letters of representation have been received and these letters raise the following concerns:

  • Need to link with cycle network close to site and to bus station
Buildings are too high and object to another multi storey car park
  • Support improvements to travel interchange
  • Bus station should be relocated to site
  • Rail services should be improved including reopening of link to Swanage
  • Inadequate short term parking and limited capacity of station

Other representations received are as follows: