WARD: Brooklands / H/71706 / DEPARTURE:No

DEMOLITION OF EXISTING 1930'S SINGLE STOREY EXTENSION ON SUPPORTING PILLARS AND CREATION OF NEW ACCESS STAIRS BETWEEN MARSLAND ROAD AND BROOKLANDS APPROACH ROAD WITH ASSOCIATED LANDSCAPING AND LIGHTING

Brooklands Metrolink Station, Marsland Road, Sale

APPLICANT: GMPTE
AGENT: IDP Architects

RECOMMENDATION: GRANT

SITE

The application relates to Brooklands Metrolink Station, situated on the south side of Marsland Road in Sale. The station comprises an inbound (Manchester) and outbound (Altrincham) platform, situated opposite each other on either side of the tram tracks, and a former ticket office building fronting Marsland Road. A lift and staircase provide access from Marsland Road to the inbound platform which has a canopy providing shelter for waiting passengers. The ticket office building which links onto MarslandRoadBridge houses two ticket machines and has an internal staircase providing access from Marsland Road to the outbound platform. The ticket office comprises a mix of red and blue brickwork with arched window design and feature brickwork surrounds.

The station is a Grade II Listed Building andwas constructed in 1859, ten years after the opening of the Altrincham to Manchester railway line, at the request of local residents of MarslandBridge. It was sponsored by a Manchester banker Samuel Brooks, from whom the station took its name.

In the 1930’s, an original side extension attached to the east elevation of the main building was demolished and a single storey extension was built in its place. Due to the steep gradient of the land between Marsland Road and Brooklands Approach, this extensionwas supported on brick piers. The extension bore little relation to the design of the main station building and had structural problems. The main ticket office building is still used to house ticket machines and has an internal access stairwell to the outbound platform.

Adjoining the outbound platform is The Brook public house which also forms part of the listing. The wider area comprises a mix of retail and commercial units with residential properties beyond.

PROPOSAL

The application seeks consent for the demolition of the existing redundant 1930’s single storey side extension and the provision of new access steps between Marsland Road and Brooklands Approach to facilitate access to the outbound platform.

Members will be aware that the applicant demolished this side extension during the blockade August period exposing the side elevation of the ticket office building. The access ramps and repair work to this elevation had not been carried out at the time of writing this report. The planning application was only received by Trafford Council on the 27th July 2009 and due to the formal consultation requirements could not have been presented to committee members at an earlier meeting. The applicant has been made aware that any works carried out without the benefit of planning permission are done so at their own risk.

The application also includes details of proposals to replace the existing felt roof of the inbound platform shelter with a new glazed roof and to replace an existing freestanding shelter on the outbound platform with a new shelter. These elements fall within the applicant’s permitted development rights as a‘tramway’ operator outlined in Class H of Part 17 of Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development) Order 1995 and do not therefore require planning permission. However, these elements require Listed Building Consent and are addressed separately in this agenda under application ref H/LB/71705.

REVISED TRAFFORD UDP

The Revised Trafford UDP was formally adopted on 19 June 2006. This, together with Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West (RSS13), now forms the Development Plan for the Borough of Trafford.

PRINCIPAL RELEVANT REGIONAL SPATIAL STRATEGY POLICIES

DP7 – Promote Environmental Quality
EM 1(C) – Integrated enhancement and Protection of the Regions Environmental Assets

PROPOSALS MAP NOTATION

The station is a Grade II Listed Building. The adjoining Brook Public House is also identified as part of the Brooklands Local Centre.

PRINCIPAL ADOPTED REVISEDUDP POLICIES/ PROPOSALS

D1 – All New Development
ENV24 – Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest
T2 – High Quality Integrated Public Transport Network

T11 – High Quality Public Transport Network Improvements

RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY

None

APPLICANT’S SUBMISSION

The applicant has submitted a Design and Access Statement which is summarised below:

  • The existing extension is subject of structural movement with horizontal cracks and the retaining wall down the footpath on Brooklands Road is also showing initial sign of movement which is partially being caused by the superimposed load from the elevated structure above;
  • The existing access arrangements from Marsland Road through the station building are steep, narrow and terminate at a right angle facing the platform. The stairs are not DDA compliant. The proposed replacement stairs to the east of the building comprise a DDA compliant stair access and will provide safe access to the platform.

CONSULTATIONS

LHA:There are no objections to the proposals on highways grounds.

Greater Manchester Police Design for Security: No objection.

REPRESENTATIONS

None received

OBSERVATIONS

PRINCIPLE OF DEVELOPMENT

  1. Under Section 16(2) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Area) Act 1990, when considering applications for listed building consent the Local Planning Authority is obliged to have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting and any features of special architectural or historic interest. Proposal ENV24 ‘Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest’ of the Revised Trafford Unitary Development Plan requires proposals for alterations to listed buildings to be in keeping with the character and special interest of the building. The supporting justification also states that partial demolition will only be allowed where it clearly results in an improvement to the listed building and other options have been thoroughly assessed. Alterations to buildings which are listed are therefore acceptable in principle providing they comply with this policy. Government guidance in PPG15 ‘Planning and the Historic Environment’ is also a material consideration.

DESIGN AND IMPACT ON LISTED BUILDING

  1. The application seeks consent to demolish the 1930’s extension to the east of the ticket office and provide a new access stair case in its place between Marsland Road and Brooklands Approach. Whilst this extension has now already been removed by the applicant, it is noted that it was not original to the station building and related poorly to it in terms of its design and detailing. In particular this element had rectangular shaped windows with a horizontal emphasis and limited detailingacross its elevations, in contrast to the ornate design of the main station building. The roof was lower that the roof of the ticket office and was flat, rather than pitched. It had been constructed in a red brick to match the main brick material used in the station building, but was situated on a concrete plinth with concrete window cills and headers which were clearly visible.
  1. The demolition of this redundant extension and refurbishment of the end gable elevation of the ticket office would significantly improve the appearance of the station, and would return the main station building to its original form. Furthermore, it has opened up views of this attractive building from the east, which were previously obscured in part by the extension. The design and detailing of the east elevation of the main building has only become clear now the extension has been demolished and a condition is recommended to allow detailed discussions between the applicant and Council to agree the scope of works to restore this gable elevation. Nevertheless, the demolition of the extension and refurbishment of this east elevation represents a significant positive alteration to the building.
  1. The application proposes a new access stairwell in place of the extension recently removed. This will extend across the east elevation of the ticket office between Marsland Road and Brooklands Approach. The stairwell would comprise three separate flights of steps with two platforms, providing a refuge area for users. The steps would be constructed in concrete with handrails on either side. An opening will be provided at the top and bottom in the existing fencing and retaining wall. This element would not physically attach to the listed building itself, and subject to the use of appropriate materials for the handrail, the design of lighting columns and finish to the steps, it is considered that the proposal would not unduly affect the setting of the adjoining listed building.

ACCESS TO PLATFORM

  1. The proposed stairwell has been designed to be DDA compliant and will provide safer access arrangements for tram users between Marsland Road and the outbound platform than currently exists. The existing internal staircase is likely to be closed off from use. The proposal is considered to be acceptable in this respect.

TREES

  1. Three medium sized sycamore trees in the banked area to the east of the main ticket office building will have to be removed as excavation works to form the stairwell will affect their root systems, potentially making them unsafe. These trees are part of a wider band of trees on this banked area which collectively forms an attractive frontage to the streetscene. The larger mature trees are unaffected by the development and will be retained. The removal of these three trees is considered to be acceptable andwill open up more views of the listed building from the surrounding area.

CONCLUSION

  1. The removal of the existing unsympathetic extension to the east of the building would significantly improve the appearance and setting of this listed building. The proposed creation of a DDA compliant access stairwell would also significantly improve access arrangements at the station. As such, the application is recommended for approval subject to conditions.

RECOMMENDATION: GRANT, with the following conditions:

  1. Standard time condition;
  2. Prior to the construction of the access stairwell hereby approved and any remedial works to the side elevation of the ticket office building being carried out, a scheme for the refurbishment of the east elevation of the main ticket office building shall be submitted to and agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority. This scheme shall outline the phasing of works and include a timetable for the submission of detailed drawings for each stage of the schedule of works and materials required in its reconstruction.
  3. Landscaping condition, covering boundary treatment materials for stairwell and handrails, details of design and appearance of lighting columns anddetails of any landscaping works to banked area.

VM


Planning Committee – 10th September 2009 Page 1