Application Ref: / 3/2017/0633 /
Date Inspected: / 26/07/17
Officer: / Stephen Kilmartin
DELEGATED ITEM FILE REPORT: / APPROVAL
Development Description: / Demolition of existing nursery building and erection of three-storey retail/office building with ground-floor parking area.
Site Address/Location: / 7 Accrington Road Whalley BB7 9TD.
CONSULTATIONS: / Parish/Town Council
Whalley Parish Council have offered the following observations:
Over the last decade The Parish Council has commented, and indeed objected to a number of proposals by this applicant at this site. In this instance, the Council are encouraged by the smaller scale of the proposed build and feel that it has a better street scene perspective.
In view of the problems that are experienced in Whalley regarding parking and in the future is certain to grow, the Council has reservations that the plans have taken sufficient regard to this.
CONSULTATIONS: / Highways/Water Authority/Other Bodies
LCC Highways:
No objections to the proposal subject to the imposition of conditions relating to highways matters.
United Utilities:
No objection subject to the imposition of conditions relating to foul and surface water drainage.
CONSULTATIONS: / Additional Representations.
Two letters of representation have been received objecting on the following grounds and making the following observations:
- The proposal would over dominate the street scene and nearby dwellings.
- The design is less imposing than previous proposals
- Some loss of light will be inevitable
- Concerns regarding the lack of parking and impacts upon the highway
- Noise, disturbance and potential anti-social behaviour should opening hours be later than 17:00 hrs.
RELEVANT POLICIES AND SITE PLANNING HISTORY:
Ribble Valley Core Strategy:
Key Statement DS1 – Development Strategy
Key Statement DS2 – Sustainable Development
Key Statement DMI2 – Transport Considerations
Key Statement EN5 – Heritage Assets
Key Statement EC1 – Business and Employment Development
Key Statement EC2 – Development of Retail etc
Policy DMB1 – Supporting Business Growth
Policy DME4 – Protecting Heritage Assets
Policy DMG1 – General Considerations
Policy DMG2 – Strategic Considerations
Policy DMG3 – Transport & Mobility
Policy DMR2 – Shopping in Longridge & Whalley
Whalley Conservation Area Guidance/Appraisal
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
Relevant Planning History:
3/2016/0069:
Demolition of former nursery and erection of new retail and office building with car parking.
(Withdrawn)
3/2011/0015:
Demolition of former nursery and erection of a new retail and office building with car parking. Re-submission.
(Refused)
3/2011/0014:
Demolition of former nursery and erection of a new retail and office building with car parking. Re-submission.
(Refused)
3/2010/0011:
Conservation Area consent to demolish the former nursery building.
(Withdrawn)
ASSESSMENT OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT:
Site Description and Surrounding Area:
The application relates to a former day nursery building fronting Accrington Road Whalley. The building is located on the northern side of Accrington Road, being single storey in nature and currently in a semi-dilapidated state.
The site is bounded to the east by the ‘Old Police Station’ and to the north by an electrical sub-station. To the west is three story building accommodating retail at ground floor with residential accommodation above.
The site is located within the defined Whalley Conservation Area and located directly to the north east of the Whalley Arms (Grade II Listed)
Proposed Development for which consent is sought:
Consent is sought for the demolition of the existing nursery building and erection of a three storey retail/office building with under croft parking arrangement. It is proposed that the retail use (A1) will be accommodated at ground floor with the upper floors accommodating the proposed office (B1(a)) use.
The submitted details propose that the primary (south) elevation will be of a twin gabled appearance with a variety of windows of varying size that maintain a vertical proportion. It is further proposed that the ground floor will employ a predominantly glazed frontage with the upper floors being faced in natural stone. The twin gables will be co-joined by the use centrally located mansard roof to allow for the upper floor roof space to internally accommodate usable office space.
Vehicular parking provision is provided in the form of an undercoft arrangement with two vehicles being accommodated to the east and two to the west. The primary access point for customers of the ground floor retails unit is directly off Accrington Road with access to the upper floors being provided from the rear of the property through a lockable porch area that leads to the primary circulation core.
The proposed building measures approximately6.8m at eaves and 9.3m at ridge. It is proposed that the building will be primarily faced in natural stone with natural slate roofing. The submitted details also propose that the windows and shop front will be powder coated aluminium with natural stone heads, cills, jambs and detailing. The gabled roofs will utilise stone coping parapet gables with stone kneeler detailing.
Principle of Development:
The proposal seeks to redevelop and existing brownfield site within the defined settlement boundary of Whalley (Principal Settlement) for the purposes of retail use and office accommodation.
In respect of the proposed mixed use nature of the proposal Key Statement EC1states that ‘Employment development will be directed towards the main settlement of Clitheroe, Whalley and Longridge as the preferred locations to accommodate employment growth’ with Key Statement EC2 adding further that ‘Development that supports and enhances the vibrancy, consumer choice and vitality and unique character of the area’s important retail and service centres of Clitheroe, Longridge and Whalley will be supported in principle.’
The main aim and objective of supporting business growth within the Borough is further reinforced through Policy DMB1 which states that ‘proposals that are intended to support business growth and the local economy will be supported in principle’.
In respect of the retail element of the proposal Policy DMR2 states that ‘proposals for new small scale shopping developments including existing facilities will be approved on sites which are physically closely related to existing shopping facilities. All proposed shopping developments will be subject to other relevant policies in the plan and the borough council will have particular regard to the effect of the proposals on the character and amenities of the centre and the consequences in respect of vehicular movement and parking.’
Taking into account the above policy aims and notwithstanding other development management considerations, the proposal, in principle, is considered to be in broad accordance with the economic regeneration aims and objectives of the adopted core strategy not only in terms of potential uses but also in relation to its location within a Principle settlement.
Impact Upon Residential Amenity:
In respect of any potential impacts upon residential amenity resultant from the proposal the site is bounded to the east by No. 13 Accrington Road (The Old Police House) and to the west by 5 A, B and C Accrington Road. There are no residential properties directly to the north or south of the site.
The dwellings to the west benefit from a number of windows on the eastern facing elevation that will face directly on to the proposed building at a distance of 6.3m, however these windows are considered to be secondary windows serving habitable rooms or windows serving non-habitable rooms/spaces. Therefore in this instance it is not considered that the proximity of the proposed building would be of significant detriment to the residential amenities of existing occupiers by virtue of an overbearing relationship or direct loss of light. It is noted that the submitted details propose a number of windows to be located on the west elevation that that will directly face those adjacent, however the applicant has indicated that these will be obscure glazed to negate any potential direct overlooking resultant.
To the east is a single dwelling (Old Police House), the main body of which is located 12.7m from the east elevation of the proposal. The dwelling benefits from a side extension and side/rear garden configuration which would directly face the proposed building, taking this into account it is proposed that all windows to the east elevation (at first floor) will be obscure glazed to minimise any issues arising from direct overlooking from an elevated position.
Taking into account the solar orientation of the site in relation surrounding dwellings it is not considered that there be any significant undue loss of light as a result of the proposal.
Visual Amenity/External Appearance:
Extensive pre-application negotiation was undertaken in respect of the proposal that has resulted in the design of the proposal being subject to significant amendments. As a result the applicant has adopted a twin-gable approach to the primary elevation which assists in breaking down the visual scale of the south elevation into smaller visual parcels.
Adopting this approach allows the building to respond more positively to the inherent proportioning found upon the immediate street scene. Utilising this approach additionally allows the proposal to act as a visual device that resolves the more domestic scaling of the buildings to the east with the more commercial scaling of the buildings to the west allowing it to play an active and positive role in the streetscene.
Visually the perception of the overall vertical scale of the building is lessened through the use of a predominantly glazed ground floor with the upper floors being faced in stone. Horizontal stone banding that interfaces with the first floor sill level also aids in lessening the overall visual scale of the upper floors.
The second floor is predominantly accommodated within the apex of the south facing gables with usable floorspace being maximised through the use of a mansard roof. This has allowed for the eaves of the building to be lower than that of the properties to the west and only 0.5m (at ridge) higher than those directly to the east.
The proposed building benefits from fenestrational proportioning that maintains a vertical emphasis. Variance is provided within the scale of the windows being utilised which ensures the proposal does not appear visually mono-cultural and allows for an element of visual hierarchy and ordering to be reflected externally.
Taking into account the external appearance and overall scale of the proposal it is considered that it will result in an overall improvement in the visual amenities of the Conservations Area and surrounding area by virtue of the removal of an existing building which fails to contribute or play positive role in the enhancement of the character of the area.
Landscape/Ecology:
The application has been accompanied by a Bat Survey that has found no evidence of the existing building being used for the roosting of bats. The survey further concludes that due to the nature of the site, the proximity to a busy road and the light pollution from the traffic/street lighting in concert with the lack of any foraging habitat in the immediate area places the existing building in the sub optimal foraging and roost potential category.
Observations/Consideration of Matters Raised/Conclusion:
Given the separation distances between existing dwellings and the proposed building whilst taking account of the orientation of primary habitable room windows I do not consider that the proposal would result in any significant detrimental impact upon existing or future residential amenity.
Taking account of the external appearance and scale of the proposed building it is considered that the proposal represents an appropriate form of development that will not result in any significant detrimental impact upon the character or visual amenities of the area or Whalley Conservation Area.
It is for the above reasons and having regard to all material considerations and matters raised that I recommend accordingly.
RECOMMENDATION: / That planning consent be granted subject to the imposition of relevant conditions.