Agenda item

Change of use of upper floor to C3 residential accommodation comprising 2 x 1 bed apartments and 2 x 2 bed apartments, with new front door and rear amenity space.

Recommendation: Grant

The Committee considered an application for the change of use of the upper floor to C3 residential accommodation comprising 2 x 1-bedroom apartments and 2 x 2-bedroom apartments, with new front door and rear amenity space.

The Principal Development Management Officer presented the report which detailed the proposal, description of the site, the planning history, relevant planning policies, outcome of consultations and an assessment of the proposal, providing full and comprehensive details.

It was recommended that planning permission be granted, subject to the conditions set out in the committee report.

Requests to address the meeting had been received from Councillor David  Coleman on behalf of Rushden Town Council and Dean Wishart, the agent for the applicant and the Committee was given the opportunity to ask questions for clarification.

Councillor Coleman stated that this application was for another inferior development which added nothing to the town centre.  This development required seven parking spaces but only three were being provided.  He reiterated the issues with on-street parking in the area and that the Highways Authority supported that public car parks should not be relied upon.  The Town Council did not agree that vehicles could manoeuvre to exit the site in a forward manner which would cause conflict with other vehicles.  This was an inferior development with cramped conditions and the relevant standards should be adhered to.

Mr Wishart stated that he welcomed the recommendation to approve the application.  All of the proposed flats met the minimum space standards.  The joint amenity space surfacing would be improved.  The Highways Authority had not objected, and the development would be close to a range of services.  The proposed windows would allow a large amount of natural light.  Environmental Protection had also not objected.  This was a good use of unused office space in a town centre.

The Chair invited the Committee to determine the application.

During debate on the application, the following points were made:

·           It was stated that the rear of the Costa building had a large extractor system in place, how much of the amenity space would be available if it was full of machinery?  There would also be noise from the Royal Mail sorting office through the night.

·           There was concern at the proposed parking as the coffee shop’s waste bins were also in the area.  On a visit to the site, cars were parked in a way which would block the turning so cars would have to exit the site in reverse gear onto a busy high street.  Parking was woefully inadequate.

It was proposed by Councillor Gill Mercer and seconded by Councillor Bert Jackson that planning permission be refused.

On being put to the vote, the motion for refusal was unanimously carried

RESOLVED:-

That planning permission be refused, contrary to officer recommendation, for the following reason:

The proposed conversion represents an over-intensive conversion delivering small flats for which the need cannot be robustly defended as required by Policy H4 of the Rushden Neighbourhood Plan and results in harm to the amenities of future occupiers by reason of poor daylight/sunlight, outlook, cramped accommodation, lack of adequate amenity space and inconvenient parking arrangements, thereby failing to comply with Policy 8 of the North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy 2011-2031 and Policy H4 of the Rushden Neighbourhood Plan.

Councillors Bert Jackson and Lee Wilkes left the meeting of the following item and did not return.