Agenda item

Report No: DEV/SE/17/033

Planning Application - (i) Conversion of existing offices on first and second floors to 3 no. apartments (ii) Three storey extension, with link building, to comprise of 2 no. apartments; and

Listed Building Consent - (i) Repairs and alterations to enable conversion of first and second floors to 3 no. apartments (ii) Three storey extension, with link building, to Northern elevation to form 2no. apartments.

Councillor Frank Warby declared a non pecuniary interest in this item as he had already considered the application as a Member of Bury St Edmunds Town Council's Planning Control Committee.  He indicated that he would not take part in the discussion and would refrain from voting thereon.

Planning Application - (i) Conversion of existing offices on first and second floors to 3 no. apartments (ii) Three storey extension, with link building, to comprise of 2 no. apartments

Listed Building Consent - (i) Repairs and alterations to enable conversion of first and second floors to 3 no. apartments (ii) Three storey extension, with link building, to Northern elevation to form 2no. apartments

The applications were originally referred to the Development Control Committee on 6 August 2017 due to the presence of two Member call-ins and in light of the level of public interest which raised balanced matters that Officers believed warranted consideration by the Committee.  A Member site visit was held prior to that meeting. 

Members raised a number of concerns in relation to the applications, principally in respect of; the impact on the residential amenity of neighbours (in terms of loss of light/outlook), the visual impact of the development in the town’s historic core and the provision of a deliverable scheme for managing waste on the site. 

In light of these concerns the Committee voted to defer the applications in order to enable Officers to work with the applicant to seek improvements to the scheme, where possible.

The Committee was reminded that the property concerned was a Grade II Listed building, hence, the proposed development was comprised of two applications to be jointly considered; a planning application and a listed building consent application.

As part of her presentation, the Senior Planning Officer outlined the modest changes that had been made to the planning application in order to address Members’ concerns.  Alongside amended plans, supplementary documentation had been submitted in the form of additional shadow plans and waste management clarification.

Bury St Edmunds Town Council continued to voice objection to the proposal.  Officers considered the scheme to be well designed and of high quality.  The degree of impact on neighbours was not considered to be significant and so, on balance, Officers were continuing to recommend that the applications be approved subject to conditions, as set out in Paragraph 60 of Working Paper 1 and Paragraph 33 of Report No DEV/SE/17/033.

Speakers:    Kyle Siftar (neighbour) spoke against the application

Councillor Tom Murray (Bury St Edmunds Town Council) spoke against the application

Mike Driver (agent) spoke in support of the application

The Senior Planning Officer explained that the Officer recommendation for approval was also subject to no objections being received from the National Amenities Societies and Historic England.  Since publication of the agenda Historic England had confirmed that they had no comments to make in respect of the revised plans.

During discussion, questions were raised with regard to; the material to be used for the cladding, vehicle movements on-site and overlooking.

In answering these questions the Case Officer clarified that:

·         A condition was included to require samples of all materials used in construction;

·         Two conditions were included to control the degree of overlooking, such as the use of obscure glazing; and

·         Suffolk County Council Highways had been consulted with regard to the parking provision and the applicants had submitted documentation outlining vehicle movement.  The Committee were also reminded that the area in question was already used for parking.

Councillor Peter Stevens proposed that the applications be approved, as per the Officer recommendation, and this was duly seconded by Councillor Alaric Pugh.

Upon being put to the vote and with 9 voting for the motion, 4 against and with 1 abstention, it was resolved that

Decision

Planning permission and listed building consent be GRANTED subject to no objections being received from the National Amenities Societies and Historic England and subject to conditions to secure the following:

1.   The development hereby permitted shall be begun not later than 3 years     from the date of this permission.

2.   The development hereby permitted shall not be carried out except in complete accordance with the details shown on the following approved plans and documents.

3.   The site demolition, preparation and construction works shall be carried out between the hours of 08:00 to18:00 Mondays to Fridays and between the hours of 08:00 to 13:30 Saturdays and at no time on Sundays or Bank Holidays without the prior written consent of the Local Planning Authority.

4.   No security lights or floodlights shall be erected on site without the submission of details to, and written approval from, the Local Planning Authority to ensure a lighting environment of low district brightness at residential properties.

5.   The acoustic insulation of the dwellings shall be such to ensure noise levels, with windows closed, do not exceed LAeq(8hrs) of 30dB(A) within bedrooms between the hours of 23:00 to 07:00.

6.   All new external and internal works and finishes and works of making good to the retained fabric shall match the existing historic work adjacent in respect of materials, methods, detailed execution and finished appearance unless otherwise approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

7.   The works hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the       approved plans and specifications and in such a manner as to retain existing features of architectural or historic interest within the building         including those that may be exposed during implementation of the approved works.

8.   No mechanical and electrical extract fans, ventilation grilles, security lights, alarms, cameras, and external plumbing, including soil and vent           pipe shall be provided on the exterior of the building until details of their location, size, colour and finish have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

9.   Before any work is commenced details in respect of the following shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority:

·         Details drawings of the Juliet balconies at a scale of not less than 1: 10;

·         Samples of external materials and surface finishes

·         Schedule of works/repairs and specifications

The works shall be carried out in full accordance with the approved details unless otherwise subsequently approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

10.                A minimum of five working day’s notice shall be given to the Local Planning Authority of the commencement of works to form the new openings between the existing and new building. Opportunity shall be allowed for on-site observations and recording by a representative of the Local Planning Authority or a person nominated by the Authority during any period of work relating to this element of the works and no part of any feature of the building revealed by the works shall be removed unless first approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

11.                Before any work is commenced: (i) sample panel(s) of all new facing brickwork shall be constructed on site showing the proposed brick types, colours and textures; face bond; and pointing mortar mix and finish profile and shall be made available for inspection by the Local Planning Authority; (ii) the materials and methods demonstrated in the sample panel(s) shall be approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved sample panel(s) shall be retained on site until the work    is completed and all brickwork shall be constructed in all respects in      accordance with the approved details.

12.                Before any work is commenced elevation(s) to a scale of not less than           1:10 and horizontal and vertical cross-section drawings to a scale of 1:2     fully detailing the new windows to be used (including details of glazing     bars, sills, heads and methods of opening and glazing) shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Unless otherwise approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority all glazing        shall be face puttied. The works shall be carried out in complete      accordance with the approved details.

13.                No development shall commence until samples of the facing and roofing materials to be used have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

14.                The areas to be provided for storage of Refuse/Recycling bins as shown on drawing number 692 021 B shall be provided in its entirety before the development is brought into use and shall be retained thereafter for no other purpose.

15.                The use shall not commence until the parking and turning proposed within the site, shown on       drawing numbers 692 021 B and clarified by 692 040 has been provided. Thereafter these area(s) shall be retained and used for no other purposes in perpetuity

16.                Before the development is occupied details of the secure cycle storage shall be submitted to and approved       in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved scheme shall be carried out in its entirety before the development is brought into use and    shall be retained thereafter and used for no other purpose.

17.                Prior to the installation of any glazing on the site, a sample of the frosted/opaque glazing to be used in the east elevation and the side panels of the angled feature window shall be submitted to the local planning authority and agreed in writing. The elevation shall be completed using the agreed materials and thereafter retained as so installed.

18.                The glazing on the east elevation shall be completed in strict accordance     with the details shown in the approved plan. Those areas shown to be obscurely glazed shall be non-opening and remain as such in perpetuity

19.                No individual dwelling hereby approved shall be occupied until the optional           requirement for water consumption (110 litres use per person per day) in Part G of the Building Regulations has been complied with for that dwelling.

20.                No development shall take place within the area indicated [the whole site] until the implementation of a programme of archaeological work has been secured, in accordance with a Written Scheme of Investigation which has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

The scheme of investigation shall include an assessment of significance and research questions; and:

               a. The programme and methodology of site investigation    and recording

               b. The programme for post investigation assessment

               c. Provision to be made for analysis of the site          investigation         and recording The Archaeological Service

                              d.           Provision to be made for publication and dissemination of         the analysis and records of the site investigation

                              e. Provision to be made for archive deposition of the analysis       and records of the site investigation

                              f. Nomination of a competent person or persons/organisation      to undertake the works set out within the Written Scheme of     Investigation.

               g.           The site investigation shall be completed prior to   development, or in such other phased   arrangement, as    agreed and approved in writing by the Local Planning          Authority.

21.                No buildings shall be occupied until the site investigation and post investigation assessment has been completed, submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, in accordance with the programme set out in the Written Scheme of Investigation approved under Condition 21 and the provision made for analysis, publication and dissemination of results and archive deposition.

22.                Secure the provision of the waste management scheme in accordance with the submitted details

23.                All HGV and construction traffic movements to and from the site over the duration of the construction period shall be subject to a Deliveries Management Plan which shall be submitted to the planning authority for approval a minimum of 28 days before any deliveries of materials commence.  No HGV movements shall be permitted to and from the site other than in accordance with the routes defined in the Plan and material and equipment shall only be stored in accordance with the locations defined in the plan. Any damage to the highway infrastructure, including footway and kerbs, shall be made good before first occupation and before and after photographs will be required. The site operator shall maintain a register of complaints and record of actions taken to deal with such complaints at the site office as specified in the Plan throughout the period of occupation of the site.