Agenda item

Report No: DEV/WS/20/026

Planning Application - (i) change of use from guest house (Class C1) to house of multiple occupancy (Sui Generis) (ii) conversion of outbuilding to additional self-contained unit of living accommodation

(Councillor Peter Stevens declared a non-pecuniary interest in this item in view of being the relevant Portfolio Houlder under which the application in question fell.  He stated that he would not take part in the item and would abstain from the voting thereon.)

Planning Application - (i) change of use from guest house (Class C1) to house of multiple occupancy (Sui Generis) (ii) conversion of outbuilding to additional self-contained unit of living accommodation

This application was referred to the Development Control Committee in view of it having been submitted by West Suffolk Council.

Bury St Edmunds Town Council had raised no objections to the scheme and the Officer was recommending that the application be approved, subject to conditions as set out in Paragraph 66 of Report No DEV/WS/20/026.

Prior to the Planning Officer making his presentation the Service Manager (Planning – Development) addressed the Committee in response to an email that had been sent to Members on the evening prior, from a third party who objected to the application. 

The Committee were advised that there were no new material factors raised in the correspondence that prevented Members determining the application before them.

As part of his presentation the Planning Officer included videos of the site which he took the Committee through by way of a virtual ‘site visit’.

Attention was drawn to Paragraph 21 of the report where objections from a neighbouring resident had been summarised.  The Planning Officer responded to each of the points and offered further explanation where necessary.

Speaker:      Tony McCourt (supporter) spoke in support of the application

Councillor John Burns raised some highways related concerns with the scheme.  In response to which, the Planning Officer drew attention to the section of his report where he set out in detail correspondence from Suffolk County Council Highway Authority.

Councillor Roger Dicker proposed that the application be approved, as per the Officer recommendation.  This was duly seconded by Councillor Ian Houlder.

Before being put to the vote the Service Manager (Planning – Development) advised the Committee that the National Planning Casework Unit (NPCU) had received a third party request for the Secretary of State to consider calling in the planning application and to consider whether this is appropriate or not.

Accordingly, whilst the Committee could resolve that the application be approved a decision could not be issued until the Secretary of State had decided whether to call in the planning application. 

Upon being put to the vote and with 12 voting for the motion, 2 against and with 2 abstentions, it was resolved that

Decision

Subject to the Secretary of State confirming whether or not to call in the planning application, planning permission be GRANTED subject to the following conditions:

1. Time Limit - 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 approved plans and documents.

          No occupation of the site shall commence until details in respect of the following has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority:

i) Details of the development that demonstrate that for each dwelling and its associated sound insulation that noise levels with windows closed shall not exceed a daytime level of 35 dB (16hrs) within living rooms between 07.00 and 23.00 hours, and a night-time level of 30 dB LAeq (8hrs) within bedrooms between 23.00 and 07.00 hours, using the methodology advocated within BS 8233:2014 Guidance on sound insulation and noise reduction for buildings (2014). The development shall adopt the proposed sound insulation measures as stated.

3. The wall frontage enclosure for one metre either side of the vehicle access shall be reduced to one metre above the level of the adjacent footway. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town & Country (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 (or any Order revoking and re-enacting that Order with or without modification) the wall as altered shall be retained thereafter at or below that height.
4. Refuse/recycling bins - The areas to be provided for storage of Refuse/Recycling bins as shown on Drawing No. 10914/PA/002 shall be provided in its entirety before the development is brought into use and shall be retained thereafter for no other purpose.
5. Parking and Manoeuvring - The use shall not commence until the areas within the site shown on Drawing No. 10914/PA/002 for the purposes of manoeuvring and parking of vehicles and for the purposes of cycle storage have been provided and thereafter that those areas shall be retained and used for no other

purposes.