Agenda item

Change of use from 1 no. former dwelling and 1 no. hotel (as consented under LPA reference E/86/2066/P) to a mixed use, restaurant and small hotel to provide 9 guest bedrooms and 2 staff bedrooms in the basement (Class C1); (ii) single storey rear extension (following demolition of existing extension and garage); and (iii) new car park and landscaped gardens to the rear of the property providing 13 car parking spaces for customer use and alterations to parking at the front of the property to provide 5 parking spaces at Ounce House, 13-14 Northgate Street, Bury St. Edmunds for the Chestnut Group.

Report No. DEV/SE/15/68

(i) Change of use from 1 no. former dwelling and 1 no. hotel (as consented under Local Planning Authority reference E/86/2066/P) to a mixed use, restaurant and small hotel to provide 9 guest bedrooms and 2 staff bedrooms in the basement (Class C1); (ii) single storey rear extension (following demolition of existing extension and garage); and (iii) new car park and landscaped gardens to the rear of the property providing 13 car parking spaces for customer use and alterations to parking at the front of the property to provide 5 parking spaces at Ounce House,14 Northgate Street, Bury St. Edmunds for the Chestnut Group.

(Councillor Patsy Warby declared a local non-pecuniary interest as a Member of Bury St Edmunds Town Council and advised that, previous to this meeting, she had voted on the proposal at a meeting of that body.  She spoke on the proposal as Ward Member during the public speaking session to represent the views of persons in her ward who had contacted her but she withdrew from the meeting for the remainder of the consideration of the item.)

The Committee had visited the site on 26 November 2015.

A Committee Update Report had been previously circulated after the agenda and papers for this meeting had been distributed.  This gave details of representations received following re-consultation on the proposal as a consequence of an amendment to its description and also from Councillor Diane Hind as Ward Member for Northgate.  Responses to points raised by these representation were also included.  An amendment to the proposed Condition 11, Restaurant Use, and an additional proposed condition relating to a Hard Landscaping Scheme were also detailed in the update.  Officers in presenting the report proposed a further condition which would require the submission of building materials to be used for approval.

The following persons spoke on this application:

(a)     Objector                -        Michael Apichella

(b)     Supporter              -        Mr Simon Pott

(c)     Town Council         -        Councillor Tom Murray

(d)     Ward Member        -        Councillor Patsy Warby

(e)     Applicants             -        Philip Turner

In discussing the application Members noted the views of the objectors and their perception that there would be loss of residential amenity for them, particularly in the rear gardens of neighbouring houses which had a relatively quiet ambience for a town centre location.  However, it was acknowledged that Ounce House had been used as a hotel/bed & breakfast accommodation with a restaurant for a number of years previously, properties in Northgate Street contained a mix of commercial and residential uses and the extent of existing noise levels created by traffic use of  this road, were all factors to be taken into account. Some Members expressed concern about the large amount of car parking to be provided and also the adequacy of the vehicular accesses, one of which was narrow and the other being shared with an adjoining property.  In response to Members’ questions Officers advised that:

(i)      the proposed car parking arrangement met the highway authority’s standards and it was the applicants’ wish to provide on-site parking for residents/diners; and

(ii)     the draft Operational Management Plan referred to in the written report was available as a background document on the Council’s website.

Decision

Permission  be granted subject to:

(1)     the amendment of Condition 11 (Closing times of the restaurant) as stated in Paragraph 6 of the Committee Update Report;

(2)     the addition of a further Condition 13 (Details of Hard Landscaping Scheme) as contained in Paragraph 8 of the Committee Update Report; and

(3)     the addition of a further standard condition requiring materials to be agreed.