Agenda item

Change of use of existing retail unit/storage for restaurant use, extensions, landscaping and public access onto Avon riverside path and servicing access. Demolition of 98 Crane Street and replacement building with gated access.

Public Participation

Margaret Reese spoke in Objection to the Application

John Collins spoke in Objection to the Application

Dan O’Boyle spoke in objection to the Application

Philip Villlars (Agent) spoke in support of the Application

The Senior Planning Officer introduced the application for Change of use of existing retail unit/storage for restaurant use, extensions, landscaping and public access onto Avon riverside path and servicing access. The application was recommended for Approval with conditions.

The site was in a conservation area and secondary shopping area.

The Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the Officer, it was noted that the vehicular entrance would be located on Crane Street, via a gated building, which was next to a protected wall. The conditions in the report included the inclusion of a scheme for safety bollards to protect the wall and the buildings either side.

Riverside walk was partly owned by the applicant and partly by SCC, which had indicated support for the proposals.

Members of the public then had the opportunity to present their views as detailed above.

The Unitary Division Member, Councillor Hoque was not in attendance

The Chairman; Cllr Westmoreland proposed approval in line with Officer’s recommendation. This was seconded by Cllr Devine.

The Committee discussed the application, noting that this part of the river front was a missed opportunity for development. However the vehicular access on Crane Street presented issues. Deliveries would either block the road or have difficulty turning in at that point of the narrowing road. The pedestrian path also crossed the route and vehicles using the access would not be able to see people using the path until they had driven out across it.

The site was a derelict site in the city centre, ripe for development, however the entrance on Crane Street did not work.

The motion for APPROVAL was not carried.

Cllr Clewer then moved REFUSAL against Officer’s recommendation for the following reasons:

·       Poor design of the proposed building and access onto Crane Street, and the subsequent impact on the area, contrary to CP57 & 58.

Resolved

That application 16/05643/FUL be REFUSED against Officer’s recommendation; for the following reasons:

·       Poor design of the proposed building and access onto Crane Street, and the subsequent impact on the area, contrary to CP57 & 58.

Reasons for Refusal:

98 Crane Street is an unlisted building in the Salisbury Conservation Area. The proposal requires the demolition of this building to provide service access for the development. The late 19th century exterior of the building makes a positive contribution to the streetscape and the setting of nearby listed buildings and the Conservation Area. The approach to the access from Crane Street is physically restricted on each side by the boundary wall to the Masonic Hall and the flank wall of 96 Crane Street, which is a Grade II listed building.

The proposed replacement building would be of a "gatehouse" design, with no specific proposed use or occupier. It would comprise a timber gated access on the ground floor to enable delivery vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes in size to access the delivery yard.

The design and functional requirements of the proposed replacement building mean that it would not provide the same quality of aesthetic value as the original building to be demolished. The replacement building attempts to retain elements of the mass and scale of the original building whilst also trying to articulate itself as a gatehouse, resulting in a confusion of architectural styles which is considered to be unsuitable for this sensitive location. The resulting change in character in the active, street frontage from a publicly accessible beauty salon to a gatehouse is considerable and would be detrimental to the streetscene. The necessary bollards or similar barrier scheme to protect adjacent buildings and structures from manoeuvring vehicles is also likely to appear cluttered within the streetscene.

98 Crane Street is considered to be a non designated heritage asset and its demolition and replacement as proposed is likely to have a negative impact on the character of the Conservation Area. There are no public benefits arising from the development that would outweigh this harm.  The proposal would therefore be contrary to the Wiltshire Core Strategy Core Policy 57 (i), (iii), (iv), (vi) and (ix), Core Policy 58, paragraphs 134, 135 and 128 of the NPPF and sections 66 and 72 of the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.