Agenda item

Conversion of ground floor Hair and Beauty Salon into two residential flats, internal and external works including alteration to shopfront to create separate door to first floor flat and changing rear window at rear to a pair of doors (resubmission of 16/10286/FUL)

Public Participation

Peter Grist (Agent) spoke in support of the application

Ian Pratt spoke in support of the application

 

The Senior Planning Officer, Lucy Minting introduced the report which detailed two applications.

 

17/10715/FUL for the Conversion of ground floor Hair and Beauty Salon into two residential flats, internal and external works including alteration to shopfront to create separate door to first floor flat and changing rear window at rear to a pair of doors (resubmission of 16/10286/FUL).

 

And 17/11125/LBC for the conversion of ground floor Hair and Beauty Salon into two residential flats, internal and external works including changing window at rear to a pair of doors & alteration to shopfront (replacement shop front and separate door to first floor flat approved under S/2005/0251) resubmission of 16/10439/LBC.

 

The bedsit has a window over South Street, the window was required to be triple glazed.

 

Marketing evidence had been provided.

 

The applications were recommended for approval with conditions.

 

There were no technical questions to the Officer. 

 

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

 

The Division Member Cllr Church was represented by Cllr Wayman. Cllr Wayman spoke in objection to the application, noting that the population increase in Wilton associated with the extra new homes would result in an increase of catchment by a further 50% next year, and had already increased by 20% over the last 2 years. Once premises were converted from commercial to residential they were changed forever. The lack of parking in the town meant that the proposal would put further strain on the area.

 

Cllr Dean noted that the last application appeared to be a compromise, with the retail element kept. This application would remove the retail element entirely. The applicant did not have the ability to test the previously approved retail provision. He felt this application was over development. There was pressure on on-street parking in that area. The proposals did not enhance the conservation area or the listed building.

 

Cllr Dean then moved the motion of refusal, against Officers recommendation, this was seconded by Cllr Hewitt.

 

A debate then followed, where they key issues raised included that the small retail unit should be marketed before the applicant attempted to change the use to residential.

 

The Committee then voted on the motion of refusal against Officer recommendation.

 

Resolved

That application 17/10715/FUL be refused for the following reasons:

 

(1) At the heart of the NPPF is a presumption in favour of sustainable development and the Adopted Wiltshire Core Strategy seeks to build resilient communities and support rural communities but this must not be at the expense of sustainable development principles. The Settlement and Delivery Strategies of the Core Strategy are designed to ensure new development fulfils the fundamental principles of sustainability. This means focusing growth around settlements with a range of facilities, where local housing, service and employment needs can be met in a sustainable manner.

 

Core Policy 49 is the policy of the adopted Wiltshire Core Strategy that is considered to carry the most material weight in this case. Core policy 49 sets out several key tests against which applications for planning permission resulting in a change of use of a local facility must be assessed. The overall objective of this policy is the retention of existing facilities and services as they are very important to communities and thus, their retention is strongly encouraged.

 

The site is also centrally located within Wilton close to all other shops and range of facilities and is therefore especially desirable to retain as a community service or facility.

 

Core Policy 49 states ‘Redevelopment for non-community service/ facility use will only be permitted as a last resort and where all other preferable options have been exhausted’. 

 

The policy requires demonstration via marketing that the building is no longer economically viable for an alternative community use before proposals involving the loss of a community service or facility will be supported.  The policy states that preference will be given to retaining the existing use in the first instance, then for an alternative community use and where this is not possible, a mixed use, which still retains a substantial portion of the community facility/service will be supported.

 

Planning permission has been granted under 18/00842/FUL for conversion of part of the ground floor retail unit into a 2 bedroom flat, but retaining a smaller retail unit to the South Street frontage.  Whilst No 2 South Street has been marketed in its entirety, the smaller retail unit as approved under 18/00842/FUL has not been marketed.

 

Insufficient evidence has therefore been submitted (in the form of comprehensive marketing) to demonstrate that the smaller retail unit granted under 18/00842/FUL is not economically viable for use as an A1 use or an alternative community service/facility use. 

 

The loss of this use undermines the retail character and harms the viability and vitality of Wilton and is contrary to Core Policy 49 which aims to protect rural services and community facilities to ensure that settlements meet the needs of their residents.

 

It is also considered that the proposals for conversion of the ground floor into two residential units will result in a total of 3 residential units on a constrained site with limited outdoor amenity space also amounts to an overdevelopment of the site.

 

It follows that the proposal is contrary to Core Policies 1, 2, 4, 49 and 57 in that it would deliver development which does not accord with the Settlement and Delivery Strategies of the Core Strategy. The Strategies are designed to ensure new development fulfils the fundamental principles of sustainability and so it follows that where development such as this would not accord with the Strategies, it is unsustainable in this defining and overarching context.

 

In relation to application 17/11125/LBC, Councillor Westmoreland then moved the motion of approval in line with Officer recommendation. Tis was seconded by Cllr Hewitt.

 

The Committee then voted on the motion of approval.

 

Resolved

That application 17/11125/LBC be approved in line with Officer recommendation, with conditions:

 

(1) The works for which Listed Building Consent is hereby granted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this consent.

 

REASON: To comply with the provisions of Section 18 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

 

(2) The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans:

Plan Reference: 1:100 scale Proposed South West elevation, received by this office 01/11/2017

Plan Reference: 1:100 scale Proposed South East elevation and Ground floor plan, received by this office 01/11/2017

Plan Reference: 1:1250 scale Location Plan, received by this office 01/11/2017

 

REASON: For the avoidance of doubt and in the interests of proper planning.

 

(3) No development shall commence on site until large scale details of the acoustic triple glazing with acoustic trickle vents to be installed to the bedsit facing South Street Wilton (1:2 scale vertical and horizontal cross-sections through the frame and glass and 1:10 scale elevations) have been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority.  The agreed acoustic glazing shall be installed in accordance with the approved details prior to the first occupation of the bedsit hereby approved and shall be maintained at all times thereafter.

 

REASON: The application contained insufficient information to enable this matter to be considered prior to granting listed building consent and the matter is required to be agreed with the Local Planning Authority before development commences in order that the development is undertaken in an acceptable manner, in the interests of preserving the character and appearance of the listed building and its setting.