COMMITTEE DATE: 06/09/2010
Application Reference: / 10/0689WARD: / Claremont
DATE REGISTERED: / 18/06/10
LOCAL PLAN ALLOCATION: / Neighbourhood action plans
APPLICATION TYPE: / Full Planning Permission
APPLICANT: / Mr Rimmer
PROPOSAL: / Erection of a two-storey detached building comprising a retail unit at ground floor (Use Class A1) with 2no x 2 bed and 2no x 1 bed self contained permanent flats at first floor utilising existing vehicle accesses from Dickson Road and incorporating service yard, car and cycle parking and boundary treatment.
LOCATION: / 197 DICKSON ROAD, BLACKPOOL, FY1 2HQ
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CASE OFFICER
M Shaw
SITE DESCRIPTION
The site is at the north east corner of Dickson Road and Imperial Street and is the former Imperial Service Station which was last in use approximately 5 years ago. The canopy and pumps have been removed and all that remains is the former sales kiosk building located abutting the southern boundary with Imperial Street. The site is at the present time being used as a hand car wash without the benefit of planning permission and enforcement action is pending due to the poor condition of the site, although it is understood a retrospective planning application will shortly be submitted to tidy up the site and continue this use.
Adjoining to the rear of the site and accessed from Imperial Street is a two-storey block of eight permanent flats. Also to the rear and accessed from Dickson Road are two industrial units in use as car repair workshop and printing business respectively, and to the north of the application site is the Kwik Fit tyre and exhaust centre. The two industrial units to the rear share an access with the application site from Dickson Road, the application site also has a second, independent access onto Dickson Road. The rear elevation of the Grade II Listed Imperial Hotel faces the site on the opposite side of Dickson Road.
The site is approximately 180 metres to the south of the Dickson Road local centre and approximately 260 metres to the north of the Egerton Road local centre as defined in the Blackpool Local Plan 2001-2016.
It is anticipated the Committee will have visited the site on 6th September 2010.
DETAILS OF PROPOSAL
This application is a revision of planning application 08/0567 and 08/1293 both of which involved the erection of a Class A1 single storey retail store on the site with a gross floorspace of 375 sqm and 332 sqm respectively. Both applications were refused by the Development Control Committee on 21st October 2008 and 24th February 2009 respectively as being contrary to Policy BH16 of the Blackpool Local Plan (application 08/1292 also made reference to Policies BH1, BH12 and BH14 in the refusal)
The application site also has had the benefit of two residential planning permissions for 15 flats and 22 flats respectively under application reference numbers 05/0774 and 07/0160 granted in 2005 and 2007, although both these permissions have now expired.
This current application seeks detailed approval for the erection of a two storey building comprising a Class A1 retail store on the ground floor of some 382 gross square metres of floorspace (269 sqm net floorspace) with four self contained flats above. Two of the flats have two bedrooms and two have one bedroom. The development would include a 12 space car park (including two mobility spaces), cycle parking and a servicing area at the northern end of the site. The proposal also includes the provision of air conditioning and condenser units located within the service yard.
The proposed development would be built abutting the rear (eastern) boundary with the front elevation facing Dickson Road overlooking the car park. In terms of appearance the building would consist of brick and rendered walls and a flat roof. An enclosed staircase at the southern end of the building (adjacent Imperial Street) provides access to the flats onto an external walkway located on the front elevation at first floor level. Amended plans have been submitted which improve the design and appearance of the proposed building.
The shared access with the two adjoining industrial units would form the entrance into the site and the second, independent access directly onto Dickson Road would form the exit.
The application is accompanied by a planning and economic development statement, an environmental noise assessment, a simple transport assessment, a design and access statement, and details of the air conditioning and condensers units.
MAIN PLANNING ISSUES
· Principle of Retail Development
· Impact on Residential Amenity/ Residential Amenity of Future Occupants
· Vehicle Access/ Car Parking/ Accessibility
· Design & Appearance of Building and Landscaping
CONSULTATIONS
Head of Transportation- No objection although the number of spaces is low for a development of this nature, and no parking has been provided for the occupiers of the flats. To promote sustainable travel the nearest bus stop should be up-graded.
A traffic order should be introduced on Dickson Road to improve visibility for vehicles exiting the site. Servicing should take place outside peak hours (before 7-30am and after 6-30pm) to reduce conflict with shoppers and to maintain the availability of the parking spaces as the swept path will remove 4 spaces.
Head of Housing & Environmental Protection Services- any comments will be reported in the update note
Assistant Director of Street Scene- any comments will be reported in the update note
Head of Housing & Environmental Protection (Contaminated Land) - as the site was previously a petrol station a contaminated land condition is required.
PUBLICITY AND REPRESENTATIONS
Neighbours notified 22nd June 2010
Site Notices posted 1st July 2010
Notice in Gazette on 29th June 2010
Four letters of objection have been received from 190-192 Dickson Road, The Spar at 317 Dickson Road, Janet Dixon (Planning Consultant) on behalf of Spar, The Lemon Tree at 204-206 Dickson Road and a petition with 65 signatures. The grounds of objection are as follows:-
· the owner of The Lemon Tree (a fruit and veg shop) states should permission be granted to Tesco her business would be affected immediately. She has invested a great deal of time and money establishing a much needed shop for the local community. The proposed shop would not bring anything new to the area. She has also opened a pet food shop and Tesco would close the shops within weeks. No one wishes to see Dickson Road full of empty, boarded up shops.
· in the immediate radius of the site there are a multitude of independent shops including greengrocers, newsagents, food and sandwich outlets, off licences, a pet shop and other businesses. All these local traders would struggle to compete with a large multi-national on the doorstep.
· In the application it states 31 part time staff maybe employed but this is belittled by the fact that 50 local businesses would be directly affected. These independent traders employ over 120 people from the local community. Nobody wants to see deserted shops that cannot be filled.
· No one objects to affordable sustainable housing being provided as this would help generate the local housing market.
· the owners of the Spar shop are unhappy with what are considered misleading facts in the application submission. It is unclear from the submission whether the jobs being created are full or part time. A 10% reduction in the turnover of existing stores may mean 10% of staff being lost. The submission states the Spar store does not cater for local needs (which it has done for 50 years) and there are also inaccuracies regarding the range of products that are sold at the store.
· There are believed to be sufficient existing choice and services to cater for the local community. What is needed is more quality housing and therefore more potential customers.
· One resident of over 13 years states he has seen the area go into decline who feels a multi-national would not be advantageous to the area as many independent shops would lose their businesses.
· Vacant shops may create a ghetto like atmosphere as gangs of kids sometimes congregate at night.
· Janet Dixon (on behalf of Spar) states the retail element of this application is the same as that refused by the Council late in 2008 and dismissed on appeal only 9 months ago and there has not been a change in broad policy since. The addition of four flats does not suddenly make the development a mixed one nor does it make a previously inappropriate scheme suddenly acceptable. If anything it adds to the congestion on site where servicing and space is already very restricted, and it would produce a poor environment for occupiers of the flats. She goes onto state the cosmetic improvement does not outweigh the policy impacts nor other adverse impacts, as it will be at the expense of other properties in the local centres where neglect and under investment will follow. There is still a valid permission to re-develop the site which would achieve the desired improvement. The Spar shop is two shops knocked into one giving a floor area of 140 sqm not 69 sqm as stated. The applicant’s criticism of the Inspector’s site visit being in 'winter' is incorrect as the 15th September is not winter but the height of the Illuminations season. It is her view that the reasons for the appeal being dismissed only nine months ago are still sound and there has not been a change of circumstances to warrant a different view.
A letter of support has been received from Choice Hotels (they own 2 hotels within 1 km of the site) and consider any application which improves the general aspect of the area is greatly welcomed. In recent years it has become increasingly difficult to operate and attract holidaymakers and corporate clients, not helped by the area to the rear of the Promenade containing a number of empty premises and run down buildings.
This site has been an eyesore for a number of years and is not a welcoming view for any visitor to the area. The development of this site is aesthetically essential for any to the area and a retail outlet would be beneficial to residents and visitors alike and also create much needed employment in the area.
NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY AND GUIDANCE
Planning Policy Statement 4 'Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth'
SAVED POLICIES: BLACKPOOL LOCAL PLAN 2001-2016
LQ1- Lifting the Quality of Design
LQ2- Site Context
LQ3- Layout of Streets and Spaces
LQ4- Building Design
LQ6- Landscape Design and Biodiversity
BH1- Neighbourhoods
BH3- Residential and Visitor Amenity
BH4- Public Health and Safety
BH11- Shopping and Supporting Uses- Overall Approach
BH12- Retail Development and Supporting Town Centre Uses
BH13- District Centres
BH14- Local Centres
BH15- Change of Use of Premises Outside of Defined Centres
BH16- Proposed Shopping Development Outside Existing Frontages
AS1- General Development Requirements (Accessibility)
EMERGING PLANNING POLICY
Core Strategy Preferred Option (April 2010) -
G1- Neighbourhood Regeneration
G2- Town wide Shopping and Community Facilities
ASSESSMENT
Principle of Retail Development-
This out of centre site lies approximately 180 metres to the south of the Dickson Road local centre and 260 metres from the Egerton Road local centre. The former use of the site was as a petrol filling station and is currently being used as a hand car wash, although without the benefit of planning permission. The petrol filling station included an ancillary retail area of approximately 50 sq metres. This shop, as is typical of such uses, did include a small range of incidental convenience goods as part of its offer, but the limited ancillary retail area most specifically was for the sale of garage/ vehicle related products. The current proposal involves the creation of a 382 sqm gross floorspace (269 sqm retail area) with associated car parking.
Relevant Policy
The Government’s Planning Policy Statement 4 'Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth' encourages sustainable economic development. It identifies that Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) should weigh market and economic information alongside environmental and social information, taking account of longer term benefits. However, for the case of planning applications affecting shops in local centres, it specifically states that LPAs should refuse planning applications which fail to protect existing facilities which provide for people's day-to-day needs.
Policy BH12 of the Blackpool Local Plan - Retail Development and Supporting Town Centre Uses states -
Proposals for the development of retail, cultural, community and other key town centre community uses which attract a lot of people, including extensions and changes of use, will be focussed on Blackpool Town Centre, and in other existing centres appropriate to their scale and catchment. Such uses will only be permitted elsewhere where all the following criteria are met:
(a) There is a demonstrated need for the development.
(b) The proposal either by itself, or cumulatively with other recent and committed developments, would not cause material harm Blackpool Town Centre, district and local centres, or any other nearby town centre.
(c) The development would not undermine the Council’s strategies and proposals for regenerating such centres.
(d) The proposal is located in accordance with the sequential test, having regard to the need for flexibility of format, design and scale. First preference is for locations in appropriate existing centres, followed by edge of centre sites, and only then out of centre sites.