Flats plan 'not 100 per cent ideal' but wins approval

The former Cafe Sport building, in Station Road, already had permission to convert the existing ground and first floor levels into 12 flats, under development rights which do not need conventional planning permission.

A previous application would have raised the roof height to put an extra five flats on a new second floor, but the council rejected that application on the grounds it could, potentially, overshadow neighbours.

A planning inspector upheld the decision when an appeal against the council was submitted, and a fresh application was drawn up, using an asymmetrical roof-line, to overcome the overshadowing concerns.

Planning officers recommended the application for approval, though a neighbour appeared to speak at a meeting of the planning board, raising concerns about car parking, a lack of privacy and the impact of having more residents in an already busy neighbourhood.

Another wrote to the board, expressing similar concerns.

The building’s position means there is no opportunity to provide parking for residents, but planning officials stated that because of public parking space nearby, access to public transport and the proximity of local shops, they were satisfied the site was ‘sustainable’ and as such did not need bespoke parking.

Councillors on the board questioned that advice and were told that under normal planning arrangements, the expectation would be that each flat would have 1.5 parking spaces in such a development.

However, they were told that planning guidelines provided the opportunity to sidestep that benchmark, when the location was regarded as suitable, with councillors told: “It is not 100 per cent ideal, but taking everything into account, we feel we can support it.”

Cllr David Fisher told the meeting that the development could create “residential unrest” in the neighbourhood, due to “tensions” over parking.

“We are creating an issue, potentially,” he said.

Questions were also raised about access for builders during construction work, though planning conditions imposed as part of the approval seek to control that.