Agenda item

To consider a report of the Chief Planning Officer on an application for change of use of offices to 16 self-contained student flats and extension of existing annex to form 9 self-contained student flats and related Listed Building application for internal and external alterations

(report attached)

  Plans, photographs, including historic images and drawings were displayed at the meeting.  A Members site visit had taken place earlier in the day.  A supplementary report which set out proposed conditions accompanied the main report

  Officers presented the report which related to a conversion of a Grade II Listed Building previously used for offices, to form 16 self-contained student flats and the extension of an existing annex to form a further 9 self-contained student flats at Burley House, Clarendon Road which was sited in a Conservation Area

  On the conversion of the Listed Building, Members were informed that work had been undertaken to try, through the conversion, to reinstate the existing room forms and characteristics of the original building.  The applicant had agreed to retain the timber panelled lobby area and board room, with the existing skirting boards; doors and cornicing being repaired and retained.  The windows would also be repaired and restored to a timber finish

  Details of the accommodation being proposed were outlined, with Members being informed that two of the units in the main building were smaller than would usually be supported at 22 – 23sqm.  However, as the scheme would retain the original form of the Listed Building and when considering the floor to ceiling heights of the rooms, the number and size of windows and the internal arrangements for normal residential functions, it was the view of Officers that on balance the level of amenity afforded to future residents of these two units would be acceptable

  In terms of the new build element, the applicant’s architect had updated the drawings to re-order the living arrangements, with the bedroom space now at the back of the units and living space at the front

  The design of this element was a deliberately discrete, low scale, flat roofed, modern building which would be of red brick with vertical detailing to compliment the styles of the neighbouring properties

  If minded to approve the application, an additional condition was proposed to control the height of the wall and secure an appropriate visibility splay adjacent to the proposed vehicle access

  The Design Team Manager informed Members that the inclusion of a flat roof on the new build extension was considered to be appropriate in this case in order to retain the view of the historic host building.  Members were also informed that the proposal would retain the Listed Building in viable use

  The Panel discussed the application, with the following key issues being raised:

·  the ownership of the disused shelter close to the site and whether the annex could be constructed if the shelter was retained

·  the window treatment to the main building and the possibility of providing double glazed units to windows which required replacing rather than repairing

·  the size of the smallest two flats; whether a mezzanine floor could be considered for the sleeping area; whether the windows could be realigned to the small flat on the top floor to create additional light or for a duplex arrangement to be considered

·  the extent of the retention of original features and whether this would include the front entrance and the fireplace

·  uncertainty about the form of the flat roof to the modern building; concern that the new extension looked large and was sited closer to the main building than the current extension, so masking much of the wall

·  that further design details - possibly vertical elements - should be introduced to the new extension to lessen its impact.  The possibility of the brickwork of the host building being cleaned was raised and the need to select carefully the shade of brickwork for the new extension, to ensure it complemented the Listed Building

·  that realigning the first floor windows on the new annex so that they were aligned with those on the ground floor would be one way of introducing verticality into the external appearance and should be considered

·  the need to ensure the space between the ground floor flat facing the annex is used to create a pleasant outlook for the occupier of that unit

The Chair invited a representative of the applicant to address points

raised by Members, with the following information being provided:

·  that the shelter, a former garage on the site in the 1930s, was not in the applicant’s ownership but was possibly in the ownership of the NHS; that this structure would be retained and would not be affected by the proposed new annex.  Members remained to be convinced on this matter and stated this would need further consideration

·  the smaller studio flats; that the escape stair would be removed to the second floor flat which would provide additional light.  In response to the suggestion that a duplex arrangement could be considered, although being willing to explore this, it was felt little space would be gained by doing this due to the need to take a staircase up through two units

In response to the other points raised by Members, Officers provided

the following information:

·  regarding window repairs on the host building, that for windows which needed replacing, that discussions could take place with the Council’s Conservation Officer and that replacement window units could be double glazed in the interests of sustainability

·  on the possibility of providing a mezzanine floor to help address the issues of the living space in the two smallest units, the Deputy Area Planning Manager advised this might not be possible due to the height restrictions

·  that along with the features previously mentioned, the front entrance would be retained as would the fireplace

In summing up the comments of the Panel, the Chair stated that the

proposals had been well received but that issues remained regarding double glazing to replacement windows in the Listed Building; the size of the two smallest flats and how these could be dealt with; the brick work on the new build element to match that of the Listed Building

The Head of Planning Services advised that these issues could be

 dealt with under delegated powers and recommended condition 22 of application 14/07273/FU be reworded, following discussions with the applicant to link it to the work on the Listed Building

  RESOLVED -  To defer and delegate to the Chief Planning Officer for approval of planning permission and listed building consent in principle, subject to the appropriate resolution of the internal layout of the 1^st floor flats in the new build annex; issues relating to double glazing of replacement windows; resolving the size/layout of the two smallest flats; further details of the method of construction of the annex to ensure retention of the adjacent shelter and subject to the conditions included in the supplementary report; additional conditions in respect of the brickwork of the new build annex to match the Listed Building; an additional condition to control the height of the wall and secure an appropriate visibility splay adjacent to the proposed vehicle access;  the rewording of condition 22 of application 14/07273/FU, as set out above (and any other conditions which he might consider appropriate)