Agenda item

To consider a report of the Chief Planning Officer on an application for the demolition of the existing public house and erection of single storey A1 retail unit

(report attached)

  (Having declared a personal and prejudicial interest, Councillor Nash withdrew from the meeting)

Plans, drawings and photographs were displayed at the meeting.  A site visit had taken place earlier in the day which some Members had attended

  The Panel’s Lead Officer presented the report and stated that the site which fronted on to Elland Road Churwell, was a former public house which was surrounded on three sides by residential properties and was close to shops and other, mixed use properties

  In terms of the principle of development, the site was located outside of a designated centre so the policy would be to resist such development.  However policy S9 of the UDP (Review) 2006 accepted small retail developments outside S1, S2 and local centres.  Officers had taken the view that the proposals were for a ‘top-up’ style store and by definition it would be sited in the locality of the population it would serve.  It was felt that the development would not compete with local centres and was an opportunity to improve the range of shops in the area

  Members were informed that the existing public house could be put into retail use without needing planning permission from the Council so there was nothing to prevent the applicant from taking over the premises for this use.  Instead what was being proposed was a purpose built single storey mini market which would be constructed of brick and render with a hipped, tiled roof

  The existing access from the north west corner of the site would be retained for both service and customer vehicles and car parking for 21 cars would be provided

  A mosaic sign on the public house would be removed and retained within the proposed stone wall on the corner of the site;  the public house sign had been promised by the applicant to the Churwell Action Group for keeping in their historic archive

  Officers reported the receipt of additional representations, one supporting the proposals, and two objecting to the proposals

  If minded to grant permission, the Panel’s Lead Officer requested that the final decision be deferred and delegated to the Chief Planning Officer to allow for further discussions on the Sunday trading hours

  The Panel heard representations from a representative of the Churwell Action Group and an objector who attended the meeting

  Panel discussed the following matters:

·  the need for a condition to be included requiring training and employment of local people

·  the need for a residents’ permit parking scheme in the area and whether an appropriate contribution could be requested from the applicant for this

·  that the freestanding pub sign (excluding menu board) should be retained on the site

·  concerns at the impact of the development on highways, particularly during morning and evening peak traffic

·  the need for the site to be developed

The Panel’s Lead Officer stated that a condition to cover local training

and employment could be included.  Regarding residents’ parking, a contribution could be sought from the applicant towards a scheme to mitigate against the impact of on street parking arising from the development

  RESOLVED -  To approve the application in principle and to defer and delegate final approval to the Chief Planning Officer, subject to the conditions set out in the submitted report; additional conditions for the provision of a scheme for local employment and training and details of the existing and proposed floor levels and bollard levels to be submitted for approval; the requirement for the applicant to enter into an agreement for a contribution towards a scheme to mitigate against the impact of on-street parking resulting from the development;  the submission of revised details of the design of the access layout and further discussions in respect of the retention of the public house sign and Sunday trading hours and in the event these issues cannot be resolved, to request the Chief Planning Officer to refer the application back to Panel for determination

(Following consideration of this item, Councillor Nash resumed her seat in the meeting)