Decision details

The Committee considered a Section 73 application which was to amend the approved plans of the consented Victoria Square development (PLAN/2014/0014).  The plans included most of the amendments previously approved under PLAN/2017/0006.  The proposed amendments are summarised below:

·                Provision of thirty seven additional residential units

·                Associated alteration to housing mix resulting in a higher proportion of studio (twenty seven additional) and one bedroom apartments (twenty nine additional) and a lower proportion of two bedroom flats (nineteen  fewer).

·                Provision of an additional escape stairwell on the eastern elevation of both residential Towers 1 and 2

·                Provision of three hundred and thirteen net additional parking spaces, which is sixty three fewer than the originally consented scheme but seventy nine more than the previously consented Section 73 application (PLAN/2017/0006)

·                Provision of larger full-deck extension to the Red Car Park

·                Decrease in height of the lift cores of Towers 1 and 2 by 1.3m and an increase in height of the main body of each tower by 0.8m

·                Increase in height of energy centre by 1.125m

·                Alterations to hotel including the provision of one fewer bedroom internal reconfigurations and external alterations to fenestration

·                Re-location of residents’ internal amenity space and creation of combined concierge and management facility

·                Re-location of cycle storage to single combined space at basement level with dedicated lift access

Councillor Morales asked whether the proposed additional bedsit and one bedroom flats size would meet the recommended minimum dwelling size space by the National Technical Housing Standards.  Councillor Morales also raised concerns on whether the newly adopted SPD Parking Standards of a minimum of two parking spaces per residential dwelling would be implemented, given that parking would not be provided for the vast majority of dwellings.  It was suggested that this would increase the demand for parking spaces for bikes.  Originally one cycle parking space had been allocated per flat.  Councillor Morales emphasised the importance of providing additional bike spaces for residents who did not have access to a vehicle.  Whilst  acknowledging the new minimum parking standards, the Planning Officer stated that allowance for reduced parking provision in the Town Centre was acceptable in certain circumstances.  An adequate space of 500sq meters had been proposed for allocated parking space. 

The Planning Officer suggested that the Committee could add an additional informative which would be to advise the applicant to comply with the Council’s new minimum Parking Standards as set out in the Council’s new Parking Standards and Supplementary Planning Document.  The Committee was supportive of the informative for the cycle parking spaces.

Some concern over the visual impact of the newly amended proposed balconies was raised.  Members also felt that the amended proposed plan had not been robust enough to pass criteria of being of an exceptional standard to support approval of the application.  The Planning Officer clarified that the additional balconies would not materially harm the appearance of the building and would provide additional amenity space for the dwellings.

Chris Dale reminded Members that refusal of the application had to be based on unreasonable grounds of an approved scheme. Chris Dale added that the most significant major change would be the additional dwellings.  Douglas Spinks endorsed Chris Dale’s comments  and also prompted Members on the importance of the proposed inclusion of the stairwells in each of the towers.  Douglas Spinks urged Members to support the application.

            RESOLVED

            That planning permission be granted subject to:

(i)            Amend wording of Conditions 50 & 51 as per Officers update; and

(ii)           Add an informative advising in discharging condition 32, the LPA would expect the application to comply with Council’s cycle parking standards as set out in the Parking Standards and Supplementary Planning Document.