Agenda item

Demolition of existing row of garages located to the north of Rahere House and demolition of 9 existing single storey studio units located to the south of Turnpike House. Change of use of the west section of the Moreland School site to residential use. Erection of 6 new buildings, providing 140 new residential units and a community centre, comprising: Block B – a 3 storey terrace of 10 x 3-bedroom and 1 x 2-bed houses for social rent located to the north of Rahere House; Block C – a 4 storey building located to the west of Rahere House providing a 167sqm community centre together with 13 flats for social rent, comprising 1 x 3-bedroom and 12 x 2-bedroom flats; Blocks D1 & D2 – a 7 storey over basement building and 5 storey

building located on the west section of the school site, providing a 21sqm retail unit and 69 flats for social rent, shared ownership and private market sale, comprising 1 x 3-bedroom, 52 x 2-bedroom, and 16 x 1-bedroom flats; Block E, a part 3-, part-5 storey building located to the north of Turnpike House providing 25 flats for social rent over 55’s independent living, comprising 9 x 2-bedroom and 16 x 1-bedroom flats; Block F – a part 3, part 4 storey building located to the south of Turnpike House providing 22 flats for social rent comprising 13 x 2-bedroom and 9 x 1-bedroom flats. Alterations to ground floor of Rahere House to provide improved nursery facilities. Comprehensive hard and soft landscaping across the site including: relocation of vehicular access from Central Street, re-provision of 81 parking spaces including 20 wheelchair accessible spaces, creation of new bin store enclosures and cycle parking for existing residents, and creation of a community garden and growing space. The scheme would provide 98 affordable homes which equates to 70% by unit.

(Planning application number: P2014/5216/FUL)

In the discussion the following points were made:

·         Most of the garages were in use and those with garages would be allocated a new parking space.

·         The size of the units reflected immediate need of residents on the waiting list for homes.

·         Daylight would be reduced to five windows in Masons Yard. Four of these were windows to corridors and one was to a habitable room at lower ground floor level which currently had a low level of lighting. The applicant was willing to discuss options to reduce the height of the party wall by the window to the lower ground flat.

·         Privacy screens to Blocks C, D1 and D2 had been conditioned and details were required to be submitted to and agreed by officers.

Councillor Klute proposed a motion to amend Condition 32 to move the location of the bicycle shed so it did not provide access to the wall. This was seconded by Councillor Fletcher and carried.

Councillor Klute proposed a motion to amend the director’s letter to require the applicant to take reasonable endeavours to reduce the height of the wall by the lower ground floor window to Masons Yard.

RESOLVED:

That planning permission be granted subject to a Directors’ Agreement between Housing and Adult Social Services and Environment and Regeneration or Planning and Development in order to secure the following planning obligations to the satisfaction of the Head of Law and Public Services and the Service Director, Planning and Development/Head of Service – Development Management as amended above, the wording of which was delegated to officers  and subject to the conditions and informatives in the case officer’s report with condition 32 as amended above, the wording of which was delegated to officers.