B/12/0136
BOSTON BOROUGH COUNCIL
Planning Committee 26 June 2012
Reference Number:
Application Type:
B/12/0156
Application Expiry Date
Outline Planning Permission
Proposal Description
At:
Outline application (with all matters reserved) for the erection of six, 3bedroomed houses following demolition of existing Drainage Board office
building
72 Carlton Road, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 8PB
For:
Mr Stuart Hemmings, Black Sluice IDB
Third Party Reps:
Author of Report:
Parish:
Ward Name:
Paul Edwards
Date of Report:
10 July 2012
Boston Town Area Committee
Staniland North
15 June 2012
MAIN RECOMMENDATION: GRANT outline planning permission
1.0
REASON FOR REPORT
1.1
This application has been reported to Committee in the light of neighbour
objections and although additional publicity will not have expired until two days
after the day of Committee the application would go out of time if it was
presented to the July meeting.
2.0
PROPOSAL AND BACKGROUND
2.1
The application site is the vacant premises and offices of the Black Sluice
Internal Drainage Board located on the west side of Carlton Road. The cross
roads junction of Carlton Road with Argyle/Fydell Street is approximately
120m to the north and the application site almost faces Albert Street, on the
east side of Carlton Road.
2.2
The property is a two storey double fronted detached building in red brick with
stone cills and plinths under a double hipped slate roof. Access is presently
taken along the north side of the building and there is hard surfacing and
parking areas to the north and west of the property, the area to the south is
laid out as a lawn behind a significant and previously pollarded poplar and
mixed hedge. The southern boundary of the site is defined by an adopted
footpath which leads from Carlton Road through to Bartol Crescent at the rear,
accessed off Brothertoft Road.
2.3
The application is in outline with all matters (access, appearance, landscaping,
layout and scale – the “reserved matters”) reserved for future
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submission and determination. The proposal is for the demolition of the
existing building and the erection of six, three bedroomed houses. An
indicative drawing shows three pairs of semi detached properties with
vehicular access from a point to the south of one of the pairs to serve a rear
parking and turning area for the benefit of all of the proposed houses. There is
no relevant planning history to the site; replacement windows were approved
in 2008.
3.0
RELEVANT POLICY BACKGROUND
3.1
The application site is within the defined development limits of Boston without
allocation, it is not within a Conservation Area and there are no listed buildings
in the vicinity of the site. The majority of the site is in the Danger for All hazard
category; with a depth of flooding in the range of 0.5m to 1m category whilst
the Council’s SFRA shows that the site has a low probability from all sources
of flooding.
3.2
In policy terms this is a windfall housing site to which saved Local Plan Policy
H2 applies. Policy H2 would permit housing within settlement development
limits subject to the satisfaction of criteria relating to no loss of open space or
a frontage which contributes significantly to the character of the area; that the
site is not too small to accommodate the development; the resultant properties
and curtilages are of a size and character which reflects current density and
that it does not constitute tandem or backland development.
3.3
Policy H3 relates to the quality of housing development with criteria relating to
the environment for residents; that the scheme is compatible in relation to
layout, density, design and materials with the existing; not close to an existing
use which could cause environmental problems and it will not aggravate traffic
conditions.
Policy G1: General Amenity reflects the criteria in those policies above.
Policy G6 requires satisfactory pedestrian and vehicular access.
4.0
REPRESENTATIONS
4.1
A petition with the signatures of four Carlton Road residents has been
received which objects to the application. The grounds relate to the existing
building being very fine, the only one of its type left on Carlton Road and that
to destroy it would down grade the area more than has happened with the
increase in traffic and footfall over the years since the school was built. Many
of the houses, they say, are in multiple occupation so they feel outnumbered
and must make a stand against loosing a grand house and gardens.
4.2
You are requested to resolve to receive the petition and take it into account in
your determination.
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4.3
Additional letters for Bartol Crescent residents have a ‘response by’ date of 28
June 2012. One resident has contacted the office by phone to say that there is
no objection assuming the footpath link is unaffected.
5.0
RELEVANT CONSULTATIONS
5.1
The Environment Agency has replied with comment that the application will
meet national guidance if the finished floor levels are raised 1m above existing
ground level and that the Flood Risk Assessment is implemented in
accordance with the submitted details. Conditions on any approval relating to
those matters are requested.
5.2
The County Highway Authority has responded with No Objections subject to
condition(s) to relate to the new vehicular access.
6.0
PLANNING ISSUES AND DISCUSSION
6.1
The application seeks permission, in principle for six new residential properties
on the site of these former offices. Although there is an indicative layout, this
would not form part of any determination, other than it is designed to show
that this is one way in which six properties may be satisfactorily
accommodated on the site. Similarly, the access is indicative and although I
am not convinced with the large rear car parking area, this does actually exist
at the moment but will be considered in detail at the time of any submission of
the reserved matters.
6.2
The Design and Access Statement (DAS) says that the indicative layout
shows the reinforcement of the character of Carlton Road given the existing
building line and that there is a mixture of semi detached and terraced
housing.
6.3
The intention to raise floor levels to 1m above existing is being investigated
given that the site is in a Low Probability of flooding category - although the
DAS does suggest that any new dwellings will have the same eaves height as
the existing building (7.4m) even with the raising of floor levels.
6.4
The density, with six on this site, would be ~33 dph and given the prevalence
of terraced properties on this side of the road; with semi detached and some
detached on the east side, this is an appropriate scale and can be in keeping
with the character of the area consistent with Policies H2 and H3. The
immediate neighbours to the north and south are both end of terrace
properties whilst the Bartol Crescent properties to the rear are semi detached
houses. Overall the footprint of the indicative proposals is similar to that which
exists; the terraces on this side of the road generally all have conjoined two
storey rear projections which give a uniform character.
6.5
The proposal is neither backland nor tandem development and the existing
frontage which comprises a rather dense hedge is neither open nor worthy of
protection under Policy H2. The demolition of the property in isolation of this
application would require ‘prior approval’ in order to exercise ‘permitted
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development’ rights but otherwise there is no protection of this unlisted
building outside of a Conservation Area. The reuse of the site and more
efficiently to provide housing in a sustainable location outweighs any local
interest the building mighty possess.
6.6
Carlton Road here has on street parking restrictions on both sides in the
vicinity of the site; it is relatively straight with good visibility and speed
restrictors across the carriageway. There are no highway objections to the
granting of outline planning permission.
6.7
The presumption in favour of sustainable development suggests that this
housing development of a suitable scale on previously developed land within
development limits of a major settlement resulting in more housing choice and
a more efficient use of land can be compliant with the NPPF.
7.0
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
7.1
At this outline stage the layout is purely indicative (but not the numbers) but it
does demonstrate that outline planning permission can be granted since it has
been demonstrated that the site is suitable for this type and scale or
development. The proposed numbers can be accommodated on this site and
the application, it is recommended, is compliant with Local Plan policies,
particularly Policies H2 and H3.
7.2
The publicity exercise does not finish until 28 June and thus the
recommendation is that you are Minded to Grant this application subject to the
standard and other outline conditions set out below, the resolution of the floor
raising issue, and that authority is delegated to the Development Control
Manager to release any permission after the expiry of the period unless any
new matters, which have not been previously considered by Committee are
received before 28 June.
8.0
RECOMMENDATION
A:
That Committee receives the petition and takes it into account in the
determination of the application, and
B:
Authority to Grant outline planning permission subject to the conditions
set out below is Delegated to the Development Control Manager upon the
expiry of the publicity period provided that no new matters which have not
already been considered by Committee are raised.
1. Approval of the details of access, appearance, landscaping, layout and
scale (hereinafter called “the reserved matters”) shall be obtained from the
local planning authority in writing before any development is commenced.
Reason: Required to be imposed pursuant to Section 92 of the Town and
Country Planning Act 1990.
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2. Application for approval of reserved matters shall be made to the local
planning authority not later than the expiration of three years from the date
of this permission.
Reason: Required to be imposed pursuant to Section 92 of the Town and
Country Planning Act 1990.
3. The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of
two years from the date of approval of the last of the reserved matters to
be approved.
Reason: Required to be imposed pursuant to Section 92 of the Town and
Country Planning Act 1990.
4. The development hereby approved shall be carried out in accordance with



the Design and Access Statement dated April 2012
the Flood Risk Assessment
approved Dwg no 0000/1 Site Plan
Reason: To ensure the development is undertaken in accordance with the
approved details and to accord with Adopted Local Plan Policies H2, H3, G1
and G6.
Reason for Granting Planning Permission
The application site is previously developed land within the development limits of a
major settlement and as such is a windfall housing site, the development of which
would be in accordance with saved Local Plan Polices H2, H3, G1 and G6. Subject
to the satisfactory consideration of the reserved matters there are no matters which
outweigh the principle of residential development and any local value the existing
building might have, which is un listed and not within a Conservation Area is
outweighed by the presumption in favour of sustainable development.
Policies
Boston Borough Local Plan
G1: Amenity
G6: Vehicular and pedetsrian access
H2: Windfall housing sites
H3: Quality of housing development
Paul Edwards
Development Control Manager
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Planning Committee Agenda - Planning Committee 26 June 2012
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