Appendix 19
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Our ref:
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Date:
PLA/20090777
SS45800002
01603 229345
01603 767223
james.alflatt@bidwells.co.uk
18 August 2010
Mr Geoff Lyon
Senior Planning Officer
North Norfolk District Council
Holt Road
Cromer
Norfolk
NR27 9EN
16 Upper King Street
Norwich
Norfolk NR3 1HA
t: 01603 763939
f: 01603 763899
bidwells.co.uk
By Email
Dear Mr Lyon
Planning Application Reference: PLA/20090777
Greenhouse Community Project, Land at Weybourne Road, Sheringham
Refurbishment of Existing Community Centre, Cromer Road, Sheringham
In response to your recent requests to clarify the materiality of the proposed refurbishment of the existing
Community Centre on Cromer Road, Sheringham in respect of the Weybourne Road application, on behalf of
the Greenhouse Community Project we would respond as follows.
The proposals for the existing Community Centre, which were launched at our recent consultation event in the
town, have no direct relationship with planning application PLA/20090777 which is currently under
consideration by the Local Planning Authority. The proposals do however form part of the wider Greenhouse
Community Project and its vision to provide a unique and pioneering proposal for Sheringham which responds
to local community needs.
As I'm sure you will appreciate, the existing Community Centre is located on a different site and does not form
part of our current planning application boundary. The proposed works to the Community Centre would
therefore be the subject of a separate planning application at the appropriate time.
As you may recall from our July newsletter, since the 4 March Committee and the decision to refuse the
Cromer Road Scheme and approve the Weybourne Road scheme, there have been concerns raised by the
Sheringham community that the town would potentially lose out on a new Community Centre. As you are
aware, the relocation of the Community Centre to an out of town centre location along Holway Road forms part
of the wider package of proposals connected to the Cromer Road scheme.
In response to this community concern, the Greenhouse Community Project has responded positively
proposing that, once the committee decisions to refuse the Cromer Road scheme and to approve the
Weybourne Road scheme are formally ratified, the necessary funding will be provided by the Greenhouse
Community Project to totally refurbish and remodel the current Community Centre to meet modern
requirements on its existing town centre site without any cost to the Town Council or local taxpayer. The
intention is that Sheringham Town Council would own and operate the new Community Centre.
EG Property Advisor of the Year 2009 – Eastern Region
Bidwells is trading name of Bidwells LLP, a limited liability partnership,
registered in England and Wales with number OC344553.
Registered office: Bidwell House Trumpington Road Cambridge CB2 9LD
A list of members is available for inspection at the above address
(19.1)
Appendix 19
Sheringham Community Centre
18 August 2010
Page 2
As outlined in our July newsletter, the revitalised Community Centre would include the following:
Sprung floors for sports/dance activities;
Event catering for up to 200 people
Full disabled access and lift to upper floor
Sustainable low-cost heating and lighting
All-weather, floodlit sports pitch with new changing and shower facilities
Option for Town Council offices and meeting rooms
Fully soundproofed
New equipment throughout
The new proposals were presented to Sheringham Town Council at their full Council meeting on 6 July 2010,
at which the Town Council, by recorded vote, unanimously agreed to support in principle the Greenhouse
Community Project proposal to provide Sheringham with a new Community Centre on the existing site and for
the ownership to be passed to the Town Council. In response to this agreement, the Town Council has now
formulated a Community Centre Committee exclusively to look at all the issues relating to a new Community
Centre on this site.
Following the approval of the Town Council to proceed with this proposal, specialist advisors are now working
on behalf of Sheringham Town Council to approach the current landowner (Norfolk County Council) to discuss
the possibility of acquiring this facility. Any transaction would be between the two Councils.
In our view, the loss of a well located and connected community facility on the Cromer Road site is a material
consideration weighing against the Cromer Road scheme. Even though an alternative is proposed at Holway
Road, this is much less advantageous to users and is more likely to give rise to car use in order to gain access.
Given the proposals which we have described above, it seems to us reasonable to conclude that if the Cromer
Road proposal is rejected, then the existing community facility is likely to be upgraded to combine the benefits
of its current location with those of the refurbishment works. This would appear to us to meet the “balance of
probability” test articulated in the House of Lords case of Westminster City Council v BWB [1985] AC 576.
Given that this correspondence contains information which is pertinent to future commercial discussions
between two other parties, we would ask that this information is not disclosed to any third party without our
prior consent.
(19.2)
Appendix 19
Sheringham Community Centre
18 August 2010
Page 3
We hope this clarifies the current situation for the Local Planning Authority as we progress towards a
committee to amplify the reasons for the 4 March decision. If you have any further queries leading up to
committee, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
James Alflatt MRTPI AIEMA
Principal Planner
Copy: Clive Hay-Smith, Greenhouse Community Project
Ken Harrison, Waitrose
Beverley Firth, Mills & Reeve
(19.3)