Agenda Item No:
13
PLANNING COMMITTEE
Date
9 OCTOBER 2001
Committee / Panel
Originating Service Group(s)
Contact Officer(s)/
Telephone Number(s)
Title/Subject Matter
REGENERATION AND TRANSPORTATION
ALAN MURPHY
5623
PLANNING APPLICATION 01/0639/FP CONVERSION OF
THE VILLA TO FORM 10 UNITS AND ERECTION OF
66 NEW UNITS OF RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION AND
ASSOCIATED ACCESS, CAR PARKING AND LANDSCAPING
AT FORMER YWCA AND THE MOUNT BUILDINGS, PENN ROAD
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Recommendation
That delegated authority be given to the Chief Planning Officer in consultation with the Chair to grant consent to:
• Receipt of satisfactorily amended plans to address the issue of the effect on properties in
Lea Road set out in Section 7.6 and subsequent further notification to affected neighbours.
Receipt of satisfactory amended plans addressing outstanding issues relating to car parking spaces, internal road widths and crime/security matters referred to in
Sections 7.5 and 7.14.
The signing of a 106 Agreement to include:
(i) provision of a public work of art;
(ii) completion of renovation/conversion of The Villa before 50% of the new units are occupied;
(iii) payment of commuted sum in lieu of provision of public open space of £20,000;
(iv) any works needed to public highways for exit and entrances to the site.
• Standard conditions relating to materials, landscaping, protection of trees, replacement trees, provision of car parking and access provision, provision of units designed for disabled, materials for window frames to be agreed.
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1. Purpose of Report
1.1 To inform Members of and make a recommendation in respect of the planning application.
2. The Site and Application Details
2.1 The site is in a key position elevated above the Penn Road close to its junction with
Lea Road being most readily visible when leaving the City Centre on the Penn Road, behind the MacDonalds drive-through restaurant.
2.2 The site contains three major buildings. The most prominent is the 1960s style concrete three storey YWCA building. Behind this and only partly visible from the Lea Road side is a large three storey brick and tile Victorian former Villa. This is the last of a number of similar Victorian villas on the land between Lea Road and Penn Road. Both these buildings were until recently occupied by the YWCA as a residential hostel
2.3 The third building of substance is ‘The Mount’. This is a two storey Georgian or early
Victorian residence which is now in an advanced state of dilapidation. It has been vacant for a very long time.
2.4 The application seeks full planning consent for the redevelopment of the site removing all the existing buildings except The Villa which is to be retained and converted into flats.
2.5 76 two bedroom units are proposed in two new four storey blocks and one three storey block and by the conversion of The Villa. The Villa will be the centre piece made much more visible from Penn Road by the removal of the ‘modern’ YWCA building. The three new blocks will then encircle The Villa but leave a common open area between The Villa and Penn Road as the main communal open area. The design of the new blocks take their main form from that of The Villa with steep pitched roofs and roofed turrets at corner and as centre points, in a visually very effective way. Each flat is designed to have views either out over the City centre, or west out towards the Shropshire countryside and most have a balcony.
2.6 The site contains some major trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order. Two of these would be lost, but extensive new planting is proposed.
2.7 Vehicular access is to be in from the Penn Road via the old access to The Mount but improved, and out onto the Penn Road via the existing access to the YWCA also improved. Within the site there will be 76 parking spaces in a number of parking areas dispersed around the site.
3. Planning Policies and Government and Other Guidance
3.1 The following policies of the UDP apply:
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H2 Development of Unallocated Sites for Housing
H6 Large Housing Sites (over 250 persons)
H7 Affordable/Social Housing
H9 Dwellings for the Elderly
H10 Housing Suitable for Occupation by People with Disabilities
H18 Planning Standards
ENV2 Design Standards
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ENV1 Development Principles
ENV22 Provision of Public Art.
3.2 Other Council strategies:
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Corporate Directions ‘Regenerating Wolverhampton’.
Wolverhampton Regeneration Strategies Action Priorities 2000/01.
Wolverhampton LA21 Strategy and Action Plan.
Housing Strategy 2001/2002/
3.3 Relevant Council guidance is set out in the following:
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SPG No 3 Residential Development
SPG No 2 Access for the Disabled
SPG No 16 Public Art.
3.4 Relevant Government guidance is set out in:
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Planning Policy Guidance Note No 1 General Policies and Principles
PPG No 3 Housing
PPG No 13 Transport
Regional Planning Guidance for the West Midlands.
4. Publicity
4.1 The application has been advertised by the following means:
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Individual letters to all adjoining householders
Site Notices
Press Notice.
4.2 Two rounds of consultation have taken place the first when the application was first received. This resulted in three letters objecting on the following grounds:
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Increased traffic
Loss of trees
Overlooking of garden of one house in Lea Road
Effect of vehicle access on pedestrian and cycle route into the City
Loss of the YWCA and The Mount facilities
Noise, smoke, dust effects during construction.
4.3 The scheme was subsequently amended following discussions with the applicant and a further round of neighbour consultation resulted in two letters. The first was a repeat of one of those received during the first round raising the same issues as set out at 4.2.
The second was also from the same resident of Lea Road who expressed concern about overlooking of their rear garden. This remains an issue and is addressed below.
5. Consultations
5.1 The following is a list of consultees and their responses:
• Severn Trent Water: recommend a condition that details and implementation of foul and surface water to be agreed.
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• West Midlands Fire Service: no objection subject to normal access requirements.
• West Midlands Police Crime Reduction Officer: comments set out below.
• Environment Agency: no objection.
• Transportation Section: comments on the revised scheme set out below.
• Lifelong Learning Parks and Contracts: recommends commutation payment of
£20,000 in lieu of shortfall of Public Open Space provision on site, to be subject of
Section 106 Agreement.
Issues
6.1 The key issues appear to be as follows:
• Is the scale, nature and type of development proposed acceptable in planning policy terms.
• Is the scale, nature and type of development appropriate to the site.
• Traffic and road safety issues.
• Impact on adjoining occupiers.
• Retention/replacement of trees.
• Retention of existing important buildings.
• Provision of affordable housing/special needs housing.
• Provision of Public Open Space.
• The question of social mix.
• Provision of Public Art.
• Designing out crime issues.
• Timing of the conversion of the Villa
7. Appraisal
7.1 The possibility of the redevelopment of this site had been the subject of discussion with many potential developers and latterly in a number of meetings with this applicant long before this application was submitted. Much of the guidance given by various officers of the Council in these discussions has been taken account of and incorporated into the scheme now the subject of this application.
7.2 However, in the initial submission certain information was missing and the scheme did not adequately meet the Council’s normal standards in some important respects. The
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issue of whether it was economically or even practically possible to retain and renovate
The Mount building had not been addressed. It was felt that one of the blocks was too close to properties in Bromford Rise and another did not take advantage of the views out of the site. Concern was expressed about the number of important trees likely to be affected and over the security of several of the car parking areas. The access arrangements from Penn Road had not been designed completely in accordance with advice previously given. Concern was expressed about the likely socio-economic and age similarity of residents, the lack of public open space, provision for public art and the need to have The Villa renovated and converted concurrently with the building of the new blocks. The possible need for an element of social/affordable housing had also not been addressed. All these issues were put back to the applicant and the amended scheme subsequently received is meant to have dealt with these matters.
7.3 It is felt that a residential use for this site of a relatively high density (73.7 units per hectare/30 units per acre) urban form as now proposed, would not conflict with any UDP
Policy and is therefore acceptable in principle.
7.4 Furthermore, given the location of the site close to the edge of the City centre and next to the high density development of Bromford Rise, and the scale of the existing buildings on the site, a high density scheme is considered appropriate. The site is well served by bus routes along Penn Road. The Villa is a substantial three storey building which sets a useful model in terms of scale, height and form. The design of the new-build reflects this and the resultant elevations are attractive and bold and will create something of a landmark at this elevated site on the approach to the City Centre. However the applicant is unwilling to use a plain clay tile or painted softwood windows on the new build to match those on The Villa, claiming that this would be prohibitively expensive. Plain concrete tiles and UPVC windows and doors are proposed. The applicant has been asked to consider the use of at least aluminium window frames which could be powder coated a white colour. A suitable condition could be imposed to require the developer to agree this detail.
7.5 An ‘in-only’ and ‘out-only’ arrangement for vehicular access onto the Penn Road is proposed. This follows the advice of the Council’s Highway Engineers in the design and layout of the junction with Penn Road at the entrance to the site, but concern has been expressed about certain details relating to the internal road and parking layout. Further plans addressing these matters are awaited and this is reflected in the recommendation.
A traffic assessment study has been carried out by consultants for the applicant and a report submitted with the application. It concludes that given the location of the site within walking distance, or a bus rid, to the City centre with its rail and metro links, its location on many bus routes along Penn Road the proposal is sustainable in terms of the advice set out in PPG13.
7.6 In its first submitted form it was felt that the location of one block would significantly impact on the privacy and outlook of a block of flats on Bromford Rise. The amended scheme addressed this. However in doing so it has led to the repositioning of another block in such a way as to similarly impinge on the privacy and outlook of one or two houses in Lea Road. The applicant has been asked to look at this and any amended plans received will be reported on at Committee, otherwise the need for this amendment is once again reflected in the recommendation.
7.7 When first submitted, the application simply assumed that the loss of The Mount was agreed. However, during pre-application discussions the need to assess fully the financial and practical possibility of retaining and renovating this building was emphasised. The applicant has since had a full survey of the physical condition of this building undertaken and submitted it in support of their proposals. It concludes that the
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building is well beyond practical repair. It would need almost completely rebuilding.
These conclusions do appear to be a realistic assessment of the situation.
7.8 However, although neither listed nor on the Local List, in all pre-application meetings, the developer has been urged to retain and renovate the substantial three storey brick and tile building in the middle of the site, known as The Villa. This is the last of what was a row of such early Victorian villas between Lea Road and Penn Road. From the start the applicant has indicated a willingness to do this. The submitted scheme shows it retained and converted into ten flats. Its scale, form and some of its details, have been used as a
‘model’ for the basis of designing the new blocks. It is however important to ensure that this renovation is actually carried out as part of the overall redevelopment of the site.
The applicant has indicated a willingness to enter into a 106 Agreement which will require that its conversion is complete before 50% of the new units are occupied.
7.9 It was put to the applicant that the provision of only two bedroom units all of a similar scale and likely price might be likely to result in a very narrow mix of persons of similar age, social and economic status, contrary to Government advice in PPG3. In response the applicant states that market research suggests that a mix of young single people, young couples, separated older people, retiring couples and people seeking their first homes and those ‘downgrading’ are likely to be attracted to the site.
7.10 In accordance with this Council’s SPG No 3 on Residential Development and recent
Government advice, a development of this scale should be assessed as to the need for an element of affordable/social housing, if considered appropriate. The applicant was asked if they would be willing to provide units which could perhaps be transferred to a
Housing Association. In reply they have indicated that this would undermine the viability of the scheme, given the already high additional cost of retaining and renovating The
Villa at the Council’s request. This also points out that the site adjoins a considerable sized social housing flatted scheme (Bromford Rise), that the scheme will itself provide
“relatively low cost housing” and that social housing providers local to the area have indicated that there is no social housing shortage in the city and so such a requirement cannot be justified. Having carefully reviewed the matter, it is considered that it would not be appropriate in this instance to seek the provision of affordable/social housing within the scheme. Additionally UDP Policy states that on sites close to shops and public transport routes the Council will seek a proportion of units be designed and laid out internally to render them suitable for occupation by people with mobility difficulties.
The applicant’s response in this respect is awaited and such a requirement could be the subject of a suitable condition.
7.11 The number of persons likely to reside at the site (up to 268) also means that in accordance with the relevant UDP Policies, a provision for public Open Space at the site is appropriate. The scheme does include a reasonable amount of ‘communal’ open space, useful for future residents and as a setting for the buildings on site. However, this does not provide for public open space and so the applicant is willing to make a commuted payment to the Council in compensation for this deficiency, to enable the
Council to provide, or enhance, other public open space elsewhere within the local area of the site to the amount of £20,000. This is considered acceptable in this case and would need to be the subject of a Section 106 Agreement.
7.12 The site contains a number of trees protected by Tree Preservation Orders many of these are in a row dividing the site into two and at the entrance to the site. The site could not be developed in a manner appropriate in urban design terms without the loss of some of these trees. The initial scheme however would have resulted in loss or damage to a substantial number. The amended scheme results in the loss of only one of
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the TPO trees and this is to be replaced by two new trees of substantial size together with other more general new planting.
7.13 The applicant has indicated a willingness to provide for public art at the site. This will need to be included in the 106 Agreement.
7.14 In response to the initial scheme the West Midlands Police Crime Reduction unit raised a number of concerns. An assessment of the amended has raised the following matters:
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Inclusion of pergola structures over some of the car park areas will seriously hinder surveillance.
Minimum height of 1.8m for wall now shown to separate the site from
Bromford Rise.
• Inclusion of a further short length of boundary wall adjacent the north-east corner of block Bda to secure the car park.
• Suggests inclusion of a substantial boundary fence along the northern boundary of the site to secure it.
• Suggests the re-orientation of one of the blocks of flats to bring the parking to the front.
All but the last of these suggestions will be put to the developer and any amended plans received will be displayed.
Opportunities
8.1 There are no implications for the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy in this report other than at 7.9 where the possible need for affordable and accessible housing is discussed.
9. Environmental Implications
9.1 The premises are empty and the subject of vandalism. The site is a ‘brownfield’ one. Its redevelopment will have substantial environmental advantages.
Implications
10.1 The report has no financial implications for the Council other than the commutation payment referred to at 7.10.
Costas Georghiou, Chief Planning Officer
Case Officer: Alan Murphy
Extension: 5623
File Reference 01/0639/FP
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