Dwelling conversion at Blue Bird Tea Rooms, 79 Granville Road, Dover

What was proposed

The application sought to convert two holiday lets and a café servery into a three-bedroom permanent dwelling, without external building changes.

“Full planning permission is sought for the change of use of the building and land, from the existing 2no. holiday lets and café servery, to residential, to enable the building to be used as a permanent dwelling.”

“There are no external physical alterations to the building proposed to facilitate the change of use. Internally the alterations required would comprise the conversion of the ground floor servery space to a rear bedroom, the entrance lobby room to a utility room and the outside WC to a bin store. The first floor would remain as current with a living area and front balcony, bedroom and bathroom, meaning the resultant dwelling…”

Officer report

The site and surroundings

The former coastguard station sits beyond the settlement, in an open National Landscape and Heritage Coast setting near public footpaths and a listed memorial.

“The site sits on a level and raised plateau within the landscape, while the surrounding land has a rolling topography typical of the South Foreland area of the Kent Downs National Landscape, with the land falling in each direction from the site. The site is experienced as a rural and remote location within an open and exposed landscape, which is located beyond the built environment of St Margarets, and where there are very few other examples of built development.”

“In terms of relevant planning and environmental constraints, the site is outside the settlement confines of St Margarets Bay (being over 200m metres from the nearest edge of the settlement) and is within the Kent Downs National Landscape and Heritage Coast designations.”

Officer report

Earlier applications

Previous decisions included approval for holiday lets and a food servery, while earlier residential proposals were refused or dismissed at appeal over landscape and other concerns.

“DOV/22/00540 Granted - Change of use from tearoom (Use Class E(b)) to holiday let and food servery (Sui Generis) (Officer Note: the conversion of the ground floor to a holiday let was hereby approved, with the retention of a kitchen and food servery to the northwestern side of the building, and the existing holiday let to the first floor (and using a kitchen on the ground floor) retained).”

“DOV/20/00111 Refused and appeal dismissed 10/09/2021 - Change of use to holiday let with manager's accommodation above (Officer Note: the Appeal Inspector found that the proposed conversion of the first floor to permanent residential accommodation would lead to the use of the curtilage area as domestic garden causing the introduction of “an overt and discordant residential character through various domestic paraphernalia into an unfettered and highly vulnerable area of…”

Officer report

Why officers recommended refusal

Officers found insufficient evidence that the holiday lets were unviable and considered residential paraphernalia would harm the National Landscape, Heritage Coast and heritage asset.

“The characteristics of the South Foreland LCA within the Kent Downs National Landscape are considered to be its distinct, open and undeveloped landscape character. The area is also noted to have dark skies at night.”

“Accordingly while the proposed design with no changes to the appearance of the building could be accepted, the proposed conversion of the site to permanent residential use is likely to result in the proliferation of external residential paraphernalia across the site, which is considered to cause harm to the open, undeveloped character of the National Landscape and Heritage Coast, in conflict with the aims of Dover District Local Plan (2040) Policies SP13, NE2 and the…”

Officer report

Consultations and representations

The parish council objected, Natural England raised no objection, the National Landscape unit sought protection of the open setting, and 32 comments supported the application.

“St Margarets Parish Council: Objects to the application on the grounds that the application “does not satisfactorily address the reasons for refusal of the similar application in 2019 and the dismissal of the appeal in 2020 which both cited potential harm to the protected landscape by change of use to residential” and that “the business viability statement does not have sufficient financial detail to make a convincing case that the hospitality business is unviable”.”

“Kent Downs National Landscape Unit: “the site lies within the White Cliffs Coast Landscape Character Area, and within this is in the South Foreland sub-area. Summary characteristics of this LCA include dramatic coastal cliffs, with a gently undulating coastal plateaux above the cliffs punctuated by dry valleys, relatively few trees creating an open landscape...”

Officer report

Who spoke

The Senior Planner explained the site, policy concerns and previous appeal, while the TL addressed the key issues and possible conditions.

Members’ debate

Members discussed business viability, the absence of external alterations, domestic paraphernalia, landscape controls and the heritage asset’s long-term use.

“Councillor Knight expressed disappointment that the application was before the Committee. The building was at the end of a private road and no external alterations were proposed. Many local residents did not want a business in this location. Covid had affected many businesses and other outlet owners were simply not interested in taking it on. He thought it was unfair to ask the owner to run the business at a loss and proposed that the application should be approved.”

“The TL advised that the key issues were the loss of tourist use and the Planning Inspector’s concerns about domestic paraphernalia. He understood that Members wanted to give more weight to viability. Their discussions indicated that the Committee believed that visual harm could be controlled through landscaping and the removal of permitted development rights. Furthermore, the benefits of providing a long-term use for a non-designated heritage asset also carried weight.”

Minutes

The committee’s decision

The committee approved the application because the business was no longer viable and the heritage asset benefits outweighed low landscape harm, subject to conditions.

“RESOLVED: (a) That, notwithstanding the Officer’s recommendation, Application No DOV/25/01030 be APPROVED on the grounds that the existing business was no longer viable and that the low level of landscape harm would be outweighed by the benefits of securing a use for a Non-Designated Heritage Asset building through its conversion to…”

Minutes