Eight residential apartments at Grand Central Hotel, Weston-super-Mare

What was proposed

The application proposed an additional hotel floor containing eight apartments, with external window alterations to the Regent Street and rear elevations.

“Proposal: Full planning application for an additional floor of the vacant hotel to provide 8no. residential apartments (Use Class C3). External alterations, including alterations to windows, to Regent Street elevation and rear elevation.”

“This application proposes to create an additional floor of the hotel to provide 8no. residential apartments. External alterations, including alterations to windows, to Regent Street elevation and rear elevation. Two further applications are under consideration at the same site. They are a 19 bedroom HMO and the conversion of the first and second floors into 20 no. residential apartments.”

Officer report

The site

The vacant hotel fronts Beach Road and Regent Street, has rear buildings adjoining York Street, and lies in the town centre regeneration and night-time economy areas.

“Summary of recommendation It is recommended that the application be APPROVED subject to conditions. The full recommendation is set out at the end of this report. Application site and proposal The planning application can be viewed at the following link: 25/P/1634/FUL The Grand Central Hotel is a substantial vacant building fronting Beach Road and Regent Street, with its rear buildings adjoining York Street.”

Officer report

Why officers recommended approval

Officers found significant benefits from regenerating the vacant building and providing eight town-centre homes, which outweighed modest adverse impacts.

“Sufficient public benefits are found to outweigh the heritage harm found, as such the proposal complies with policies CS5, DM3 and DM4, Section 16 of the NPPF and sections 16(2), 66 and 72(1) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (as amended). There are no other specified NPPF policies that provide a strong reason for refusal.”

“Overall, and on balance, the adverse impacts arising from the proposal (found to be modest) do not significantly outweighs its benefits (found to be significant), and for that reason, the application is recommended for approval. RECOMMENDATION: APPROVE (for the reasons stated in the report above) subject to the following conditions:- 1. The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiry of three years from the date of this permission.”

Officer report

Living conditions and heritage

The proposal caused lower-end heritage harm and concerns about privacy, overlooking, daylight, outlook, noise, crime and antisocial behaviour for some or all occupants.

“In the round, officers consider that the proposal results in less than substantial harm (at the lower end) to the character and appearance of the conservation area. Paragraph 215 of the NPPF states “Where a development proposal will lead to less than substantial harm to the significance of a designated heritage asset, this harm should be weighed against the public benefits of the proposal including, where appropriate, securing its optimum viable use”.”

“Summary The occupants of flats 23, 24 and 25 are unaffected by loss of light, poor outlook, overlooking and loss of privacy impacts. The occupants of flats 21, 22, 26, 27 and 28 would experience impacts relating to loss of privacy/overlooking, loss of light and poor outlook at varying levels of harm depending on location. The occupants of all flats would be affected by noise to some degree. The weight attributed to this harm is set out in the planning balance.”

Officer report

Consultation responses

The town council supported the application, police found its current format unacceptable, highways raised no objection subject to conditions, and no neighbours’ comments were received.

“Copies of representations received can be viewed on the council’s website. This report contains summaries only. Weston-super-Mare Town Council: Support Neighbours/Public comments: None received Avon & Somerset Police: Not acceptable in current format Environment Agency: EA National Flood Risk Standing Advice Applies Historic England: Defers to LPA conservation officer Highways: No objection subject to conditions Principal Planning Issues The principal planning issues in this…”

Officer report

Who spoke

The agent addressed the committee in support of the application.

Committee discussion

The committee was told that the final planning-balance sentence should refer to impacts not significantly and demonstrably outweighing benefits.

“The Director of Healthy and Sustainable Communities’ representative presented the report and raised that the final paragraph of the planning balance for the application on page 46 of the pack had a grammatical error, it stated “do not significantly outweighs its benefits”, when it should have stated “do not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.”

Minutes

The committee decision

The committee approved the application for the reasons stated, subject to conditions and any additional or amended conditions agreed with specified representatives.

“Resolved: That the application be APPROVED (for the reasons stated in the report) subject to the following conditions and any other additional or amended conditions as may be required in consultation with the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson and local ward member:”

Minutes

Conditions attached

Conditions covered commencement, approved plans, security, construction arrangements, cycle parking, materials, windows, flood evacuation and noise mitigation.

“No development shall take place, until a Construction Method Statement has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. The approved Statement shall be adhered to throughout the construction period.”

“Prior to the first occupation of the development hereby approved a Flood Warning Evacuation Plan shall be submitted to and approved, in writing, by the local planning authority. This plan shall address the matters required pursuant to the National Planning Policy Framework and Planning Practice Guidance. Thereafter the Flood Warning Evacuation Plan shall be fully implemented.”

Minutes