Issue - meetings

20/501029/FULL & 20/501030/LBC Len House

Meeting: 23/07/2020 - Planning Committee (Item 319)

319 20/501029/FULL & 20/501030/LBC - FORMER ROOTES SITE, LEN HOUSE, MILL STREET/PALACE AVENUE, MAIDSTONE, KENT pdf icon PDF 716 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

20/501029/FULL - RESTORATION OF LEN HOUSE AND ASSOCIATED NEW BUILD WORKS TO PROVIDE A MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT COMPRISING: (I) RETENTION WITH ALTERATIONS AND CHANGE OF USE OF LEN HOUSE TO PROVIDE 3,612 SQM (GIA) FLEXIBLE COMMERCIAL FLOORSPACE (A1/A2/A3/A4/A5/B1A/D1/D2) AT GROUND FLOOR, 18 NO. RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS (C3) AT FIRST FLOOR LEVEL, TOGETHER WITH ANCILLARY CAR PARKING. (II) ERECTION OF PART REAR FIRST FLOOR AND TWO STOREY ROOF EXTENSION TO PROVIDE 62 NO. NEW RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS, WITH ROOFTOP AMENITY SPACE. (III) CONSTRUCTION OF TWO NEW BUILDINGS OF UP TO 5-STOREYS TO PROVIDE 79 NO. RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS (C3) WITH AMENITY SPACE. (IV) PROVISION OF ASSOCIATED CAR PARKING, OPEN SPACE, EARTHWORKS INCLUDING DEMOLITION OF HARDSTANDING AND STRUCTURES, AND NEW BOARDWALK TO NORTH SIDE, AND RE-UTILISATION OF EXISTING VEHICULAR ACCESS POINTS FROM MILL STREET AND PALACE AVENUE

 

20/501030/LBC - LISTED BUILDING CONSENT FOR RESTORATION OF LEN HOUSE AND ASSOCIATED NEW BUILD WORKS TO PROVIDE A MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT COMPRISING: (I) RETENTION WITH ALTERATIONS AND CHANGE OF USE OF LEN HOUSE TO PROVIDE 3,612 SQM (GIA) FLEXIBLE COMMERCIAL FLOORSPACE (A1/A2/A3/A4/A5/B1A/D1/D2) AT GROUND FLOOR, 18 NO. RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS (C3) AT FIRST FLOOR LEVEL, TOGETHER WITH ANCILLARY CAR PARKING. (II) ERECTION OF PART REAR FIRST FLOOR AND TWO STOREY ROOF EXTENSION TO PROVIDE 62 NO. NEW RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS, WITH ROOFTOP AMENITY SPACE. (III) NEW BOARDWALK TO NORTH SIDE

 

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Planning and Development.

 

In presenting the applications, the Major Projects Manager advised the Committee that:

 

·  With regard to application 20/501029/FULL, he wished to add two standard conditions (Time Limit and List of Approved Plans). 

 

·  He was seeking delegated powers to amend conditions 6 and 26 which referred to the uses that will be permitted in the commercial space to reflect changes to the Use Classes Order announced by the Government.  This would also necessitate changes to the descriptions of applications 20/501029/FULL and 20/501030/LBC.

 

·  With regard to the relationship of the development to the surrounding food and drink and entertainment venues, there was a planning principle known as the “Agent of Change” where, as established in the NPPF, the Planning Authority had to consider when introducing residential uses to commercial neighbours the potential to adequately mitigate the impact of those commercial uses in terms of potential noise and activity.

 

·  The neighbouring operators had raised a number of concerns regarding the potential for objections from new residents within the development itself about noise and the impact that might have on their operating licences, opening hours and viability of their businesses.

 

·  The Officers considered these uses to make an important contribution to the town centre economy and did not wish to see an adverse impact on their future trading.

 

·  Members had asked for clarification in terms of when the noise surveys had been carried out because most of the businesses had been in lockdown for much of the first half of the year.

 

·  Noise surveys were carried out in December 2019 in the two weeks running up to Christmas.  Whilst that had been a busy time  ...  view the full minutes text for item 319