Agenda item

Proposal:                         Proposed 2 storey under croft office extension.

Associated Documents:

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The Committee considered the written report and recommendation from the Head of Planning Services to refuse permission.

The Committee was addressed by the following deputee:

(1)  Mr Tom Peters, who supported the proposal for the following reasons:

a.    While the site has a number of constraints the design of the proposal seeks to make the best and most efficient use of space.

b.    The design is in keeping and sympathetic to the local area and street scene. The materials used in the proposal reflect similar designs in the local area

c.    The Highways authority had raised no concern over the development or the increase in parking spaces provided

d.    The proposal would block a view from the substation and train line to the rear of the site and therefore make a positive contribution to the street scene

e.    The economic development team supported the proposal as it would contribute to jobs in the local area, specifically those for young people who may find it difficult to find employment in their immediate local area

f.     The proposal was supported by a robust business case which is in line with the Havant Borough Council Corporate Strategy

g.    The proposal had gathered no objections from members of the public and would cause no adverse effects to neighbouring properties

In response to questions raised by the Committee, officers advised that a full list of changes from the previous application could be found detailed in the report.

The committee discussed the application in detail together with the views raised by the deputee.

Members discussed that the proposal was highly sustainable, with good transport links and was an underdeveloped site. It was also discussed that the proposal would support the economic regeneration for the area and that jobs in the Borough should be encouraged.  The majority of the committee considered  that the proposal was an over intensive use of the site and the bulk of the design would be an incongruous feature to the street scene and was unsympathetic to the local area. It was therefore

RESOLVED that the Head of Planning be authorised to REFUSE PERMISSION for application APP/17/00347 for the following reason:

The proposed Office Extension would by reason of its prominent siting, design, size, height, mass and bulk have a harmful impact on the character and appearance of the area, detract from the appearance of the existing main building and represent an overdevelopment of this shallow and constricted site. The proposal would therefore conflict with policy CS16 of the Havant Borough Local Plan (Core Strategy) 2011, the Havant Borough Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document 2011 and the National Planning Policy Framework.