Agenda item

Application for determination:

Reuse of two historic buildings for Class D1 use.

Works to Medieval range including attached Victorian farmhouse to include removal of brick nogging, new windows, new disabled access, interior alterations, repair of historic fabric.

Works to brick range to include formation of new roof, new mezzanine structures, new ground floor slab, new windows, external cladding, internal partitioning, repair of historic fabric.

Landscaping including new car parking provision, resurfacing of pathways, service provision, felling of trees, new planting including trees.

Sub ground servicing provision. Alterations to vehicular access and site perimeter fencing.  Architectural and amenity lighting.

Contact: Development Control – tel: (01452) 396783

Councillor Toleman had declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this application as a Trustee of the Llanthony Priory Trust. He retired to the public gallery during consideration of this application.

The Principal Planning Officer presented his report which detailed an application for Llanthony Priory to include the following:-

Re-use of two historic buildings for class D1 use.

Works to Medieval range including attached Victorian farmhouse to include removal of brick noggin, new windows, new disabled access, interior alterations, repair of historic fabric.

Works to Brick range to include formation of new roof, new mezzanine structures, new ground floor slab, new windows, external cladding, internal partitioning, repair of historic fabric.

Landscaping including new car parking provision, resurfacing of pathways, service provision, felling of trees, new planting including trees.

Sub-ground servicing provision. Alterations to vehicular access and site perimeter fencing. Architectural and amenity lighting.

He advised that the heritage benefits of the application would secure the future of the buildings. He outlined the highways and drainage issues and drew Members’ attention to paragraphs 6.35 to 6.38 of the report.

He referred to the revised condition and recommendation contained in the Late Material.

Philip Staddon addressed the Committee in support of the application.

Mr Staddon advised that he had been one of the founding trustees of the Trust set up in 2007 to find a solution to the future of the site. The Council had done its best to manage the site but a solution had eluded it.

He believed that the application represented that solution. The site included   six Grade One listed buildings presently at risk and the proposals would reconnect the site with the community.

It was intended to introduce active floor space for a range of activities and Gloucester College, as tenants of the Medieval range, would provide a source of income for the Trust.

He believed that highways issues had been addressed as well as possible within the constraints on the site. The Trust had explored the potential for alternate access arrangements but they were not in a position at the present time to guarantee an alternative.

The Trust was happy to accept the proposed drainage conditions and believed that the Gloucester Quays development had addressed the flood mitigation issue.

He noted that the Heritage Lottery Fund was the principal source of funding and he requested that any outstanding matters be addressed by condition to enable the project to be progressed with the Heritage Lottery Fund. He thanked the Council for their support of this project.

The Vice-Chair welcomed the application and believed that an alternative access through the Public House access road would benefit both the Trust and the public house. He asked about the bricks to be used and was advised that the Conservation Officer and Heritage England had requested details and the matter would be covered by the relevant authorities.

Councillor Hilton welcomed the application as a considerable improvement to an historic site whose regeneration had been hampered in the past by its surroundings. He believed that the alternative access would be desirable. He assumed that there would be public access to the site and that appropriate signage would be provided. He suggested that a sprinkler system be installed to provide security against fire and reduce insurance costs.

The Principal Planning Officer undertook to liaise with architect and advised that Building Regulations could include a requirement for such a system.

The Chair agreed with the previous speakers regarding the alternative access but indicated that he would not support it being imposed as a condition.

The Principal Planning Officer recommended that the Committee awaited confirmation that the Environment Agency had withdrawn their objection although they could override that recommendation.

Councillor Williams suggested that consent be granted outright rather than await the Environment Agency’s confirmation of not objecting.

The Vice-Chair did not believe that the application would make much difference to the surface water run-off.

The Principal Planning Officer explained the flood compensation measures associated with the Gloucester Quays permission as set out in the report.

RESOLVED that planning permission be granted subject to the conditions in the report with the following amendment:-

Condition

The development hereby permitted shall not commence until details for the disposal of surface water have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The details submitted shall include proposals for the disposal of surface water in accordance with the principles of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and shall be accompanied by an assessment of the impact of the proposed solution on buried archaeological remains and the setting of listed buildings. The approved details shall be implemented prior to the first occupation of the development for the use hereby permitted and maintained thereafter for the life of the development.

Reason

To ensure that the development is provided with a satisfactory means of drainage, to reduce the risk of creating or exacerbating a flooding problem, to minimise the risk of pollution and preserve heritage assets and their setting in accordance with Policies SD9, SD15 and INF3 of the Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Joint Core Strategy Submission Version November 2014, Paragraphs 100, 103 and 131 of the NPPF and Policies FRP.1a, FRP.6, FRP.11, BE.23, BE.31, BE.34, BE.35 and BE.36 of the City of Gloucester Second Deposit Local Plan 2002.