Demolition of public house and living accommodation and erection of depot for the hire, sales and assembly of grass cutting machinery, residential accommodation and hot foot take away at The Myerscough Balderstone.

Planning Statement

March 2018 JDTPL0117

Judith Douglas BSc (Hons), Dip TP, MRTPI

90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, , BB7 2AH Telephone: 01200 425051 Mobile: 07729 302644 Email: [email protected] Website: www.jdouglastownplanning.co.uk

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Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in No. 09911421

PLANNING STATEMENT SITE: THE MYERSCOUGH, WHALLEY ROAD, BB2 7LE. PROPOSAL: DEMOLITION OF PUBLIC HOUSE AND LIVING ACCOMMODATION AND ERECTION OF DEPOT FOR THE HIRE, SALES AND ASSEMBLY OF GRASS- CUTTING MACHINERY, RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION AND HOT FOOD TAKEWAWAY.

INTRODUCTION 1.1 This planning statement has been prepared to accompany a full planning application for the proposed redevelopment of the site to accommodate a depot for the hire, service, repair and sales of grass cutting machinery to include living accommodation and hot food takeaway. The company, Stuart Taylor International are currently based at Nightfield Gate Lane, Balderstone. The company is a well establish local business which is seeking to expand.

1.2 This application seeks advice regarding the redevelopment of the former public house and living accommodation to allow the company to remain based in this local area. The site area is approximately 0.21ha.

1.3 The drawings and information submitted with the application comprise: 5460 Location Plan, 5460-E01-Existing Site Plan 5460-E02-Existing Floor Plans and Elevations 5460-P01-Proposed Site Plan 5460-P02-Proposed Floor Plans and Elevations 5460-P03-Proposed Visuals Heritage Statement Protected species survey

2 SITE DESCRIPTION 2.1 The application site comprises the former public house A4 drinking establishment with a 4 bedroom flat above local authority reference 0000101601110B Council Tax Band C, large beer garden and car park. The site is immediately adjacent to another public house and hotel formerly The Boddington Arms soon to reopen at The Bluebird Inn run by J W Lees. The hotel accommodation is 20 en-suite rooms. The site is opposite BAE Systems.

2.2 Vehicle access to the site is off Myerscough Smithy Road. The access road runs parallel to Whalley Road and also serves The Boddington Arms. A private track to Rigby Fold runs along Page 2 of 13

Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421

the western boundary of the site beyond which is open grazing land. To the south of the site within the of is a Council Deport and Huntley’s Country Store.

2.3 Whalley Road carries a bus service 280 and x80 which links Skipton to Preston via Clitheroe. The site has direct access to the primary road network and good links to the motorway.

3 COMPANY DESCRIPTION 3.1 Stuart Taylor Internal is currently based in Balderstone. They hire, service, repair and sell large scale grass cutting equipment. Their clients include grass cutting contractors (for schools, hospitals, highways etc), golf courses, grounds keepers and private individuals with large gardens. The majority of companies that hire grass cutting equipment are based in the north-west, but machines are hired out UK wide. The machinery is either delivered to the customer or is collected by the customer using a 7.5 - tonne truck or land rover with trailer. All machinery is road registered.

3.2 Equipment is hired out long term for a 26-week (plus) season. Short term hire is between a week and a month. 1 or 2-day hire is machinery with driver.

4. PROPOSED DEVLEOPMENT 4.1 The proposed development is for a building to be used as display showroom for large scale grass cutting equipment for purchase or hire. Grass cutting machinery is large in size and to be able to display the variety of machines available and a large showroom is required. The building will also provide the administrative offices for the company. A workshop is proposed at the rear and will only be used for assembly of new machinery, storage and spare parts.

4.2 A hot food takeaway (fish and chips) is proposed next to the Boddington Arms. It is anticipated that the takeaway will serve employees at BAe as well as passing trade along the A59. A residential unit will be retained on site.

4.3 The proposed uses on the site can be summarised as: A1 retail-for the sale of grass cutting machinery 291m2. B2/B8 workshop-for the assembly of new machines, spare parts and storage. 175m2 B1 office-for use by the grass cutting machinery business 200m2. A5 hot food takeaway 20m2 C3 residential 84m2

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Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421

4.4 The depot (sales area, offices and workshop) would be operational from 8am to 5pm Monday to Saturday with no opening on Sunday or bank holidays. The hot food takeaway is likely to have peak trade at lunch-time and early evening. It is likely to open 11am to 10pm Monday to Saturday.

4.5 It is intended that the apartment is to be occupied by the operator of the hot food takeaway as managers accommodation.

4.6 Staff parking for the depot is at the rear of the yard area and customer parking for the showroom, apartment and the takeaway is at the front of the building.

5 PRE-APPLICATION ADVICE 5.1 Pre-application advice was received reference 3/2017/ENQ/00053. The advice confirmed that in principle the proposed uses on the site are acceptable. It stated “The proposal as a principle accords with the policies of the Core strategy, EC1. The site is well related to the A59 corridor, is adjacent to the Samlesbury strategic site. It is brownfield for which there is a priority for its reuse for employment generating uses. Policy DMB1 supports proposals that are intended to deliver business growth. As the proposal is for the re-use of the site for employment generating uses I don’t consider there to be a need to provide the marketing evidence.”

6 ASSESSMENT

Core strategy

6.1 The following policies of the Core Strategy are relevant to this application are:

Key Statement DS1-Development Strategy

Key Statement EN2-Landscape

Key Statement EN4-Biodiversity

Key Statement EN5-Heritage Assets

Key Statement EC1: Business and employment development.

Key Statement EC2- Development of retail, shops and community facilities and services

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Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421

Key Statement DMI2 – transport considerations. New development should be located to minimise the need to travel.

Policy DMG1: General Considerations

Policy DMG3: Transport and mobility

Policy DMB1 Supporting Business Growth and the Local Economy.

Policy DME2 Landscape and townscape protection.

Policy DME4: Protecting Heritage Assets

Policy DMR3-Retial outside the main settlements.

7 SITE HISTORY There is no planning history for the site recorded on the Council website.

8 EVALUATION 8.1 This section of the statement will justify the acceptability of the proposed development and demonstrate its accordance with the policies of the core strategy. The main issues to be considered are the principle of the proposed commercial development, visual amenity, heritage assets, residential amenity, and highway safety.

Core Strategy 8.2 The Core Strategy highlights the limited number of employment opportunities available in the Borough, which results in high levels of daily out commuting to access employment. This proposal will support the underlying strategic approach in the Core Strategy expressed in Key Statement DS1 to create development opportunities for economic, social and environmental well-being and development for future generations. The development has the potential to deliver benefits such as the retention of employment, new employment and reducing the levels of out-commuting and increasing self-containment.

Principle of Development 8.3 Land which is well related to the A59 corridor is considered to be an acceptable location for new employment development. Stuart Taylor International is a well-establish business with its current premises located nearby at Lane Ends Balderstone. The relocation of the sales and administration, which is the main part of the business, to The Myerscough site will allow the business to expand and remain in the Ribble Valley the majority of repairs will remain at the current site. Sites well related to the A59 are one of the preferred

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Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421

locations for employment development. The site has a history of employment us as a public house Use Class A4 with residential Use Class C3. The proposed use will retain an employment use of the site. The majority of the employment will be in the sales and administration of the business, with the workshop area being used in a supporting role. The flat within the premises retains the Use Class C3 use and the proposal introduces an A5 hot food takeaway use intend to serve the nearby employment site. Overall the employment generating potential of the site is likely to increase.

8.4 Key Statement EC1 “Business and Employment Development” directs employment development to the main settlements as preferred locations and supports development in locations well related to the A59 corridor. The site is adjacent to the A59. This business will benefit from having good access to the highway network, with fast connections to the main traffic routes and the motorway.

8.5 This site is the nearest available site on which to expand. The development is the extension of an existing commercial use and compliant with policy DMB1 in this respect. The further expansion of Stuart Taylor International Ltd will make an important contribution to the local employment opportunities in the area.

8.6 There is an allocated existing employment site and enterprise zone immediately opposite the site. The company requirements mean that it is unable to expand at its existing site. It is a family run firm. The new building will allow all areas of the business to expand and allow accounting to come in house. On completion of the new depot the staffing levels are the site are anticipated to increase to 6 workshop assembly, 3 sales 2 hire, 3 administration staff with potential to increase as the capacity to take on new work is realised.

8.7 The family will also run the proposed takeaway food business and have previous experience in running a similar business in the area. It is anticipated that it will employ between 3 and 5 people. It is situated adjacent to the kitchen area of the adjoining pub. The main customer base is anticipated to be lunch time and tea time trade from employees at BAe and passing trade along the A59. The only other offer for lunch off the BAe site in this area is Huntley’s, mobile units and the Boddington Arms. Policy EC2 is generally supportive of new retail, shops and community services. Page 6 of 13

Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421

Fig1. Whalley Road view of surrounding development source google maps

Visual Impact 8.8 The character of the area is dominated the very large industrial complex of BAe. The redevelopment of the site with a new two storey purpose-built building is in the context of BAe and the neighbouring commercial property the Boddington Arms, a pub and 20 bed hotel. The site has been described as a ‘gateway location’ in the pre-application advice. It is a gateway in the sense that is on the boundary between the Ribble Valley Borough Council area and the South Ribble Borough Council area. The physical significance of the site is derived from its prominent location opposite the prestigious employment site of BAe, and on a bend in the road.

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Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421

8.9 The proposed building has been designed to look attractive and modern. The show room is placed in the prominent southern corner and provided with a double height space to accommodate and display large grass cutting machinery. The south east (front elevation) and south west and north east gable elevations are finished in red brick with large areas of glazing within grey aluminium frames and dark stained or burnt panel of timber cladding. Light timber cladding is used as an accent and to carry signage panels. The roof which is shallow pitch and not prominent is to be clad in grey profiled sheeting. The configuration of the window and panels of brick and timber provide animation and depth. The takeaway within the single storey addition is designed to appear as a separate unit from the main building to signal that it is a separate business. The proposal complies with DMG1 in relation to design

8.10 The workshop area at the rear of the building is less visible and more simply finished in grey profiled metal sheeting. The workshop and yard area of the proposed site will be screened by the sales and office area at the front of the site, the hotel wing to the Boddington Arms together with the existing substantial hedge along the western boundary. The area to the rear of the building previously used as the beer garden to the pub will become the yard area to repairs and maintenance section. The proposal is compliant with policies EN2 and DME2.

Heritage Assessment 8.11 A Heritage Statement has been submitted with the application. This indicates that there has been a building on the site since the late C18th century the building that stands today has been significantly altered both internally and externally. The building once stood

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Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421

within the hamlet of Mysercough Smithy. The context of the building has significantly changed during the C20th century with the construction of improvements to the A59, all the buildings in the hamlet were demolished except for the Myerscough Inn. The Council has indicated that it considers the building to be a non-designated heritage asset and requested in the pre-application advice that a heritage assessment is submitted with the planning application.

8.12 The building is not a not a designated heritage asset. It is not listed or in a conservation area. The building would have once been considered as a significant building in the context of Myerscough Smithy. However, it is now all that remains of the hamlet with the remaining buildings having since been demolished to make way for modern developments resulting in the loss of the historic context and setting of the building. The building is no longer in use and is currently vacant.

8.13 The building possesses a level of significance as a historic building and the Council has indicated that it may be considered to be non-designated heritage asset; however, it does not possess enough significance to warrant direct statutory protection i.e. individual listing. The building itself is not a particularly fine or rare example of a historic inn with much better examples in existence elsewhere within the Ribble Valley and surrounding areas. The building has undergone a number of historic and modern interventions, in particular internal alterations to the plan form of the building and the lack of historic features internally suggest that they have also been removed, all of which detracts from the significance of the building and contributes to it being a poor example of a historic inn.

8.14 The building possesses heritage values, of most significant being the evidential value of the building and its illustrative historical and aesthetic values but in a more limited capacity. It is evidence of the former hamlet of Myerscough Smithy. However, the context of the building has since been removed and now the building stands without is past historic setting leaving the hamlet now virtually non-existent.

8.15 Nation Planning Policy Framework paragraph 135 requires Councils to take a balance judgement in regard to the scale of loss in relation to the significance of the heritage assets. They are also required to balance this against the public benefits of the proposed development. The heritage statement concludes that the harm caused by the demolition of the former Myercough Inn and its subsequent redevelopment cannot outweigh the Page 9 of 13

Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421

long-term benefits of the scheme in terms of public and economic benefits. The harm should be identified as less than substantial, and that the harm will be outweighed by the public benefits that the scheme will bring. The proposal complies with the requirements of the NPPF, KS EN5 and Policy DME4.

Residential amenity 8.16 The Council tax valuation list shows that there is a residential unit within the Boddington Arms in addition to the letting bedrooms. Local authority reference number 00001016011007 Council tax band B. The licensing floor plan for the Bluebird Inn dated 14.02.18 indicates that the ground floor of the building which is adjacent to the application site comprises trade kitchens, toilets and boiler room1. The front section of the building which is two storeys has a dining area at the ground-floor, but no first-floor plan is shown. A stair case to the first floor is shown next to a private dining meeting room on the ground floor. It is assumed that this leads to the residential flat at the site as no other residential flat is shown on the floor layout. The second-floor layout of the hotel accommodation shows a night managers room adjacent to the application site. The window to this room faces west away from the application a site. The window shown on the second-floor elevation which faces the site lights a corridor next to an enclosed staircase. See figure 2. The central section of the building is single storey.

Fig 2 Looking across the rear of The Myerscough towards the kitchen and hotel wing of the Boddington Arms

1 Appendix 1 Boddington Arms/Bluebird Inn Floor plans Page 10 of 13

Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421

8.17 This demonstrates that there is no residential accommodation immediately adjacent to site except for the residential flat which is located at the front of the building adjacent to the road. There are no windows in the gable elevation of the front section of the hotel overlooking the site. Consequently, the proximity of the proposed building will not result in a loss of light to habitable windows in the adjacent building and will not have any overbearing impact on the hotel.

8.18 The depot for the grass cutting machinery business will operate during office hours and is unlikely to cause disturbance to the users of the adjacent building. It has already been noted that there are very few window openings overlooking the rear of the site. The prominent first floor window lights an enclosed stairwell. The hot food takeaway will open in the daytime and evenings. The activity associated with this will occur at the front of the building and occur within the licensed opening hours of the Boddington Arms and the former opening hours of The Myerscough. The RVBC premises license register shows that the licensed opening hours for The Myerscough is 11.00-01.00 Monday to Saturday and 12.00-01.00 Sunday. The licensed opening hours for The Boddington Arms /Bluebird Inn is 06.00-02.00 Monday to Saturday. Traffic noise from the busy A59 will contribute to existing background noise levels. It is unlikely that the hot food takeaway will increase levels of activity above that which occurred in the evenings when the Myerscough was operational.

8.19 The number of vehicle trips from the site is likely to be low. Peak activity will be staff movements at the beginning and end of the working day to the grass cutting machinery deport and at mealtimes to the hot food take away. Vehicle assembly will take place inside the building. It is unlikely that the occupants of the neighbouring property will be adversely affected by noise. The proposal is compliant with policy DMG1.

Protected species considerations 8.20 A bat survey has been carried out and this has concluded that the building does not provide an optimal roost habitat for bats due to its lack of access points (with the exception of the slates) its location next to the A59 and BAe and the associated light pollution does not encourage foraging activity in the immediate locality, it is also slightly detached from the surrounding commute/foraging corridors. The demolition of the building should not impact on any local bats population by removing any valuable post Page 11 of 13

Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421

potential not its it likely that any bats will be uncovered or disturbed during slate removal. A mitigation scheme is not required. The development is complaint with policies EN4, and DME3.

Highways and Transport 8.21 The site has direct access onto the adopted Myerscough Smithy Road before it connects with Whalley Road A59. 22 off-street parking spaces are proposed and the access road in front of the building can be used for on-street parking without adverse effect to other road users. The existing car park can accommodate 14 cars including 2 disabled spaces. The amount of traffic visiting the site is not likely to be greater that the public house when it was fully operational. There is adequate space within the curtilage of the building for vehicles to turn. The development has the potential to be compliant with KS DMI2, policies DMG1 and DMG3.

8.22 There are bus stops at the entrance to BAe. Services to this stop are 280 and x80. The X80 is PRESTON - SKIPTON via Mellor, , , the 280 is PRESTON - SKIPTON via Mellor, Langho, Chatburn, Gisburn. Hourly at peaks times: hour and 20 mins between2.

9 CONCLUSION 9.1 The proposal is to allow an existing company employing eight people to expand by locating predominantly the sales part of the business in new purpose-built premises close to the main highway network and retaining this business within the Ribble Valley. The site is a current employment generating site which closed about 18 months ago. The site has sufficient space to allow the proposed business to operate more effectively and efficiently improving the viability of the business and providing the potential to expand the numbers of people employed.

8.2 The Core Strategy key statement EC1 Business and Employment supports economic development which is well related to the A59 corridor. We concluded that the development of the site for continued employment generating purposes and allowing the expansion of an existing business, would make an important contribution to the provision of local employment opportunities for the area and would support the aims and objectives of the Council.

2 Appendix 2 Bus timetable Page 12 of 13

Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421

Appendices Appendix 1 Boddington Arms/Bluebird Inn Floor Plans. Source RVBC website Appendix 2 Bus timetable

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Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421