Hillhead Street Glasgow G12 8QF
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PLANNING APPLICATIONS COMMITTEE Report by Director of Development and Regeneration Services Contact: Mr S McCollam Phone: 0141 287 6017 APPLICATION TYPE Full Planning Permission RECOMMENDATION Grant Subject to Condition(s) APPLICATION 06/03430/DC DATE VALID 20.10.2006 SITE ADDRESS 65 Hillhead Street Glasgow G12 8QF PROPOSAL Erection of extensions and recladding works. APPLICANT The University Of Glasgow AGENT Page And Park Architects Estates And Building Department 49 Cochrane Street University Avenue GLASGOW Glasgow G1 1HL G12 8QQ WARD NO(S) 14, Hillhead COMMUNITY 02_022, Hillhead COUNCIL CONSERVATION LISTED AREA Glasgow West ADVERT TYPE Affecting a Conservation PUBLISHED 10 November 2006 Area/Listed Building CITY PLAN REPRESENTATIONS/ CONSULTATIONS Letters of representation has been received to date from Hillhead Community Council and Friends of Glasgow West, expressing the following viewpoints. • The existing building line at Southpark Avenue and Hillhead Street would be broken which will adversely affect streetscape. • Views of the university will be obscured. • The extension adjacent to Southpark Avenue, by reason of proximity, massing and style, will adversely affect the Wellington Church, a Category A Listed Building. • Use of coloured glazing is not suitable for the setting of the adjacent Reading Room to the south, a Category A Listed Building. • Regrading of topography adjacent to Southpark Avenue is considered to be unnecessary and may impact on the setting of the Reading Room. • The proposed row of regular trees is not in keeping with the irregular planting on site. PAGE 2 06/03430/DC Heritage and Design: No objection subject to conditions. Land Services: No objection subject to conditions. Landscape and Environment: No objection subject to conditions. Environmental Protection Services: No objection subject to conditions. SITE AND DESCRIPTION The site is that of the ‘Hub’ refectory building located at Hillhead Street within the campus of University of Glasgow and within Glasgow West Conservation Area. The building was constructed in the early 1960’s using sectional concrete external finishes and is reflective of design characteristics of its time. Whilst not a listed building itself, buildings of significance in the immediate vicinity of the Hub include Florentine House, a 2-storey, 3-bay classical villa (Category B Listed Building) to the north, Wellington Church (Category A Listed Building) and a terrace of 5, 2-storey and basement houses at 65-73 Southpark Avenue (Category C(S) Listed Buildings) to the east, the Reading Room (Category A Listed Building) to the south, and a 3-storey and attic corner block at 1 University Gardens (Category B Listed Building) to the west. The existing format of the building comprises 5 levels incorporating a small mezzanine level suspended from the 3rd floor and a plant room overhead at roof level. Arising from the nature of surrounding topography, the building has a single-storey appearance at the main entrance onto Hillhead Street and a stepped 3-storey appearance onto Southpark Avenue. The ground floor on the main south facing elevation is partially obscured by existing topography, essentially lending the appearance of a basement level. Full planning permission is sought to extend both ends of the existing building and re-clad the remaining elevations. The indicated works show the extension of Levels 02 and 03 on the west elevation, which would create a 2-storey appearance on Hillhead Street with a building line marginally exceeding that of the adjacent buildings at 53 Hillhead Street to the north. Floors 01, 02 and 03 are to be extended in an easterly direction onto Southpark Avenue to create a new façade parallel with the line of the existing boundary wall immediately adjacent to the public footway. Proposed external finishes comprise a new façade system to the south elevation which utilises the proportion of the existing upper level fenestration. The pattern of fenestration is extended downwards to approximately the mid point of the building, after which it is inverted to create a staggered pattern of glazing. The intervening solid panels are to be glazed with coloured background to create an overall colour pattern of green/greys and blues to the new façade. It is proposed to modify the rear elevation by providing a parapet at roof level of equivalent height to the remodelled south façade and continuing the vertical emphasis of windows at upper level through to rear ground level (Level 02). Proposed external finishes on the modified rear elevation comprise an insulated render system, PPC aluminium curtain walling and windows, and a horizontal arrangement of obscured coloured glazing above windows at Level 02 to reflect the colours of solid panels to be used on the south elevation. The primary treatment of the extended areas of the building is natural stone with fenestration of vertical emphasis to reflect that incorporated on the remodelled south façade. Horizontal bands of coloured panels will feature between window openings which is also reflective of that to be incorporated in the south elevation. The parapet level of the extended areas will extend approximately 1.5 metres above the level of the remodelled north and south façades. It is intended to rationalise the extent of external stair access within the grounds and provide a re-graded landscape and plaza, incorporating functional ‘sitting out’ spaces between the Hub and the Reading Room to the south, in addition to the partial removal of the existing retaining wall adjacent to the public footway on Southpark Avenue. The proposed re-grading works will also open up Level 01 as viewed from the south. The accompanying landscaping plan acknowledges that the proposals will necessitate the removal of 10 trees, five of which are mature, although are not considered by the applicant to be good specimens and generally of poor form. Proposed additional planting comprises semi-mature trees at the new plaza, in addition to 14 trees in the vicinity of the car park area to the rear. Within the delineated planning unit, parking provision for five cars, two lorry loading bays and 30 bicycles, 18 of which will be sheltered, have been indicated. Land Services have no adverse comments regarding the proposals. PAGE 3 06/03430/DC POLICIES The Development Plan comprises the Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Joint Structure Plan and the Glasgow City Plan, adopted August 2003. There are no specific policies of relevance to the application proposal in the Structure Plan. The site lies within an area designated as a Civic, Hospital and Tertiary Education policy principle within the Glasgow City Plan. The following policies are of particular relevance to the current proposals: • DEV 9 Civic, Hospital and Tertiary Education • DES 1 Reinforcing Local Character and Identity • DES 2 Urban Design • DES 3 Building Design and Materials • DES 4 Design Statement • HER 1 Conservation Areas • HER 3 Design Standards for Listed Buildings and Properties in Conservation Areas • TRANS 4 Vehicle Parking Guidelines ASSESSMENT AND CONCLUSIONS The principal planning issues to be addressed in this particular instance are considered to be whether the proposals are appropriate having regard to the requirements of Sections 25 and 37(2) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 and Section 64 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997, and are consistent with the provisions of the Development Plan. It shall also be necessary to determine whether the proposals are appropriate, having regard to any other material planning considerations, including matters of impact on the aesthetics of the adjoining Listed Buildings and its setting within the Glasgow West Conservation Area. With regard to the planning history of the site, planning permission was previously granted on a larger planning unit incorporating the current application site for refurbishment and a larger scale of development (04/00779/DC) which was subsequently amended (04/03340/DC). As established within the previous applications, the existing dining facility is no longer considered to meet modern standards for either students or staff and requires very substantial upgrading to meet modern health and safety, and food hygiene standards. Whilst addressing this, the opportunity also exists to focus on redressing the aesthetics of the otherwise unremarkable and perhaps outdated appearance of the building. Existing floorspace amounts to 4017 square metres with the proposed extensions amounting to an additional 1280 square metres. Although the premises are currently unoccupied, it is proposed to continue the previous use as a university dining facility, in addition to providing ancillary student facilities comprising a book shop, student services and a pharmacy/GP practice. Policy ‘DES 1 - Reinforcing Local Character and Identity’ acknowledges the extent of built heritage from the Victorian era which provides the City with a strong sense of place. It is recognized that contemporary development has added to the visual interest of the City and there remains significant opportunities for further good quality contemporary design, subject to policy requirements. By extending the existing building towards Hillhead Street and Southpark Avenue, it is considered that the proposals will have the effect of reconnecting the building with the original street geometry. Similarly, policy ‘DES 2 - Urban Design’ acknowledges that high standards of urban design is necessary to complement and