Supporting Application Statement PROPOSED CHANGE OF USE FROM NEWSAGENT TO CHIROPRACTIC PRACTICE AT, 22 LONDON ROAD, TWYFORD, WOKINGHAM RG10 9AE

Client: Mr D. Preece Date: May 2020 Project No: 111_DAS_v1

Proposed Change of Use – 22 London Road, Twyford

CONTENTS Revision Summary of Changes Date Rev By Chkd By 1.00 INTRODUCTION

1.01 AIMS OF THE STATEMENT 1.02 PLANNING POLICIES

2.00 SITE ASSESSMENT

2.01 LOCATION

2.02 SITE AND PLANNING HISTORY

Desk Top Publishing and Graphic Design by ADSJ Associates Ltd 3.00 INVOLVEMENT & EVALUATION This artwork was printed on paper using fibre sourced from sustainable plantation wood from suppliers who practice sustainable management of forests in line with strict 3.01 IINVOLVEMENT international standards. Pulp used in this manufacture is also Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF). 3.02 EVALUATION 3.03 STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Copyright The contents of this document must not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part 4.00 DESIGN without the written consent of ADSJ Associates Ltd.

All plans are reproduced from Ordnance Survey Map with permission of the Controller of 4.01 PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPMENT HMSO. Crown Copyright Reserved. 4.02 ACCOMMODATION 4.03 LAYOUT ADSJ Associates Ltd 68 Norton Road 4.04 SCALE Woodley 4.05 LANDSCAPING Reading 4.06 APPEARANCE RG5 4AJ 4.07 ACCESS T: 07968 141918 E: [email protected] 5.00 HERITAGE W: www.adsj.co.uk

6.00 CONCLUSION

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1.00 INTRODUCTION Within the Wokingham Borough Local Development – Core Strategy, the main Planning Policies relevant to the development are: 1.01 AIMS OF THE STATEMENT Policy CP1 - Sustainable Development – Development within the This Supporting Statement accompanies a Full Planning application by borough should enhance the overall sustainability of the the applicant for a Change of Use. area through minimising impact on the environment.

The description of development is as follows: Policy CP3 - General Principles for Development – Seeks to ensure development is of a high standard of design that can ‘Proposed Change of Use from Newsagent (A1 Use) to a integrate with the character of the area and is also Chiropractic Practice (D1 Use)’ important to achieving sustainable development in the borough. The aims of this Supporting Statement are to show that the proposed development has been informed by an awareness of the site’s context, Policy CP13 - Town Centres & Shopping – Principle to accommodate principles highlighted by Wokingham Borough Council and Local town centre uses whilst protecting existing and new retail Government. centres for local community needs and maintaining retail frontage to maintain vitality and viability. The statement will explain the proposals, identify the factors which have influenced this application and highlight the principles that were incorporated in the detailed design of the proposed works. Managing Development Delivery Local Plan Policies

This statement is in accordance with CABE’s guidance ‘Design & Policy TB15 - Major Town and small town/district centre development Access Statements – How to Write, Read and Use Them’, the Wokingham Borough Local Development Framework – Core Strategy, Wokingham Borough Development Plan MDD (2014) and criteria highlighted within the National Planning Policy Framework, especially regarding ‘Good Design’ (2012).

1.02 PLANNING POLICIES

Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires that proposals be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Material considerations include relevant planning policies in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) – among them the ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’.

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2.00 SITE ASSESSMENT George V Recreation Ground and Stanlake Meadow Recreation Ground in the periphery. 2.01 LOCATION Twyford Station, the closest station, is within a 10 minute walk from the site benefiting from the and TfL rail. Bus routes The application site is part of a terrace of mixed-use commercial No. 127, 850 & F30 serve the site. buildings located in central Twyford within the Royal County of Berkshire. The site is located within The Twyford Village Conservation Area (and village centre), which together with surrounding Listed Buildings is discussed in the Heritage section of this statement.

Twyford is located north of the M4 motorway and can be accessed off the A329M and A4. No. 22 London Road is part of a two storey four unit terraced block with living accommodation at first floor. The retail block along London Road is generously set back from the footpath with good visibility of the retail frontages that allows a spatial separation from public and private areas.

There is a mix of building types along London Road with other building types further afield in the area i.e. The Grove, predominantly in red brickwork or render finish with accent cladding to some frontages and tile roofs.

No. 22 London Road is mid-terraced retail unit with a setback frontage from the highway. There is an existing service road from The Grove that allows access to the rear of the properties for service arrangements and parking. The property has not been extended and retains the existing area of service yard to the rear of all the retail units. To the north of the site is Apsley House (Grade II) which is a detached building. To the south of the application site are located residential garages with some recently refurbished and Welford Cottage (Grade II). The Harrison Almhouses (Grade II) are sited to the east of the site. However, due to the juxtaposition of the buildings there is good separation between the properties.

The site is located on a classified road (London Road), offering diverse amenities such as shops, restaurants, supermarkets and a gym. Springfield Park is located less than a 5 minute walk away with King Location Plan (NTS)

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2.02 SITE AND PLANNING HISTORY

The planning history of the site indicates that the last planning application for the site was for the Proposed Installation of Satellite Dish on Rear Wall (F/1996/63311). This was a retrospective application by the tenants who ran the business as Walkers Newsagents.

The property subsequently changed tenants and was held by the chain Brightons before passing onto the last tenants, Twyford News. It is believed that this tenant entered into financial difficulty and until recently had to close the business down.

The retail unit has been vacant for some time and the current tenants saw this as an opportunity to relocate their thriving business to a more appropriate and sustainable location.

The applicant wishes to apply for a Change of Use from a Retail Unit (A1 Use) to a Chiropractic Practice (D1 use). There is no existing provision for a Chiropractor in the area and demand has steadily grown since the practice opened in 2014. It is the applicants desire to have an improved presence within the community and to revitalise a Existing frontage of property prominent high street unit that has been vacant for some time.

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3.00 INVOLVEMENT AND EVALUATION

3.01 INVOLVEMENT

Given the location of the application site within a village centre, pre- application advice has been sought from Wokingham Borough Council. Planning Enquiries has directed that the existing Use Class (A1) retail unit will require a Change of use application for a Chiropractic Practice (D1).

The applicant wishes to carry out the proposal as the existing retail unit has been vacant for some time on this prominent high street and there is no other Chiropractor provisions in the area. The applicant is prepared to invest in the property for upgrading and renovation work where required to enhance the working accommodation fit for Proposed frontage in context treatment. No external works are proposed and therefore the existing building will be complementary to its surroundings. The applicant’s investment in the proposals will relate to usefulness of the proposal therefore, any amendments will require further consideration in terms of value and viability.

Existing rear elevation

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3.02 EVALUATION 3.03 STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

The proposal involves a Change of Use application from a Retail Unit to This application seeks permission to change the use of an existing retail a Chiropractic Practice. The proposal will endeavour to minimise any unit. impact on the surrounding area by re-using an existing retail unit that has been vacant for some time. Any alterations will be internal and As such the scope of proposals are minor and constitute the change of driven by the requirements of forming a Chiropractic environment. This use of an existing retail unit which has been vacant for some time with will assist in retaining the existing external appearance of the unit and a prominent high street frontage. enhance the character of the local area whilst allowing for the practicalities of the proposal. As the proposals only relate to a change of use there has been no community engagement. Since the close of the Newsagent there has been the loss of employment in the area. By re-using an existing building that has been altered for ‘Chiropractic’ use and whilst this does not fall within planning policy for new areas it does promote employment growth and therefore accords with Policy TB11.

The Chiropractic Practice came to Twyford in 2014 and initially operated out of a rented room within Berkshire Dental Care, 8-10 High Street, Twyford. As the practice established itself over 6 years and saw a steady demand grow, the single room became inadequate for their purposes. With increase in demand from the local community it was clear that larger premises were required as well as additional practitioners. The practice is now well established within the area with circa 35% of local residents who regularly attend.

Location Percentage Twyford, Charvil, 35% Wokingham 10% Woodley, Lower Earley, 30% Earley Existing rear service road

Reading 10% Other 15%

Typical reach of the practice

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4.00 DESIGN

4.01 PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPMENT

Wokingham Borough Local Development – Core Strategy Policy CP3 states that the policy ‘seeks to ensure development is of a high standard of design that can integrate with the character of the area, is also important to achieving sustainable development in the Borough.

In considering the design of the existing property it should be noted that it does not obscure any light to the adjacent retail properties. All the retail properties have their front elevations facing north on a similar building line, therefore, there will be no harsh shadows from the southern sunlight.

The Change of Use proposal is a positive community enhancement, the building will be completely in keeping with the character of the area, in mass and height. There will be no increase in width or depth of the property’s footprint as there are no additions proposed. In addition, the bulk and mass would be proportionally in keeping with the existing on the streetscene.

The existing parking spaces to the rear are to be retained where there is ample capacity for two vehicles. Also of note, are the existing secure cycle stands adjacent to the existing frontage that can accommodate up to 6 bicycles.

In order to reflect good design in keeping within the existing retial area it was considered that the reuse of the existing property as a Chiropractic Practice would complement and integrate well with the existing retail terrace and would be sensitive to the existing surroundings. The existing streetscene is complemented by the existing elevations which make a positive contribution to the character of the area. The massing is appropriate in terms of height, design and appearance.

The design components are discussed in more detail in the following Proposed G.F Layout sections.

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4.02 ACCOMMODATION & ACCESS 4.03 SCALE

The proposed development seeks to create a Chiropractic Practice The existing property is to be retained with no external modifications or with a maximum capacity of 3 treatment rooms serving a sports enhancements. masseuse and two Chiropractors. The existing back of house facilities are to be retained and utilised where required. The form of the building will retain its prominence on the streetscene and integrate with the surroundings. The site has the benefit of good public transport links to the high street shops and Twyford railway station by the use of the frequent bus service along the London Road. Most local facilities, including schools, shops, library, places of worship and recreation ground are accessible by foot and the majority are no longer than a 10 or 20 minute walk or less.

Proposed Frontage,

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4.04 LANDSCAPING & OPEN SPACE

There are no landscaping proposals as part of this application. The proposals seek solely to change the existing use from A1 to D1 use.

4.05 APPEARANCE

The appearance of the building seeks to preserve the character of the existing property and maintain the appearance, where the existing building condition and physical form are a strong element within the streetscene View south service yard

4.06 ACCESS & FLOODING

The proposed access to the property will remain as existing from London Road, using the existing point of access. With regards to the impact upon highway safety conditions along London Road it is deemed that no adverse effects will arise from the proposal as no alterations to the existing boundary treatments are proposed.

The proposal will not result in an increased generation of vehicle movements per day, and it is not considered that the development would result in a material impact upon the existing road safety. View west - frontage The site is not identified by the Environment Agency as somewhere at risk of flooding and as such a Flood Risk Assessment does not accompany this application.

View east - frontage

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5.00 HERITAGE

This application seeks permission for a change of use of an existing property at 22 London Road, Twyford.

This application relates to the Change of Use of an existing A1 unit to a D1 use for Chiropractic purposes, within a set of mixed use commercial buildings located in central Twyford. The majority of the site is located within The Twyford Village Conservation Area, neither the shops with uppers at 18-32 London Road are statutorily or locally listed. There are three listed buildings in the vicinity of the site which are described below.

The majority of the site is within the Twyford Village Conservation Area – see map opposite. Effectively the buildings on the site are within the Conservation Area and the access road is outside.

The Proposed Change of Use Application will have no impact on the surrounding heritage assets.

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Apsley House Listing: Grade II List Entry Number: 1313109

The Harrison Almshouses Listing: Grade II List Entry Number: 1118152

Welford Cottage Listing: Grade II List Entry Number 1135837

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6.00 CONCLUSION

The physical extent of the development proposed within this retail location has been appropriately designed ensuring the visual impact upon the character, appearance and visual amenity of the locality has been preserved.

It is the applicant’s desire to propose a high-quality enhancement to the site, the existing scheme will ensure a quality and sensitive development overall within keeping of its surroundings.

The proposal will not give rise to any adverse impacts upon the retail amenities within the established high street currently enjoyed by existing residents/shoppers within the proximity of the site. The proposal will not make an increase in floor area and under 12.1 of Wokingham Borough Council Community Infrastructure Levy, Guidance Notes for Applicants, February 2015, the proposal is exempt from these charges.

The development will not prejudice highway safety conditions along London Road or at the junctions immediately adjacent to the property.

Given the existing buildings lack of encroachment and visibility beyond the immediate vicinity of the site, it is not considered that there would be any harmful visual impact on the residential environment and therefore considered to be acceptable.

The development therefore complies with national planning guidance and strategic and local planning policies. On the basis of the evidence and justification set out in this Supporting Statement with the Change of Use application, it is respectfully requested that this application be approved.

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