DECISION DATE APPLICATION NO. PLANNING COMMITTEE: 24 October 2008 08/00866/OUT A5 13 & 14 October 2008 Full Report DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED SITE ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE REDEVELOPMENT CANAL CORRIDOR NORTH SITE COMPRISING A RETAIL LED MIXED USED EDWARD STREET SCHEME TO INCLUDE DEMOLITION OF LANCASTER EXISTING BUILDINGS AND ASSOCIATED LANCASHIRE STRUCTURES, THE DEMOLITION OF ALL RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS, THE CLOSURE AND ALTERATION OF HIGHWAYS, ENGINEERING WORKS AND CONSTRUCTION OF NEW BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES TO PROVIDE, RETAIL, RESTAURANTS, CAFES, WORKSHOP, REHEARSAL SPACE AND RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION, TOGETHER WITH ANCILLARY AND ASSOCIATED DEVELOPMENT INCLUDING NEW PEDESTRIAN LINK BRIDGE AND ENTRANCED PEDESTRIAN ROUTES AND OPEN SPACES, CAR PARKING AND VEHICULAR ACCESS AND SERVICING FACILITIES APPLICANT: AGENT: Centros Lancaster LP Montagu Evans LLP C/o Agents REASON FOR DELAY None. PARISH NOTIFICATION None. LAND USE ALLOCATION/DEPARTURE This application constitutes a departure from the Lancaster District Local Plan in respect of Policy T13 – Car Parking. In relation to land use allocations, there are a number of designations that apply to this complex site. The site is also the subject of a Development Brief in the form of Supplementary Planning Guidance Note 8 – The Canal Corridor North – which was adopted in May 2002. The western part of the site and the area around the Grand Theatre and the Duke’s Theatre lie in the City Conservation Area, whilst elevated areas around Mill Hall to the south east of the site fall within the Moor Lane Mills Conservation Area. The Bath Mill Conservation Area lies on the opposite side of Lancaster Canal. A number of Grade II Listed Buildings occupy positions within the site. They are as follows: • The Grand Theatre; • The Duke’s Theatre; • The Tramway Hotel (127 St Leonard’s Gate), 129 St Leonard's gate and 131 St Leonard's Gate; • The Crown Inn, 18 St Leonard's Gate; • 11 Moor Lane; • 17-19 Moor Lane. Mill Hall and Moor Lane Mills (North) Gatehouse are also listed but they are the subject of a separate outline application for development of that portion of the site. A number of Grade II Listed Buildings occupy positions around the site, and their setting will be affected by the proposals. These buildings are as follows: • The Centenary Church, St Leonard’s Gate (now The Friary Public House); • 108-110 St Leonard’s Gate; • 112 & 114 St Leonard’s Gate • St Leonard’s House; • 1 Great John Street and 2 and 2a Moor Lane; • 2 Bryer Street; • Moor Lane Mill (South); Most of the site is covered by a Housing Opportunity Site designation. All but the eastern- most part of the site forms part of the wider Lancaster Central Parking Area. The Strategic Cycle Network runs along Phoenix Street and through the site along Edward Street. Moor Lane also forms part of the Strategic Cycling Network, as does the towpath along Lancaster Canal. Stonewell forms part of the Primary Bus Corridor. The car parks within the site benefit from Shopper and Visitor Car Park designations. The properties towards the Stonewell corner are part of the Stonewell Upper Floors Improvement Area and are also designated Key Townscape Features. The Golden Lion Pub and properties on (lower) Moor Lane and 113 St Leonard’s Gate are also Key Townscape Features. The Duke’s Theatre benefits from a protective designation reserving land for its own development. Lancaster Canal is a County Biological Heritage Site and a designated Informal Recreation Area. Land to the north of the site at Bulk Road/Back Caton Road is reserved for highway improvements. Land outside the actual development site but within the red edge of the planning application (in relation to wider network highway improvements) includes a small area of Urban Greenspace/Informal recreation Area at Green Ayre. Parliament Street, which is affected by the proposals, is a Primary Bus Corridor. Kingsway is allocated as a Business Opportunity Site and part of its junction at Caton Road and Bulk Street is included in the designation. STATUTORY CONSULTATIONS The local planning authority has engaged the services of independent retail, transport and environmental consultants to assess the detailed submissions in each of these fields. Their reports are not included within this consultation summary section, but are produced in greater depth within the main body of the report. Arising from the statutory consultations, the following responses have been received. 4NW (formerly North West Regional Assembly) – As the site has been previously developed and is currently underused, broad support for the reuse of the site is offered by Policy DP1 of both the Adopted and Submitted Draft Regional Spatial Strategies. Lancaster should ensure that they are satisfied that an adequate and up-to-date sequential approach has been carried out for the proposals. North West Development Agency (NWDA) – A major, retail-led mixed-use development would improve the City’s retail offer and be consistent with the Regional Economic Strategy objective of promoting economic growth in Lancaster. The vision for Lancaster is to build upon its Georgian heritage, which should be used as a backdrop to a stylish and distinctive retail and leisure activity. The scheme’s design and relationship to the surrounding built environment is an important consideration. The NWDA is pleased to note the alterations in response to concerns during the last application. A sufficiently high-quality and sensitively designed project would add significantly to Lancaster’s retail offer and to its attractiveness as a commercial centre for retail, leisure, office and other uses. Therefore we encourage the City council to take a positive attitude to the potential benefits of the proposal, whilst giving proper weight to the sensitive design issues posed. Lancashire County Council (County) Strategic Planning & Landscape – The existing housing supply in the district would satisfy the annual rate of provision beyond 2016. However as the proposal is a major mixed-use development, and may provide some affordable housing, it is acceptable because it complies with the criteria adopted in the Joint Lancashire Structure Plan (JLSP). With regard to leisure and retail, Policy 16 of the JLSP is applicable. The scale of development is considered appropriate given Lancaster’s Tier 1 Centre designation. The local planning authority may wish to obtain guidance from its consultants in regard to the latest population figures and its impact upon expenditure estimates. If the authority reaches a decision that the development would not harm town centre vitality or viability then the development will conform to policy. The applicant’s sequential approach shows that there is no alternative site available in a more central location. The local planning authority will have to consider if this is the case. The workshop floor area does not raise any strategic issues. If the retail matters referred to are considered acceptable, then the proposal will be in general conformity with the JLSP. County Highways – County Highways do not object to the development, providing that all Highway Agreement measures indicated on the plans are provided along with a suitable level of planning obligation. Their response explains the situation regarding the existing highway network. They accept the modelling undertaken by the applicant and conclude that it is a reasonable basis from which to assess the impacts of the proposal. They also acknowledge that the City Centre suffers from a significant level of congestion at peak times and is a declared Air Quality Management Area. The inclusion of committed developments (i.e. those developments that already have planning permission elsewhere in the city) will increase congestion levels and consequently reduce air quality within the City Centre. They state that the network modelling indicates that the proposed highway improvement measures will provide a reasonable level of additional capacity and offers a level of journey reliability for all transport modes in the area. However, the network benefits provided by the Canal Corridor development are masked by the impacts of the other committed developments and do not negate against all sources of local congestion across the network, including that experienced on the northbound gyratory approach arms and surrounding area during the peak periods. Queuing will impact on other corridors and junctions. County are confident that the traffic increases should not be at a level that compromises network safety but they agree that overall queue lengths and journey times during weekday and weekend peaks will increase. However they state that the primary source of this additional congestion is from the committed developments – not as a result of the Canal Corridor proposal. Each element of the development will attract trips by most modes and will require deliveries, servicing and waste collection resulting in further congestion on a number of links in the surrounding area during the periods of weekdays and weekend. It is critical that any development here is supported by suitable measures and sufficient planning obligations to minimise their impact on the network. Proposed changes to sections of St. Leonard’s Gate, Bulk Road and Alfred Street alter route choice availability for existing and committed movements. These changes are not considered to the detriment of the network as a whole. Measures include the provision of a new link road between Caton Road and St. Leonard’s Gate which facilitates movement to the development within the existing constrained network. Improvements are also proposed at a number of other key locations providing further capacity. The development proposes mitigating measures that provide a small level of improvement to the City Centre and its surrounding network, with the updating of the traffic signal management system, three Variable Message Signs and two CCTV cameras. The updated traffic signal management system (known as SCOOT) will minimise the overall network delay, and thus should provide a level of network reliability. Variable Message Signs will provide car park information to drivers as they enter the city.