Units 11A & 11B, Roaring Meg Retail Park, Stevenage, Sg1
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
UNITS 11A & 11B, ROARING MEG RETAIL PARK, STEVENAGE, SG1 1XN PLANNING AND RETAIL STATEMENT JANUARY 2021 CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………….3 2.0 THE SITE AND RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY…………………….5 3.0 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT……………………………………….8 4.0 PLANNING POLICY OVERVIEW………………………………………..10 5.0 RETAIL CONSIDERATIONS……………………………………………..17 6.0 DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS………………36 7.0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS……………………………………….38 APPENDICES 1 SITE LOCATION PLAN 2 DECISION NOTICE 99/00097/OP 3 STEVENAGE TOWN CENTRE SEQUENTIAL SITES 4 STEVENAGE OLD TOWN SEQUENTIAL SITES 5 MAJOR OPPORTUNITY AREA SITES 6 STEVENAGE TOWN CENTRE VACANT UNITS (NOVEMBER 2019) 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This Planning and Retail Statement (PRS) has been prepared on behalf of Stevenage Retail Limited (SRL), in relation to proposals at Unit 11A/11B, Roaring Meg Retail Park, Stevenage, SG1 1XN (the Site). The proposals comprise external alterations and reconfiguration of the existing internal mezzanine floorspace within Units 11A/11B and variation of condition 10 of planning permission 99/00097/OP to allow the units to be used for retail sales under Class E(a) of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) Regulations 2020. 1.2 The proposed development is to facilitate the relocation of DFS from the existing accommodation at Unit 18 into Unit 11B, and allow the adjoining Unit 11A to be occupied by Sofology, a sister company within the DFS parent company. 1.3 Following the proposed reconfiguration of the floorspace within the two units, the floorspace will be as follows: Table 1: Proposed floorspace breakdown Unit 11A Unit 11B Ground Floor 973sqm 983sqm Mezzanine 743sqm 743sqm Total (GEA) 1,716sqm 1,726sqm Combined Total 3,442sqm (GEA) 1.4 The proposals will meet DFS’s current operational requirements for their DFS brand and also address DFS’s parent company requirement for the retailer’s two key fascia, namely DFS and Sofology, to trade from immediately adjoining units. 1.5 The application is submitted further to pre-application discussions with Stevenage Borough Council (the Council) including a meeting with Officers on 18 December 2020. 1.6 The proposals are progressed as two separate planning applications, one application for the reconfiguration and insertion of additional mezzanine floor within Units 11A/11B and the use of the units for retail sales, and separate application for the external alterations to the units, including new entrances and increased double height glazing on the front elevations and side elevation of Unit 11A. This is to facilitate a phased construction process. 3 1.7 This PRS sets out the scope of the planning application, identifies the key planning issues, and provides an assessment of the proposals against these key issues. The PRS will focus on the acceptability of the development in land use terms, having regards to the relevant policies of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Development Plan Policy. 1.8 The application should be read in conjunction with the other supporting application documents as set out in the accompanying covering letter. The remainder of the Statement is structured as follows: The Application Site and Relevant Planning History – This section provides an overview of the application Site and summarises the relevant planning history at the Retail Park; The Proposed Development – This section provides an overview of the development proposals. This section also provides an overview of the proposed occupiers, DFS and Sofology; Relevant Planning Policy – This section identifies the relevant planning policy at a national and local level which the development proposals will be assessed against. At a local level, this includes the Statutory Development Plan for Stevenage, including The Stevenage Borough Local Plan 2011-2031 (May 2019) and the adopted Proposals Map (2019). Retail Considerations - Sequential test and impact considerations are assessed within this section of the PRS; Development Management Considerations – the limited development management considerations, focused on highways and design, are set out within this section; Summary and Conclusions – Finally we provide a brief summary of the key planning issues and provide conclusions of the assessment. We conclude that the proposed development is fully in line with national and local policy and should therefore be considered favourably. 4 2.0 THE APPLICATION SITE AND PLANNING HISTORY 2.1 The site is located approximately 1km south of Stevenage Town Centre. As such, the retail park occupies an ‘out-of-centre’ location in terms of planning policy. A Site Location Plan is enclosed as Appendix 1. 2.2 Roaring Meg Retail Park is an established retail destination serving the wider Stevenage area. The Retail Park complements the Town Centre’s retail and leisure offer, and is a significant employer in the local area. 2.3 The Retail Park extends to a total of circa 33,000sqm of retail floorspace. It comprises a number of units including shops, restaurants, cafes and hot food takeaways, including Debenhams, Currys PC World, Tapi, Furniture Village and Oak Furnitureland, and a number of restaurant and coffee operators, including Pizza Hut, Costa Coffee and Harvester pub among others. The majority of these uses now fall within new Class E of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) Regulations 2020. 2.4 The application Site comprises Units 11A and 11B, extending to 3,070sqm GEA of Class E(d) floorspace in total, split as follows: Table 2 – Existing floorspace breaddown Unit 11A Unit 11B Existing Floorspace Ground Floor 973sqm 983sqm Mezzanine Floor 625sqm 489sqm Total 1,598sqm 1,472sqm Combined 3,070sqm 2.5 DFS currently occupy Unit 18, within the southern part of the Retail Park. The unit extends to 1,712sqm at ground floor and 74sqm at mezzanine floor (a total of 1,786 sqm). 2.6 The use of Units 11A and 11B falls assembly and leisure uses within Use Class E (d), with Unit 11A currently occupied by TruGym and Unit 11B occupied by Partyman. 5 2.7 Part of the Retail Park is located within Flood Zone 2 and Flood Zone 3. Units 11A and 11B are located within Flood Zone 2. The proposals result in no change to the overall building footprint and therefore does not give rise to any flood related issues. Accessibility 2.8 Vehicular, pedestrian and cycle access to the Retail Park forms off London Road and the A606 Monkswood Way. The A606 provides a primary A road, connecting the Site and wider Stevenage to the A1(M). 2.9 Stevenage is also easily accessible from further afield by train, bus and bike. There are two bus stops located along London Road, approximately 100 metres south-west of the units. Roaring Meg Retail Park Stop A and B provide bus services: 44, 45, 301, 378 and 379. 2.10 A network of cycle lanes serve the site and the wider area, with cycle access via a dedicated cycle lane is provided from London Road and Monkswood Way. Relevant Planning History 2.11 Planning permission was originally granted for the Retail Park in April 1987 (under permission 2/0048/87). The description of development was for: ‘Sub regional durable goods retail warehouse complex, ice rink and leisure unit, residential flat, licensed restaurant, 2 fast food units, community arts centre and car and coach parking facilities, and improvements to water meadow’. 2.12 Units 11A and 11B were subsequently granted permission on 23 November 2000, under planning permission ref. 99/00097/OP, attached as Appendix 2. The description of the approved development is as follows: 'partial redevelopment involving demolition, extension, and new build, improved internal circulation and adjustment of car parking and landscaping'. 2.13 The permission was subject to 13 conditions. Condition 10 relates specifically to Units 11A and 11B and states: 'Prior to the demolition of the existing leisure unit, identified as a sports centre on drawing reference number MJP1, a replacement leisure building of approximately 1944sqm of gross floorspace shall be constructed and made available for occupation, and it shall be used only for assembly and leisure 6 purposes, in accordance with Class D2 of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1997.' 2.14 Therefore, whilst the existing and proposed uses both fall within Class E, the effect of Condition 10 above is to restrict the use of the units to Class E(d). In other words, were it not for Condition 10, the units could be used for retail sales (and other uses within Class E) without the need for planning permission. 7 3.0 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 3.1 The development proposals comprise the variation of condition 10 of planning permission 99/00097/OP which currently restricts the use of the Units 11A and 11B to assembly and leisure uses within Class E(d), the reconfiguration and insertion of additional floorspace at mezzanine floor, and associated external alterations, to allow the unit to be used for Class E(a) retail uses. 3.2 The proposals will facilitate the occupation of the units by DFS and Sofology, furniture and sofa retailers within the DFS group of companies. 3.3 The proposed reconfiguration of the internal floorspace will result in the following breakdown of floorspace within the units: Table 3: Proposed floorspace breakdown Unit 11A Unit 11B Sofology DFS Ground Floor 973sqm 983sqm Mezzanine 743sqm 743sqm Total (GEA) 1,716sqm 1,726sqm Combined Total 3,442sqm (GEA) 3.4 The proposals result in a minor increase of floorspace of 372sqm, with the total combined floorspace within Units 11A/11B increasing from 3,070sqm to 3,442sqm GEA. 3.5 The proposed external alterations comprise amendments to the front elevations including increasing the glazing to mezzanine level, additional glazing on the side elevation of Unit 11A, removing the dated portico features and canopies, and introducing new signage zones.