Committee Date: 07/03/2013 Application Number: 2013/00181/PA Accepted: 10/01/2013 Application Type: Reserved Matters Development Target Date: 11/04/2013 Ward: Edgbaston Birmingham University, Pritchatts Road, Adjacent to Gisbert Kapp Building, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 Reserved matters application for the erection of a multi storey car park (element 1a) associated with hybrid planning application 2012/02047/PA for all outstanding reserved matters and consisting of 496 spaces Applicant: University of Birmingham Estates West, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT Agent: Associated Architects 1 Severn Street Place, The Mailbox, Birmingham, B1 1SE Recommendation Approve Subject To Conditions 1. Proposal 1.1. This application seeks reserved matters consent for the erection of a multi-storey car park located adjacent to Gisbert Kapp Building on Pritchatts Road (of 12,110sqm Gross External Area (GEA)). The car park would accommodate 496 car parking spaces and 24 cycle spaces. 1.2. This application is made to provide the outstanding details associated with this phase of the Hybrid planning application approved by Committee in August 2012 and which was subject to a S106 Agreement. That application proposed a range of projects, some in full detail and others seeking varying degrees of outline consent. The Hybrid approval consisted of 21 separate projects. The multi-storey scheme, the subject of this consent, was annotated as Project 19 on the approved master-plan. This represented part of the Hybrid application (element 1a), which sought outline consent with all elements reserved apart from access. Access details were agreed, from Pritchatts Road, using an existing access point. This application seeks consent for the remaining matters, being; appearance, landscaping, layout and scale. 1.3. The building would be rectilinear with its short end facing towards Pritchatts Road. The building would be set back from the road by 12 m. Vehicular access would be gained from an existing access point that serves another car park in front of Gisbert Kapp and the current car park on site. The proposed 6 deck multi-storey car park would be 16.4m high with a stair core, at both the north and west corners, being 17.4m high. 52 Pritchatts Road (partially in front of Gisbert Kapp) to the west and is 23.5m high (at 6 storeys) and 54 Pritchatts Road to the east is 9.5m to ridge (at 2 storeys). The design of the building is driven by its function with the majority of the building consisting of concrete decks clad with expanded metal panels to clad the edges of the concrete floors. The stair towers would be clad in thin vertical terracotta panels (colour to match those used on the recently refurbished Gisbert Kapp Page 1 of 6 Building) arranged in a vertical ‘bar-code’ system. The base would use engineering blue brick to enclose planters. 1.4. A mature Oak tree is located in front of the site. This would be retained and supplemented with further planting. The proposed landscaping scheme consists of two new trees (scots pine) being located in front of the building adjacent to Pritchatts Road and structured hedging and other pockets of shrubs and bushes to the side and rear of the building. Some boundary hedging, to the eastern boundary, would be removed but six significant firs would be retained on the boundary to no. 54 Pritchatts Road. 1.5. The application has been submitted with a Design and Access Statement and addendum to the previously submitted Transport Assessment and Travel Plan. The Transport Assessment has been updated to reflect the fact that the University has reconfigured how they intend to distribute car parking across the campus resulting in more parking being provided on the multi-storey car park than originally assumed within the approved hybrid planning application. 1.6. Site area 0.47ha. 2. Site & Surroundings 2.1. The site is located between 52 and 54 Pritchatts Road and within the University of Birmingham campus. Gisbert Kapp Building and 52 Pritchatts Road are located to the west of the site and ranges from 6 to 7 storeys. To the east is 54 Pritchatts Road, a former two storey house now converted to education use. 2.2. The site is a former tennis courts converted, in the past, to a surface level car park. The site is flat and hard-surfaced, devoid of any trees or plant structure. There are groups of trees beyond the south and northern boundaries of the site. 2.3. Site is to the immediate south of Edgbaston Conservation Area. 3. Planning History 3.1. 29/10/12. Pa no. 2012/02047/PA Redevelopment of elements of the University Campus buildings and infrastructure including: Outline application for a multi-storey car park, erection of student residences and sports pavilion, erection of new library and Full details for the erection of a new sports centre and the construction of a new pedestrian/cycle route to the Vale, Demolition of various buildings associated landscaping and car parking. Approved with section 106 to secure funding for off site car parking surveys and mitigation if necessary. 3.2. Other current projects within the Hybrid application 3.3. PENDING pa no. 2013/00523/PA. Reserved Matters Application for the undertaking of library enabling works (Element 1c) associated with hybrid planning application 2012/02047/PA for all outstanding reserved matters. 3.4. PENDING pa no. 2013/00524/PA. Reserved Matters Application for the erection of new library (Element 1c) associated with hybrid planning application 2012/02047/PA for all outstanding reserved matters. Page 2 of 6 4. Consultation/PP Responses 4.1. MP, Councillors, Residents, and Resident Associations consulted. Site notice erected and press notice made. 4.2. Edgbaston Resident’s Association - The Association is primarily interested in environmental, infrastructure and parking issues and does not intend making representations on the design of this car park. We are however concerned about the overall quantum of on-site parking provided by the University and the application appears to be missing an opportunity to address this. It suggests that the capacity of Pritchatts Road surface car park is to be reduced from the number given in the Hybrid Planning Application, simply because more spaces are now to be provided in the proposed Gisbert Kapp car park. Our members will find this difficult to accept as it is an opportunity to address, albeit in a small way, the on-street parking issue. 4.3. David Lock Associates, on behalf of Calthorpe Estates – raise concerns in regard to the following issues; 4.4. “The increase in parking here and the reduction at the Prichatts Road surface car park is not fully explained. The Hybrid Planning Permission is predicated on the University’s assertion that there will be no additional floor-space and therefore no need for additional car parking spaces. However that application also demonstrated the potential for additional parking spaces on the Prichatts Road car park, presumably to replace those lost elsewhere on the Campus. CE is fearful that this capacity is to be held in reserve for future development while the University and the City Council fail to address properly the parking that is already displaced into surrounding streets.” 4.5. “The lack of information about how the car parking provision is to be managed, in the use Prichatts Road surface car park, is unclear. The main points of my recent letter on the subject of the BioMedical Innovation Hub (BMIH) relate to this application also because the proposals are inter-linked.” 4.6. “The appropriateness in design. A setback and generous planting as a foil to the building is not a good substitute for an active street frontage; this is not ideal in urban design/place making terms. However CE acknowledges that the principle of this location for the MSCP has already been established by the Hybrid Planning Permission.” 4.7. “A concern about the implications, shared with the Residents' Association, for the future of Prichatts Road. There are statements about reducing the speed limit and changing its physical form but no detail is contained in this application, therefore the judgment of this application cannot rely on those suggestions. The Transport Statement Addendum submitted by Arup in support of this application does not assuage the concerns previously expressed.” 4.8. Transportation – no objection, the scheme accords with the agreed principles of the approved hybrid Masterplan. 4.9. West Midlands Police – No objection. There have been a number of pre-consultation meetings between Agent and West Midlands Police in relation to this application. This proposal is also the subject of a Secured by Design application and a proposal for this car park to achieve Park Mark status and is on target to achieve these awards. Page 3 of 6 4.10. West Midlands Fire Service – no comments received. 4.11. National Grid – no comments received. 5. Policy Context 5.1. Birmingham UDP (2005), Draft Birmingham Development Plan (2010), Places for All (2001)- SPG, Car Parking Guidelines (2012), NPPF (2012), Conservation Strategy (1997). 6. Planning Considerations 6.1. Background - The Hybrid planning application included the creation of a range of car parking opportunities to rationalise on site parking including new car parks within the new Sports Centre (270 spaces), at Grange Road (78 spaces), at expanding Pritchatts Road surface car park (456 spaces) and within the multi-storey car park (up to 400 spaces). This car parking strategy also included the removal of some pockets of ad hoc parking and sought to rationalise the total provision. In total this strategy will result in the identification of 3,500 parking spaces located in strategic areas; with new areas principally located adjacent to Pritchatts Road and Edgbaston Park Road enabling easy access to Bristol Road.