Demolition of public house and living accommodation and erection of depot for the hire, sales and assembly of grass cutting machinery, residential accommodation and hot foot take away at The Myerscough Balderstone. Planning Statement March 2018 JDTPL0117 Judith Douglas BSc (Hons), Dip TP, MRTPI 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH Telephone: 01200 425051 Mobile: 07729 302644 Email: [email protected] Website: www.jdouglastownplanning.co.uk Page 1 of 13 Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421 PLANNING STATEMENT SITE: THE MYERSCOUGH, WHALLEY ROAD, BLACKBURN BB2 7LE. PROPOSAL: DEMOLITION OF PUBLIC HOUSE AND LIVING ACCOMMODATION AND ERECTION OF DEPOT FOR THE HIRE, SALES AND ASSEMBLY OF GRASS- CUTTING MACHINERY, RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION AND HOT FOOD TAKEWAWAY. INTRODUCTION 1.1 This planning statement has been prepared to accompany a full planning application for the proposed redevelopment of the site to accommodate a depot for the hire, service, repair and sales of grass cutting machinery to include living accommodation and hot food takeaway. The company, Stuart Taylor International are currently based at Nightfield Gate Lane, Balderstone. The company is a well establish local business which is seeking to expand. 1.2 This application seeks advice regarding the redevelopment of the former public house and living accommodation to allow the company to remain based in this local area. The site area is approximately 0.21ha. 1.3 The drawings and information submitted with the application comprise: 5460 Location Plan, 5460-E01-Existing Site Plan 5460-E02-Existing Floor Plans and Elevations 5460-P01-Proposed Site Plan 5460-P02-Proposed Floor Plans and Elevations 5460-P03-Proposed Visuals Heritage Statement Protected species survey 2 SITE DESCRIPTION 2.1 The application site comprises the former public house A4 drinking establishment with a 4 bedroom flat above local authority reference 0000101601110B Council Tax Band C, large beer garden and car park. The site is immediately adjacent to another public house and hotel formerly The Boddington Arms soon to reopen at The Bluebird Inn run by J W Lees. The hotel accommodation is 20 en-suite rooms. The site is opposite BAE Systems. 2.2 Vehicle access to the site is off Myerscough Smithy Road. The access road runs parallel to Whalley Road and also serves The Boddington Arms. A private track to Rigby Fold runs along Page 2 of 13 Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421 the western boundary of the site beyond which is open grazing land. To the south of the site within the Borough of South Ribble is a Council Deport and Huntley’s Country Store. 2.3 Whalley Road carries a bus service 280 and x80 which links Skipton to Preston via Clitheroe. The site has direct access to the primary road network and good links to the motorway. 3 COMPANY DESCRIPTION 3.1 Stuart Taylor Internal is currently based in Balderstone. They hire, service, repair and sell large scale grass cutting equipment. Their clients include grass cutting contractors (for schools, hospitals, highways etc), golf courses, grounds keepers and private individuals with large gardens. The majority of companies that hire grass cutting equipment are based in the north-west, but machines are hired out UK wide. The machinery is either delivered to the customer or is collected by the customer using a 7.5 - tonne truck or land rover with trailer. All machinery is road registered. 3.2 Equipment is hired out long term for a 26-week (plus) season. Short term hire is between a week and a month. 1 or 2-day hire is machinery with driver. 4. PROPOSED DEVLEOPMENT 4.1 The proposed development is for a building to be used as display showroom for large scale grass cutting equipment for purchase or hire. Grass cutting machinery is large in size and to be able to display the variety of machines available and a large showroom is required. The building will also provide the administrative offices for the company. A workshop is proposed at the rear and will only be used for assembly of new machinery, storage and spare parts. 4.2 A hot food takeaway (fish and chips) is proposed next to the Boddington Arms. It is anticipated that the takeaway will serve employees at BAe as well as passing trade along the A59. A residential unit will be retained on site. 4.3 The proposed uses on the site can be summarised as: A1 retail-for the sale of grass cutting machinery 291m2. B2/B8 workshop-for the assembly of new machines, spare parts and storage. 175m2 B1 office-for use by the grass cutting machinery business 200m2. A5 hot food takeaway 20m2 C3 residential 84m2 Page 3 of 13 Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421 4.4 The depot (sales area, offices and workshop) would be operational from 8am to 5pm Monday to Saturday with no opening on Sunday or bank holidays. The hot food takeaway is likely to have peak trade at lunch-time and early evening. It is likely to open 11am to 10pm Monday to Saturday. 4.5 It is intended that the apartment is to be occupied by the operator of the hot food takeaway as managers accommodation. 4.6 Staff parking for the depot is at the rear of the yard area and customer parking for the showroom, apartment and the takeaway is at the front of the building. 5 PRE-APPLICATION ADVICE 5.1 Pre-application advice was received reference 3/2017/ENQ/00053. The advice confirmed that in principle the proposed uses on the site are acceptable. It stated “The proposal as a principle accords with the policies of the Core strategy, EC1. The site is well related to the A59 corridor, is adjacent to the Samlesbury strategic site. It is brownfield for which there is a priority for its reuse for employment generating uses. Policy DMB1 supports proposals that are intended to deliver business growth. As the proposal is for the re-use of the site for employment generating uses I don’t consider there to be a need to provide the marketing evidence.” 6 ASSESSMENT Core strategy 6.1 The following policies of the Core Strategy are relevant to this application are: Key Statement DS1-Development Strategy Key Statement EN2-Landscape Key Statement EN4-Biodiversity Key Statement EN5-Heritage Assets Key Statement EC1: Business and employment development. Key Statement EC2- Development of retail, shops and community facilities and services Page 4 of 13 Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421 Key Statement DMI2 – transport considerations. New development should be located to minimise the need to travel. Policy DMG1: General Considerations Policy DMG3: Transport and mobility Policy DMB1 Supporting Business Growth and the Local Economy. Policy DME2 Landscape and townscape protection. Policy DME4: Protecting Heritage Assets Policy DMR3-Retial outside the main settlements. 7 SITE HISTORY There is no planning history for the site recorded on the Council website. 8 EVALUATION 8.1 This section of the statement will justify the acceptability of the proposed development and demonstrate its accordance with the policies of the core strategy. The main issues to be considered are the principle of the proposed commercial development, visual amenity, heritage assets, residential amenity, and highway safety. Core Strategy 8.2 The Ribble Valley Core Strategy highlights the limited number of employment opportunities available in the Borough, which results in high levels of daily out commuting to access employment. This proposal will support the underlying strategic approach in the Core Strategy expressed in Key Statement DS1 to create development opportunities for economic, social and environmental well-being and development for future generations. The development has the potential to deliver benefits such as the retention of employment, new employment and reducing the levels of out-commuting and increasing self-containment. Principle of Development 8.3 Land which is well related to the A59 corridor is considered to be an acceptable location for new employment development. Stuart Taylor International is a well-establish business with its current premises located nearby at Lane Ends Balderstone. The relocation of the sales and administration, which is the main part of the business, to The Myerscough site will allow the business to expand and remain in the Ribble Valley the majority of repairs will remain at the current site. Sites well related to the A59 are one of the preferred Page 5 of 13 Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421 locations for employment development. The site has a history of employment us as a public house Use Class A4 with residential Use Class C3. The proposed use will retain an employment use of the site. The majority of the employment will be in the sales and administration of the business, with the workshop area being used in a supporting role. The flat within the premises retains the Use Class C3 use and the proposal introduces an A5 hot food takeaway use intend to serve the nearby employment site. Overall the employment generating potential of the site is likely to increase. 8.4 Key Statement EC1 “Business and Employment Development” directs employment development to the main settlements as preferred locations and supports development in locations well related to the A59 corridor. The site is adjacent to the A59. This business will benefit from having good access to the highway network, with fast connections to the main traffic routes and the motorway. 8.5 This site is the nearest available site on which to expand.