Parish: Ward: Birdham West Wittering BI/15/03851/FUL Proposal Change of use of existing marine retail/storage/light industrial unit to new destination retail unit incorporation new showfront, entrance and side fire escape. Site Unit 4 Premier Business Park Birdham Road Appledram West Sussex PO20 7BU Map Ref (E) 483079 (N) 100354 Applicant High Seats Ltd RECOMMENDATION TO REFUSE Note: Do not scale from map. For information only. Reproduced NOT TO from the Ordnance Survey Mapping with the permission of the SCALE controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Crown Copyright. License No. 100018803 1.0 Reason for Committee Referral Red Card: Cllr Hamilton Important information/opinion to raise in debate: "Having consulted my fellow ward councillor, I am not happy that this application be refused again by the officers as the applicants have apparently fulfilled criteria for permission. Please can they be able to address the committee" 2.0 The Site and Surroundings 2.1 The application site is located on the north-west side of the A286 Chichester Road approximately 3 miles to the south of Chichester and 1 mile north of Birdham. The Premier Business Park occupies a relatively remote rural location that is also within the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The site is located 300m north east of the revised settlement boundary in the emerging Birdham Neighbourhood Plan. 2.2 The application site was originally part of a soft drinks factory prior to its subdivision in 2004 into a number of smaller business units (BI/03/02203/FUL). The use of what is now Unit 4 was restricted to purposes within B1(c) - light industrial or Class B8 storage and distribution. A later permission issued in 2007 (LPA Ref: BI/14/04272/FUL), allowed the use of the front part of this unit "for the display and sale of water related leisure products with ancillary offices and store." 2.3 The application building consists of a steel portal framed building positioned at the northern end of a terrace of 4 similar units. The building is constructed with white clad elevations beneath a profiled steel ridged roof. The site consists of the "front half" (i.e. with a footprint of 20m x 12m) of the existing unit. The rear portion of the unit would be retained for use as a marine workshop. 2.4 Access to the Premier Business Park is via a centrally positioned vehicular entrance from the A286. Immediately on entering the site is a parking court which extends to the west and east. The existing parking on site serves the motor home retail units (Units 1 and 2) and Lansdale Marine which will continue to operate out of the rear of Unit 4 as part of this application proposal. 2.5 The business park is bounded to its south-west (i.e. its road frontage) by a timber post and rail fence with hedge. The sites other boundaries (i.e. south-west, north-west and north- east) are defined by more substantial hedge/tree screens. Beyond the business park's boundaries to the west and south is open countryside. To the north west of the site is an unauthorised gypsy and traveller site which is subject to ongoing investigation by planning enforcement . Directly to the east of the site is Birdham Farm, with open fields beyond. 3.0 The Proposal 3.1 This application proposes a change of use of the front portion of Unit 4 (237sqm net floor area) from a restricted "water related leisure products" showroom use to a retail unit/showroom described as a "destination retail unit" for the sale of specialised mobility equipment and furniture. The interior of the building would be subdivided with a number of new partitions providing 'service desk' areas as well as storage space and an accessible w.c. 3.2 It is also proposed to undertake a number of external changes. The development would involve the replacement of the existing roller shutter door on the building's south-east elevation with new showroom window and entrance doors. Additionally, a fire escape door in the building's north-east elevation would be closed up with another being formed just to the north. 3.3 No parking spaces for the proposed use are provided within the application boundary. A parking plan has been provided which indicates the increased provision of parking on the Premier Business Park site generally, including along the eastern boundary where boat parking currently exists. 3.4 The rear portion of the building (205.84sqm net floor area) is to be retained by Lansdale Marine as a marine workshop. 3.5 The proposed business would be operated 7 days a week, 09:00- 17:00 on Monday to Saturday, and 10:00 - 16:00 on Sundays. 4.0 History 03/00836/COU REF Change of use from vacant engineering works to indoor kart track. 03/01689/COU REF Change of use from vacant engineering works to indoor kart track. 03/02203/FUL PER Subdivision and refurbishment of existing factory into 3 no. separate units for B1(c). Use of 2 no. units for B1/B8 purposes. 1 no. unit for the sale, display and maintenance of motor homes. 07/03950/COU PER Change of use to part sale and display of water related leisure products and part use as workshops for the servicing, fitting out and storage of marine related products. 15/01749/FUL REF Change of use of existing marine retail/storage/light industrial unit to new destination retail unit incorporating new shopfront, entrance and side fire escape. 07/02832/FUL PER Replacement office accommodation. 08/01359/COU PER Change of use of existing office building to classic car showroom. 10/00821/FUL PER Variation of condition No 9 of planning permission BI/03/02203/FUL. Use of 4 no. existing car parking spaces for the display of dinghies in connection with yacht chandlers. 10/04039/EXT PER Application to extend the implementation period of existing Planning Permission BI/07/02832/FUL. Replacement office accommodation. 5.0 Constraints Listed Building NO Conservation Area NO Countryside YES AONB YES EA Flood Zone NO Historic Parks and NO Gardens 6.0 Representations and Consultations 6.1 Parish Council Birdham Parish raises No Objection to this application. 6.2 Chichester Harbour Conservancy Subject to the red line identifying the application site being amended to exclude the retained marine workshop floor space in the back half of the unit, to raise no objection to the application, subject to the imposition of a planning condition restricting the sales and display of goods to items of furniture only and no other use within Class A1 of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended). Members were concerned that an unrestricted A1 use could change over time and have a far greater demand for car parking and trip generation, the latter considered harmful to the AONB and also likely to generate a greater number of movements on and off the site, interrupting the free flow of traffic. 6.3 WSCC Highways This proposal has been considered by means of a desktop study, using the information and plans submitted with this application, in conjunction with other available WSCC map information. A site visit can be arranged on request. West Sussex County Council was consulted previously on Highway Matters for this location in relation to a similar application under planning application reference BI/15/01749/FUL. While no in principle objection was raised to the proposal the LHA sought the following additional information to ensure that assumptions made when considering the application were correct. 1. Details of the business especially the web based nature of the business 2. Expected no of daily trips to the site to include staff and customers 3. The number of deliveries expected per weed and where they will load/ unload It should be noted that BI/15/01749/FUL was refused by the LPA citing the proposed parking provision as one of the reasons for refusal. In principle the latest application is similar to that previously proposed, seeking the change of use of an existing marine retail/storage/light industrial unit (256sqm) to a new destination retail until incorporation new shopfront, entrance and side fire escape at unit 4, Premier Business Park, Birdham Park, Birdham Road Appuldram. 8 car parking spaces will be provided to serve the unit, two spaces of which will be suitable for disabled access. I am mindful that BI/15/01749/FUL was refused by the LPA citing the parking provision as one of the reason for refusal. I note that WSCC previously raised no objection to the proposed parking provision within a consultation response dated 30/06/2015. I am also mindful that circa 190sqm of B1 Light Industrial use is to be retained to the rear of the application site in the form of a marine workshop which will typically be staffed by 1 or 2 engineers and a receptionist. Using the latest WSCC car parking standard the retained B1 use would require a maximum 7/8 car parking spaces. The application documents suggest that 4 car parking spaces are available to serve the remaining B1 use. I would be minded to conclude this quantity of provision would be acceptable for the anticipated number of staff expected to be working at the site. These spaces have however not been demonstrated on the plans provided and the LPA would be advised to be satisfied this provision is acceptable prior to determining the application. After the inspection of the latest documents provided I would be minded to conclude that the service and delivery requirements of the retail use would be similar in highways terms to that of the existing use of the site.