Statement of Community Involvement Purpose of Statement This Statement of Community Involvement has been produced by Indigo Planning in support of a proposal comprising 21 dwellings and ground floor retail / restaurant use at 42-50 Thomas Street in the Northern Quarter, Manchester. The applicant recognises that development proposals have an impact on local residents and businesses, particularly in the Northern Quarter which is a much-loved, characterful part of the city. For this reason, Council officers, councillors, Historic England and the general public have been involved in the evolution of the proposal. Site and Proposal A full description of the proposal is set out in the Design and Access Statement and the Planning Statement. In brief, the application site is comprised of numbers 42 to 50 Thomas Street which back onto Back Turner Street, and number 7 Kelvin Street. The area is characterised by its vibrant mix of residential, leisure, entertainment and retail uses. The site has been occupied by a firm of shopfitters for almost sixty years who use the premises as a retail shop with associated storage. The proposal involves The retention, repair and change of use of the upper floors of Grade II listed 7 Kelvin Street from A1 to 3no residential dwellings (Use Class C3); the demolition of numbers 42 to 50 Thomas Street, and the construction of 18no dwellings (C3) over five storeys with residents’ cycle parking for 20 bicycles. At ground floor, permission is sought for up to 265 sqm of retail / restaurant (A1/A3) floorspace; and to basement level, up to 350 sqm of retail / restaurant (A1/A3) floorspace.’ Engagement with Historic England As a listed building will be directly altered as a result of the proposals, and the site is located within a Conservation Area, Historic England (HE) was consulted at a very early stage, in line with the powers held by Historic England (English Heritage) at that time. A site visit was held in October 2014 and written advice received from Historic England in December 2014 (Appendix 1). Among the matters discussed were the structural integrity of the building and the parameters of redevelopment. HE recognised the difficulties in operating a commercial enterprise in the buildings given their problematic layout, and considered it acceptable to demolish numbers 42-48 Thomas Street. Number 50 was recognised as having been rebuilt following war damage, to have lost its original floor plan and layout, to have very little significance remaining, and to be in poor structural condition. Further advice was obtained from Historic England in May 2016 (Appendix 2), with a site meeting taking place on 10 May. HE welcomed the retention of the listed warehouse and suggested minor amendments in order to better appreciate its historic significance. These have been made. Engagement with Manchester City Council Early engagement with the Council took the form of a pre-application meeting with the City’s Planning Manager, David Roscoe, in April 2016. Early draft designs were tabled and deemed to be acceptable in scale. As a result of the meeting, the design evolved with changes to the roofline and massing. The mix of uses was considered and found to be acceptable in principle. A further meeting was held with Council officers on 8 June 2016. This included a site visit and focused on contextual design and streetscape character, heritage assets and the structural integrity of the premises. Councillor Engagement Prior to public consultation, separate meetings were held with councillors from the City Centre ward (25 May 2016) and the Ancoats and Clayton ward (26 May 2016), as Thomas Street forms the boundary between the two. The primary purpose was to inform councillors in the event that residents approached them once the scheme became more widely publicised. Draft designs were shown. The evolution of the scheme was explained in terms of its context and heritage matters. Opinions expressed were positive, including the need to avoid vacant sites and disused buildings. Public Consultation A public consultation drop-in event was held on 31 May 2016 in the community room of the café bar opposite the site, so that attendees could view proposals in context. Letters were sent to all addresses within a wide catchment area inviting residents, businesses and interested parties to view proposals and meet the development team between 3pm and 7pm (Appendix 3, catchment plan). Exhibition boards were displayed showing the contextual analysis and studies which formed the basis of the design, and the design itself. The architects, planning consultant, and developer were on hand to answer questions. A representative of the emerging Northern Quarter Residents Association attended. Questionnaires were made available at the exhibition. They asked a series of yes/no questions regarding the development and provided space for general comments and feedback (Appendix 4, blank questionnaire). A total of 26 questionnaires were received. • 73% of attendees agreed that the site is a good location for housing • 96% agreed with the principle of restaurant / retail use to the ground floor • 92% agreed with the design approach proposed for the listed warehouse • Views on the design varied. 50% of respondents agreed that the design reflects the character of the Northern Quarter. One respondent wanted to see ‘some more edgy design particularly at the top of the building’. 46% felt it did not reflect the Northern Quarter. The remaining 4% were unsure. .