APPLICATION NUMBER: 10/02342/FUL CHANGE OF USE FROM PUBLIC HOUSE (CLASS A4) TO PLACE OF WORSHIP/COMMUNITY HALL (CLASS D1) AT The Plough, 95 Manor Road, Bletchley FOR Mr Mujibur Rahman Target: 5th January 2011 Ward: Eaton Manor Parish: Bletchley & Fenny Stratford Town Council Report Author/Case Officer: Nicola McTeer Contact Details: 01908 252932 [email protected] Team Leader: Andrew Horner Contact Details: 01908 252609 [email protected] 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY (A brief explanation of what the application is about, what the main issues are and the officer's Recommendation to the Committee) 1.1 The Site The application site is an existing, detached, vacant public house with its associated parking areas located off Manor Road in Bletchley. The area is predominantly residential with properties of varying styles. The site does not lie within a conservation area. Details of the location of the site and its relationship to surrounding properties can be seen in the plans attached to this report. 1.2 The Proposal The application seeks consent for a change of use from a public house (Use Class A4) to a place of worship/community hall (Use Class D1). Some internal alterations are proposed to provide prayer halls, washing facilities, toilets, mortuary and body wash room and cold room. The first floor is proposed to be priest’s accommodation (a two bed flat). There are no external alterations proposed, however it is proposed to remove the existing public house signage and replace it with a new suitable sign. This would be the subject of separate application for advertisement consent. Details of the proposal as described above can be seen in the plans appended to this report. 1.3 This application was deferred at Development Control Committee held on 16 December 2010. The planning application was deferred to enable a quality impact assessment, including a traffic flow assessment, to be carried out to consider how the proposal would impact on the area as a whole and full resident consultation has also been undertaken in respect of the proposed development. A traffic assessment has been prepared by the applicant and (91) was submitted on 29 March 2011 to the Council’s Highway Engineer for comment. The Highway Engineer’s comments will be included in the verbal update to the committee. In addition, the applicants and their agent have met with The Mill Residents Association and the Town Council prior to this meeting to discuss the proposals. With regard to the ‘quality impact assessment’, clarification of the content of such an assessment was sought from the Councillor that requested it. No response to the request has been received to date and the applicant’s have not provided any additional information with regard to a ‘quality impact assessment’. 1.4 Main Issues The main issues in this case are considered to be the impact on the character and appearance of the area, whether or not the proposed development would preserve or enhance the setting of the nearby listed buildings, any potential impact upon the residential amenity of neighbouring properties and the impact on parking provision. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that planning permission be granted subject to the conditions set out at the end of this report. 2.0 RELEVANT POLICIES (The most important policy considerations relating to this application) 2.1 National and Regional Policy PPS1 Delivering Sustainable Development PPS5 Planning and the Historic Environment Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act 1990. 2.2 Local Policy Adopted Milton Keynes Local Plan 2001-2011 The most relevant 'saved' policies within the adopted Milton Keynes Local Plan 2001 – 2011 are: D1: Impact of Development Proposals on Locality; D2: Design of Buildings. HE5: Development Affecting the Setting of Listed Building C1: Location of Community Facilities C2: protection of Community Facilities T15: Parking Provision Core Strategy CS20 – The Historic and Natural Environment Supplementary Planning Guidance Supplementary Planning Guidance - Addendum to 'Parking Standards for Milton Keynes 2005’ adopted April 2009. (92) 3.0 RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY (A brief outline of previous planning decisions affecting the site – this may not include every planning application relating to this site, only those that have a bearing on this particular case) 3.1 None. 4.0 CONSULTATIONS AND REPRESENTATIONS (Who has been consulted on the application and the responses received) 4.1 Conservation and Archaeology: No objections. ‘I note that no external changes to the building are proposed, and that the existing use is that of a public house. On this basis I consider that there will be no harm caused to the setting of the nearby listed buildings. Having fully considered the application, discharged the duties of Local Planning Authority, considered national and local policy and guidance as outlined above, I have no objection to the proposed works’. 4.2 Development Plans: No objections. ‘The Milton Keynes Local Plan designates places of worship as Class D1 Community Facilities: Non residential institutions. The main policy that must therefore be referred to is Policy C1, which states that: “Planning permission will be granted for: (i) Non-residential community facilities within, or adjacent to Central Milton Keynes, town, district and local centres.” Whilst this site is not within or adjacent to CMK, a town, district or local centre and therefore not suitable for the proposed use, there are several examples of places of worship that have been granted outside of these centres previously. The site is also in a fairly easily accessible location and appears to have ample enough parking for a use of this type. My only concern would be related to any noise that could be created by a use of this type in what is a predominantly residential location. However, providing the case officer is happy that this will not be an issue, I have no objections from a policy perspective’. 4.3 Environmental Health: Initial Comments: ‘The above application does not provide sufficient information to make a judgement on the potential noise impact of the development. - No detail is given regarding use of the building for festivals and weddings, this needs to include times of usage and approximate numbers of attendees. - It is not clear if any form of sound system is to be used within the building or if a call to prayer is to be used at the premises. As stated during the pre-application work on this proposal full details of the (93) use of the premises and any potential noise and mitigation are required to determine the impact of the use on neighbouring residents’. A letter requesting further information was sent by the Case Officer to the applicant and further details were received from the applicant and passed on to the environmental health team. Additional comment - following receipt of the additional information and clarification the environmental health team have raised no objections subject to a condition regarding a noise management plan. This condition has been included in the recommendation. 4.4 Cllr Reg Edwards (Neighbouring Ward Councillor): ‘The change of use for the premises is for a house of worship in which case I think it is only fair to mention that the parking facilities will be inadequate and the persons attending the building will be street parking in Mill Road, Larch Grove and possibly outside the Coronation Hall, Stoke Road because there is insufficient parking spaces on the former Plough Pub car parking area. I think the consultation will need to be extended to all residents in the Mill Road, Larch and Stoke Road, because these people could bear the brunt of additional on street parking and the area located at the junction on the Plough Roundabout. Consultation will need to be addressed by The Mill Residents Association, Secretary Elizabeth A Rawlinson 55 Stoke Road Bletchley Milton Keynes MK2 3AB, also to the Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council. In the interests of the constituents I represent and the car parking difficulties that will emerge I cannot support this application’. Further comments were received from Cllr Edwards and they read: ‘I accept that this application is a worthy cause for worshippers who have been upstanding good people for many years and respected for the manner in which they conduct themselves and have been part of the community for over 45 years to my knowledge and I can recall that many of the older people worked for the London Brick Company before it closed. I feel that more thought should have been given by the applicant in obtaining a venue sufficient in size and with car parking facilities to suit the needs of the overwhelming number of worshippers. The conversion of the Plough Public House into a Mosque gives cause for concern that it might prove to be inadequate having in mind the following observations: Traffic Congestion The Plough Public House car parking facilities are inadequate to accommodate the number of vehicles that will be parked when using the proposed worship/community hall and this will give cause for concern about (94) additional parking that will take place in Mill Road, Larch Gove, Chestnut Crescent, Drayton (service) Road, Appleby Heath and the corner plot of land outside the Coronation Hall in Stoke Road. There are existing car parking problems and highways congestion in the location of the Plough Roundabout due to the usage of the Coronation Community Hall, Veterinary Centre, Water Eaton Church Centre, Sycamore Club, Doctors’ Surgery, Co-operative Store, Newsagents and Eaton Mill School. Heath and Safety There are no pedestrian crossings in the close vicinity to the Plough Roundabout and the roads are dangerous due to the high volume of traffic. There is anticipation of greater volume of traffic to the Plough Roundabout due to the massive new development of the Newton Leys site comprising Housing (up to 1650 dwellings), a primary school, employment areas, community facilities, shops, new park, playing fields, hotel and leisure facility.