PLANNING AND HERITAGE STATEMENT CONVIENCE STORE SALTAIRE C49 Architecture Ltd Heritage Mill, Huddersfield, HD4 7HG www.C49Architecture.co.uk Tel: 01535 281432 Email: [email protected] 1. Introduction C49 Architecture is a fast-moving Architecture Firm who believe in creating inspirational projects. Through our 2. designs, we strive to find the perfect balance between costs, comfort, practicality, and beauty. 3. 4. Our goal is not only to create stunning buildings, but also ensure cost effective design, always seeking to undertake 5. projects in the most ecological way possible. When working with listed buildings or in conservation areas we 6. design solutions to preserve the heritage assets 7. Having experience working throughout the UK we strive 8. to bring the best cost-effective design to each project to suit the briefs given. 9. Working throughout the commercial and domestic sector 10. we have experience in all projects. This Planning Statement has been prepared by C49 Architecture Ltd on behalf of Eco developments in support of a full planning application for the erection of a new Local convenience store at Qasim’s Hand Car Wash, Bingley Road, Saltaire. The proposals comprise the demolition of the existing hand car wash buildings and structures (currently a sui generis use) and the erection of a new Local convenience store (Use Class A1) with a gross floor area of 390sq m, along with associated access, 15 car parking spaces and landscaping. This planning application constitutes a resubmission of planning application 15/04044/FUL which was approved The proposals will serve a localised catchment area and provide top-up shopping facilities for the resident population, providing an important retail use within the designated Local Centre of Saltaire. The proposed development will provide up to 20 jobs for local people and will offer a significant visual improvement of a site adjacent to the World Heritage Site. The planning application is supported by the relevant application forms and certificates, drawings, this Planning Statement and the following documents: • Design and Access Statement • Heritage Statement • Phase I and II Geo-Environmental Assessment Report, prepared by EPS; • Transport Statement, prepared by Vectos. Site and Surroundings As shown on the site location plan that accompanies this submission the application site is located on the southern side of Bingley Road (the A650). The main body of Saltaire is to the north and west. Shipley town centre lies approximately 1 km to the east. Figure 1: Google Earth view of the site and context (2014) The site is rectangular in plan and is located on the corner of Bingley Road and Grosvenor Road. The site includes the kiosk, canopy and forecourt relating to its current use as a car hand wash (formerly a petrol-filling station), along with associated areas of concrete hardstanding. Vehicular access to the site is taken directly from Bingley Road by way of an ingress in the east and egress in the west. The site is within the designated Local Centre of Saltaire, as identified in the ‘Proposals for the Shipley Constituency’ section of the adopted Bradford Replacement Unitary Development Plan. The site’s location is within the commercial area of Bingley Road, with retail and other commercial uses along Bingley Road to the west. The Saltaire Medical Centre and its associated car park are adjacent to the site to the west and south. Residential properties exist along Grosvenor Road and Grosvenor Avenue to the south and east, and across Bingley Road to the north. The nearest residential dwellings to the application site are the properties along the northern side of Grosvenor Avenue (nos. 1, 3, 5 and 7), which are separated from the site by the existing overflow car park for the Saltaire Medical Practice, and the properties on the east side of Grosvenor Road at nos. 2 and 4. On the opposite side of Bingley Road, the residential properties at 49, 50 and 51 Victoria Road look southwards to the application site. In the wider context, the site is on the south side of the River Aire valley. The land to the north falls steeply down to the River Aire, which is located approximately 500m from the site. Immediately south of the site is a car park and mid-20th century housing on higher ground, along Grosvenor Road and Grosvenor Avenue. The site marks the change along Bingley Road from residential to commercial use, with residential land uses to the north, east and south and the medical centre and local high street to the west. The site is in a highly-accessible location via sustainable modes of transport, with the site being well-served by existing footpaths and bus services. Figure 2: The site from Bingley Road, looking south Planning policy designations The site itself is within the defined local centre of Saltaire, as identified in the adopted Bradford Replacement UDP proposals maps. The boundary of the Saltaire World Heritage Site (WHS) runs along Bingley Road, with the WHS on the north side of the road, and the site sitting just outside the WHS on the south side of Bingley Road. The site is, however, within the buffer zone of the WHS (as defined on the UDP Proposals Maps). The Saltaire Conservation Area follows a similar boundary of the WHS, with the site sitting just outside it. The following listed buildings (all Grade II Listed) have been identified as being within the context of the application site: Numbers 50-64 Victoria Road (20m north of the site), including railings and piers to Bingley Road; Numbers 24-49 Victoria Road (20m north west of the site), including wall, piers and railing to south, and wall and piers to north; 2-18 George Street and 49 Bingley Road (60m north west of the site); 51-97 Bingley Road (80m west of the site); and, Sir Titus Salt’s Hospital including wall and piers to Saltaire Road (115m north of the site). Relevant Planning History A full planning application (LPA reference 15/00819/FUL) was submitted to the Council on 3 March 2015 for the erection of a new Sainsbury’s Local convenience store at Qasim’s Hand Car Wash, Bingley Road, Saltaire. The application proposed the demolition of the existing hand car wash buildings and structures (currently a sui generis use) and the erection of a new Sainsbury’s Local convenience store (Use Class A1) with a gross floor area of 357sq m, along with associated access, 14 car parking spaces and landscaping. Planning application 15/00819/FUL was withdrawn on 23 July 2015 following comments and advice from the Planning Officer relating to the design of the proposed building, the impact of the proposals upon the adjacent World Heritage Site and site access/delivery arrangements. Following the withdrawal of the previous application, the applicant revised the scheme to address the feedback received whilst reflecting the operational requirement of a convenience store. These matters were addressed and approval was granted under application 15/04044/FUL Prior to the previous application, the following planning applications relating to the site have been identified from the Council’s online planning application database (Public Access): Application Ref Description of Development Decision Date Decision 99/00350/ADV Illuminated free standing pole sign 12 04 1999 Refused 98/02201/COU Change of use from petrol filling station to car care centre 17 09 1998 Approved 90/03580/OUT Business use class B1 28 09 1990 Approved 90/03581/OUT Residential use class C3 16 07 1990 Approved 90/03579/OUT Food and drink use class A3 09 08 1990 Refused 90/03578/OUT Financial and professional services class A2 28 09 1990 Approved 90/03577/OUT Retail use class A1 28 09 1990 Approved Although the site has some planning history, which includes separate simultaneous outline planning applications in 1990 seeking permission for the change of use from the former petrol filling station to A1 use (granted), A2 use (granted), A3 use (refused), B1 use (granted) and C3 use (granted), there is no record of any subsequent reserved matters applications having been submitted. As such, these planning permissions are lapsed. However, this demonstrates that the LPA have previously accepted the principle of A1 uses on the site. From the other two planning applications, the most relevant is the approval of the change of use from petrol filling station to a ‘car care centre,’ which was granted planning permission in 1998. More so the grant of the planning application for Sainsburys was nearly identical in form to that of this application submitted. The planning history above demonstrates that the site has been in commercial uses for a number of years which is commensurate with the proposed use. The Proposals Full details of the proposed development, including design, layout and materials, can be found in the application drawings and the Design and Access Statement which accompany this application. This section of the Statement provides an overview of the proposed scheme. The proposals comprise the demolition of the existing hand car wash buildings and structures (currently a sui generis use) and the erection of a new Local convenience store (Use Class A1) with a gross floor area of 390sq m, along with associated access, 14 car parking spaces and landscaping. The development will create up to 20 jobs, expected to be for local people. As shown on the accompanying drawings, the building will have a mixture of gables and pitched roof elements, with twin gables on the front (northern) elevation facing Bingley Road. The overall height of the building (measured from the finished floor level to the top of the ridge line) will be 8.2m from ground level.