Agenda item

Planning Reference – 200794

 

All documents associated with this application can be found at the following link and enter the refence number above:-

 

Link.

 

Planning Officer:  Jamie Leadbeater

 

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, which recommended:-

 

That the application for planning permission in principle for the conversion and extension of the existing two storey hotel building (Class 7) to form 9 flats, conversion of existing one and half storey hotel building (Class 7) to form a detached dwellinghouse (Class 9), and erection of 2 semi-detached dwellinghouses with associated parking, open space and associated works in existing rear car parking area, at Mariner Hotel, 349 Great Western Road Aberdeen, be approved subject to the following conditions:-

 

Conditions:-

 

1.     No development shall take place unless a Matters Specified in Condition (MSC) application, including the detailed layout and design of access points, roads, parking areas, buildings and other structures, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the planning authority.

 

The proposed development shall be in accordance with the overarching layout, siting, design, height and massing principles of roads, paths and buildings established by this grant of the planning permission in principle and comprise:

 

a)    details of existing and proposed site levels (including cross sections);

b)    details of the mix of residential unit numbers, type, size and tenure;

c)     details of layout, design and external appearance of –

(i)              vehicular and pedestrian access points;

(ii)             all buildings and ancillary structures,

(iii)            vehicular and motorcycle parking;

(iv)      short and long-term secure cycle parking;

(v)             storage and collection arrangements for waste and recyclables; and

(vi)           boundary enclosures around and within the site.

 

Thereafter the development shall not be implemented other than in full accordance with the approved details.

Reason – to ensure a satisfactory layout and design of the development and ensure provision of a suitable level of parking.

2.     That the 2 dwellinghouses to be erected in the rear curtilage shall be semi-detached, with frontages on the same building line at 11 and 13 Gray Street and be one-and- a- half storey in scale.

 

Reason - to ensure the development would tie in with the existing character of properties on the eastern side of Gray Street, that the development has an acceptable impact on the character and appearance of the Great Western Road Conservation Area and to ensure compliance with Policy D4 (Historic Environment) in the Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2017.

 

3.     That the 2 semi-detached dwellinghouses and converted detached dwellinghouse shall each have rear garden spaces with a minimum depth of 9 metres.

 

Reason - to ensure that prospective residents are afforded an adequate level of residential amenity within the development to ensure compliance with Policy D1 (Quality Placemaking by Design) in the Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2017.

 

4.     That the proposed replacement extension to the principal historic building on the site (349 Great Western Road) shall be set no closer to Gray Street than the existing building and should be no higher to eaves than the existing building and the ridge height of the extension shall be lower than the ridge of the existing historic building.

 

Reason - to ensure the development would have an acceptable impact on character and appearance on the Gray Street street scene and the wider Great Western Road Conservation Area to ensure compliance with Policy D4 (Historic Environment) in the Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2017.

 

5.     That the development shall incorporate the following minimum provision of car parking spaces: 1 space per flat, 2 spaces per house, plus 1 disabled space and 1 visitor parking space.  

 

Reason - in the interests of ensuring the proposed development is served by an acceptable level of car parking for prospective residents, to ensure that the development does not give rise to further on-street car parking pressures to ensure compliance with Policy T2 (Transport and Accessibility)

 

6.     No development shall take place unless a Matters Specified in Condition (MSC) application including a scheme of hard and soft landscaping covering all areas of public and private open/green space has been submitted to and approved in writing by the planning authority. The scheme shall include details of:

 

1)    Those areas reserved as private space and those areas that will be freely accessible for all residents and the general public;

2)    Existing and proposed finished ground levels;

3)    Existing landscape features, trees, woodland and vegetation to be retained or removed and a scheme for the protection of all trees to be retained within and immediately adjacent to the site;

4)    Existing and proposed services and utilities including cables and pipelines;

5)    Proposed tree and shrub numbers, densities, locations, species, sizes and stage of maturity at planting.

6)    Location, design and materials of walls, fences, gates and street furniture;

7)    Arrangements for the management and maintenance of existing and proposed open space, and landscaped areas; and

8)    Proposed hard surface finishing materials.

 

All soft and hard landscaping proposals shall be carried out in accordance with the approved scheme and shall be completed during the planting season immediately following the commencement of the development or such other date as may be agreed in writing with the Planning Authority.

 

Any planting which, within a period of 5 years from the completion of the development, is in the opinion of the Planning Authority dying, being severely damaged or becoming seriously diseased, shall be replaced by plants of similar size and species to those originally required to be planted.

 

Reason - in order to integrate the development into the surrounding historic landscape, increasing the biodiversity and recreational value of the site and creating a suitable living environment for future residents.

 

7.     That no development shall take place until a Tree Survey (including Arboricultural Impact Assessment) and Tree Protection Plan (including ground level tree protection details) have been submitted to the Planning Authority by way of a Matters Specified in Condition (MSC) application. Once approved, all tree protection measures shall be implemented in full prior to commencement of development. Furthermore, should the redevelopment of the site entail the removal of the existing car park surface, a Method Statement shall need to be submitted with the aforementioned documents which details how the existing trees Root Protection Area (RPAs) will not be damaged as a result of the development. Once agreed, the development shall not be carried out other than in full accordance with the method statement.

 

Reason - to ensure all protected trees within the site (and Great Western Road Conservation Area) which are character and amenity value to the site and wider surrounding area would not be unduly lost or damaged as a result of the development, to ensure compliance with Policy NE5 (Trees and Woodland) in the Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2017.

 

8.     That any granite down-takings from within the site, including the wall along the south-west boundary, are re-used within the development. Details of where the granite shall be re-used will need to be submitted to the Planning Authority for approval by way of a Matters Specified in Condition (MSC) application prior to commencement of development.

 

Reason - to ensure the city’s granite heritage is maintained for future generations, to ensure compliance with Policy D5 (Our Granite Heritage) in the Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2017.

 

9.     No development shall take place until the applicant/developer has provided full details of the proposed SuDS (Sustainable urban Drainage System) for dealing with surface water to and obtained approval from the Planning Authority by way of a Matters Specified in Condition (MSC) application. Specifically, this should cover means of treating surface water discharged from the site and other measures to be incorporated into the landscaping scheme to minimise surface water build-up. Once approved, all SuDS shall be implemented in full and maintained in use for the lifetime of the development.

 

Reason - in the interests of preventing localised flooding to the detriment of neighbouring residents’ general amenity, to ensure compliance with Policy NE6 (Flooding, Drainage and Water Quality) in the Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2017.

 

10.No development shall take place in relation to the 2 semi-detached dwellinghouses unless a scheme of water efficiency within the construction of the buildings has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority by way of a Matters Specified in Condition (MSC) application. The statement should take into account the advice provided in CIRIA publication C723 (Water sensitive urban design in the UK) and specify the measures proposed to incorporate water saving technology into the development so as to achieve gold standard for water use efficiency in domestic buildings and BREEAM Level 5 for commercial developments as appropriate. Thereafter the development shall be occupied unless the approved measures have been implemented in the construction of the development.

 

Reason - in order to reduce pressure on water abstraction from the River Dee and the impact on water infrastructure to ensure compliance with Policy R7 (Low and Zero Carbon Buildings, and Water Efficiency) in the Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2017.

 

11. No development pertaining to the 2 semi-detached dwellinghouse shall take place until it has been demonstrated that these dwellinghouses would be constructed to a level of carbon-efficiency which exceeds 20% of building standards at the time of development through the installation of low and zero carbon generating technology.

 

Reason - to ensure the new standalone set of semi-detached dwellinghouses would be zero or local carbon emitting for the betterment of the natural environment, to ensure compliance with Policy R7 (Low and Zero Carbon Buildings, and Water Efficiency) in the Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2017.

 

12. Prior to occupation of the development, the development will be served by a modern, up-to-date high-speed communications infrastructure, details of which have been submitted to and approved in writing by the planning authority by way of a Matters Specified in Condition (MSC) application.

 

Reason - to ensure compliance with Policy CI1 (Digital Infrastructure) in the Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2017.

 

13. Prior to commencement of development, details of how all car parking spaces shall be at minimum served by a ‘passive’ Electric Vehicle (EV) charging connection shall be submitted to the Planning Authority by way of a Matters Specified in Condition (MSC) application. Once approved, all car parking spaces shall be implemented in line with the agreed EV connection prior to occupation of the first flat unit or dwellinghouse, whichever is first.

 

Reason - to ensure the development would be served by appropriate Electric Vehicle charging connection, to ensure compliance with Policy T3 (Sustainable and Active Travel) in the Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2017.

 

14. Prior to occupation of the first unit, a Residential Travel Pack (RTPI) shall be submitted to the Planning Authority by way of a Matters Specified in Condition (MSC). The development shall not be occupied unless the RTP thereby approved has been issued to each new household.

 

Reason - to ensure compliance with Policy T3 (Sustainable and Active Travel) in the Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2017.

 

The Committee heard from Jamie Leadbeater, Planner, who spoke in furtherance of the application and answered various questions from members.

 

The Convener moved, seconded by Councillor Copland:-

           that the application be approved in line with the recommendation.

 

Councillor Greig moved as an amendment, seconded by the Vice Convener:-

           that the application be refused for the following reasons:-

(1)  the proposal is contrary to adopted Aberdeen Local Development Plan Policy T2 (Managing the Transport Impact of Development) due to the shortfall in parking provision to be provided on site when compared to the parking guidelines set out in the Council’s adopted Transport and Accessibility Supplementary Guidance which would exacerbate existing on-street parking to the detriment of safety and residential amenity; and

(2)  the proposal would be contrary to Aberdeen Local Development Plan Policies H1 (Residential Areas) and Policy D4 (Historic Environment) due to the scale and layout of development proposed that is out of keeping with the pattern of surrounding development and would have an adverse impact on the historic character and amenity of the conservation area.

 

On a division, there voted – for the motion (7) – the Convener and Councillors Allan, Copland, Cormie, MacKenzie, Malik and Radley – for the amendment (2) – the Vice Convener and Councillor Greig. 

 

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion and therefore approve the application conditionally, with consent withheld until a Section 75 legal agreement is secured to ensure the delivery of affordable housing and developer obligations.