Agenda item

Demolition of existing building and erection of new four-storey building comprising 30 No. retirement flats with associated communal facilities and external landscaping, together with re-use of existing vehicular parking facilities on adjacent site - Centenary House, St Marys Street, Huntingdon, PE29 3PE.

(Councillor A McAdam, Huntingdon Town Council, Councillor M Kadeware, Ward Member, P Askew, objector, and S Richardson, agent, addressed the Committee on the application).

See Minute No. 11 for Members’ interests.

a)  that the Committee is minded to refuse the application for the following reasons:

·  The application fails to demonstrate that the principle of development is acceptable. Whilst the proposal would provide specialist housing in a sustainable location, it fails to include any affordable housing provision, for which there is a significant need. The proposal is therefore contrary to policies LP24 and LP26 part c) of the adopted Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036.

·  By virtue of the scale, bulk and design of the proposed building, the proposal would result in harm to the character and appearance of the street scenes of St Mary's Street and Castle Moat Road and the surrounding area. Furthermore, the proposal would result in less than substantial harm to the significance of nearby heritage assets and the Huntingdon Conservation Area. Given the proposal does not include any clear or convincing justification for the harm nor any public benefit sufficient to outweigh the harm, the proposal is considered to be contrary to Sections 66 and 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, Policies NE3, BE1, BE2 and BE3 of the Huntingdon Neighbourhood Plan, Policies LP11, LP12 and LP34 of Huntingdonshire's Local Plan to 2036, the Huntingdonshire Design Guide SPD and Sections 12 and 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework in this regard.

·  The proposed development by virtue of its scale and mass would result in overbearing impacts and loss of daylight and sunlight to the ground and first floor rooms of Nos. 2 and 3 St Marys Street. The proposal is therefore considered contrary to Policy LP14 of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036, paragraph 130 (f) of the NPPF 2021 which seeks a high standard of amenity for existing and future place users and the guidance within part 3.7 Building Form of the Huntingdonshire Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (2017).

·  Insufficient information has been submitted to demonstrate that the residents/occupants of the proposed development would be safeguarded against unacceptable levels of air and noise pollution. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policy LP14 of Huntingdonshire's Local Plan to 2036, the Huntingdonshire Design Guide SPD and Section 12 of the National Planning Policy Framework in this regard.

·  The proposed individual balconies would not be of an adequate depth to ensure these private external amenity spaces are usable and of an acceptable size for future occupants. The proposal is therefore contrary to the HDC Design Guide SPD (page 171) which requires that where possible balconies should be a minimum of 1.5m deep in order to accommodate a table and chairs.

·  Insufficient information has been submitted to assess the proposal in terms of flood risk. The application has not been accompanied by a Flood Risk Assessment/Surface Water Strategy. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policies LP5, LP6 and LP15 of Huntingdonshire's Local Plan to 2036 and Section 14 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021).

·  As the proposal fails to respect surrounding heritage assets, provides poor future residential amenity standards for residents, and would result in significant adverse impact on residential amenity of neighbouring properties, it is considered that the proposal constitutes an overdevelopment of the site contrary to policies LP12, LP14 and LP34 of Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036.

b)  that subject to the outcome of the public consultation, authority be delegated to Chief Planning Officer to determine the application after consultation with Chair and Vice Chair.