Agenda item

To divide existing ground floor shop unit in to two smaller shop units fronting the high street, together with an executive car showroom within the existing building to the rear. Provision of 31 short stay hotel rooms to first floor with new windows set into existing side and rear elevations behind street frontage building, together with a first floor infill extension over existing flat roof between existing buildings- 111 High Street, Huntingdon, PE29 3LD.

(Councillor D Cole, Huntingdon Town Council, addressed the Committee on the application).

See Minute No 11 for Members’ interests.

a)  that application 23/00814/FUL be refused for the following reasons:

1.  The proposed car showroom element of the proposal is not considered to fall within the category of 'main town centre uses' as defined by the National Planning Policy Framework. As such the proposal would represent an inappropriate use within the Primary Shopping Area and Town Centre of Huntingdon and would be contrary to Policy LP21 of the adopted Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036, Policy TC1 of the Huntingdon Neighbourhood Plan, and Section 7 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

2.  The plans submitted with the application have not been drawn accurately as there are significant and fundamental drawing errors. As the application is not supported by sufficient and accurate information, the Local Planning Authority is unable to assess the proposals appropriately and meet their statutory duty to preserve the listed building and its setting and have due regard to the preservation and enhancement of the Huntingdon Conservation Area. In the absence of sufficient and correct information to evidence how the proposal would not result in harm, officers must therefore determine that the proposal would result in harm to the heritage asset. Whilst the proposed change of use would secure a long-term viable use for the listed building, this benefit would not outweigh the identified harm. As such, the proposed development is considered to be contrary to Sections 66 and 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, Policies LP11, LP12 and LP34 of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036, Policies BE1, BE2 and BE3 of the Huntingdon Neighbourhood Plan, the Huntingdonshire Design Guide SPD and Sections 12 and 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2023).

3.  The application has not been accompanied by a Noise Impact Assessment and therefore the Local Planning Authority are not able to determine whether the proposal would result in unacceptable noise impacts on users of the proposed short-stay hotel. As such, the proposal would be contrary to Policy LP14 of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036, guidance within the Huntingdonshire Design Guide SPD and the National Planning Policy Framework (2023).

4.  The site falls within a designated Air Quality Management Area and the application has not been accompanied by an Air Quality Assessment. As such, the proposal would be contrary to Policy LP36 of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036 and the National Planning Policy Framework (2023).

b)  that application 23/00815/LBC be refused because the plans submitted with the application have not been drawn accurately as there are significant and fundamental drawing errors. As the application is not supported by sufficient and accurate information, the Local Planning Authority is unable to assess the proposals appropriately and meet their statutory duty to preserve the listed building and its setting, and have due regard to the preservation and enhancement of the Huntingdon Conservation Area. In the absence of sufficient and correct information to evidence how the proposal would not result in harm, officers must therefore determine that the proposal would result in harm to the heritage asset. Whilst the proposed change of use would secure a long-term viable use for the listed building, this benefit would not outweigh the identified harm. As such, the proposed development is considered to be contrary to Sections 66 and 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, Policies LP11, LP12 and LP34 of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036, Policies BE1, BE2 and BE3 of the Huntingdon Neighbourhood Plan, the Huntingdonshire Design Guide SPD and Sections 12 and 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2023).