To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 20 September 2018.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 20 September 2018 as a correct record.

Decision

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 20 September 2018 as a correct record.

The report of the Head of Planning, Building Control and Licensing is attached.

Planning application 120665/FO/2018 was deferred to allow the applicant to submit a daylight/sunlight analysis to consider further the impact of the proposal on nearby residents.

Decision

To defer consideration of the application for the reasons given in the late representation.

The report of the Head of Planning, Building Control and Licensing is attached.

Planning application 116753/FO/2017 for the erection of a part three-storey, part single-storey building to form ground floor retail unit with four residential flats above, following demolition of the existing building was received.

318 Barlow Moor Road is located at the southern edge of Chorlton District Centre and is the end property of a staggered group of three, linked-detached, two-storey properties with commercial uses at ground floor and residential above. The group of properties has a large forecourt to the front and this is used for car parking in connection with the two end properties, and middle unit has  raised decking area. 

The proposal involves the demolition of the existing property and the erection of a three- storey building which steps down to single-storey at the rear. The ground floor would form A1 retail space and there would be four apartments above.

The proposal has undergone a number of revisions to its design, scale and density following negotiations with the applicant.

Neither the applicant nor any objectors were present, and the Committee carefully considered the report and the information that it contained. 

Officers advised that should the Committee be minded to approve the application, further conditions should be attached regarding the details of the landscaping to the site.  In addition a further condition should be added to ensure that the use of the ground floor retail units be restricted to Class A1 – shops and retail outlets.

The Committee asked for further clarification as to why the ground floor use should be restricted to Class A1, and officers confirmed that the condition would be to protect this usage and would prevent the units being used for Class A5 – hot food and takeaway without a change of use application. 

The Committee also asked for clarification as to the number of bedrooms in each of the proposed flats, and officers confirmed that the accommodation units would be 2- bedroom.  The Committee also considered Condition 10 in the report that specified that the units would remain C3 use and would not be able to be used as Class C4 - Houses in multiple occupation.

On balance, the Committee considered that the proposed development would make a positive contribution in terms of improving the visual amenity of the area and was considered to conform to national and local policies.

Decision

To approve the application subject to the conditions and reasons in the report and the additional condition regarding landscaping. 

The report of the Head of Planning, Building Control and Licensing is attached.

Planning application 120896/FO/2018 for the construction of a part 6, part 11 and part 16 storey building comprising 491 student bed spaces (sui generis), amenity space, cycle parking, landscaping, and associated highways work was received.

The site lies in a prominent location on Stretford Road next to the Hulme Arch to the east of Princess Road in Hulme. The site is viewed in the context of the Mancunian Way and Manchester City Centre when approaching Manchester using the Princess Road arterial route from the south.

The proposal comprises the redevelopment of the site to create a part 6, part 11 and part 16 storey building to be used as purpose built student accommodation. A total of 491 student rooms would be provided within the development, arranged in clusters of 7 and 8 single occupancy rooms (en-suite), organised around kitchen and lounge area.

The development would provide communal areas in the form of a social area with TV lounge, games room, gym, an informal study room and group study areas. The ground floor would include a reception area, management offices, storage, post room and a show flat.

Officers advised that in addition to the amended condition 3 in the late representation, there should be an additional condition regarding acoustic insulation to control noise breakout from the accommodation.  Officers also recommended that condition 13, in relation to a scheme of highway works is revised to include any requirement for alterations to traffic regulation orders.  In addition officers confirmed that additional information has been received from the applicant which explains how the University promotes respectful behavior in the community and in the Halls.  The applicant confirmed that the University would deploy staff on a 24 hours basis as well as students employed as residential assistants to help create a sense of community for both students and local residents and to ensure that any issues are dealt with promptly and effectively as they may arise.  Officers also confirmed that there would be an ongoing programme of community engagement and that students would be encouraged to engage positively with local residents. 

A representative of local residents spoke in objection to the proposals, and said that Hulme had undergone several rounds of regeneration in her lifetime.  The last round of regeneration was the one that local residents had endorsed, and that the aims of this regeneration would not be met by the current proposals.   She pointed out that there have been over 50 objections, and that there is a lot of discontent within the Hulme community as the University are reaping the benefits of the community that was built by residents.

Residents do not hold any resentment to the University, or to students, but the residents do object to the height and scale of the proposed development, given that they were told that the regeneration framework would prevent development of buildings over 6 storeys.   She told the Committee that the height of the building would lead to problems with loss of light and lack of privacy.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 90.

The report of the Head of Planning, Building Control and Licensing is attached.

Planning application 118045/FO/2017 for the erection of a 10 storey residential building (Use Class C3a) together ground floor commercial units (Use Classes A1, A2, B1, D1 and D2) (379 sqm) and the erection of 35 storey residential building (Use Class C3a), following demolition of existing buildings, together with the change of use of the former Department of Transport Building to form a mixed use residential and commercial building (Use Classes C3a, A1, A2, B1, D1 and D2), forming 386 residential apartments in total with associated amenity space, car and cycle paring, access, landscaping and other associated works was received.

The Planning and Highways Committee resolved that they were minded to refuse the application at its meeting on 20 September 2018 and Members requested that a report be brought back which addresses concerns and which presented potential reasons for refusal that could be substantiated on the grounds that the proposal would have unacceptable impact on the setting of the Castlefield Conservation Area and the Grade II* Listed St George’s Church.  

Officers confirmed that detailed late representations had been received from the Britannia Basin Community Forum objecting to the proposals, and summarised these for the Committee’s consideration. Officers also confirmed that the applicant had agreed to lower the height of the tower by 2 storeys in response to resident’s concerns and the Committee comments at its meeting on 20 September 2018.

Officers also told the Committee that the applicant had met with the Britannia Basin Community Forum and had committed to provide community space for their monthly meetings and, with prior notice, community events throughout the year.

A local resident and member of the Britannia Basin Community Forum spoke in objection to the proposals, and said that other than the offer of a reduction in height of 2 storeys, there had been no effort on the part of the developer to address any of the residents’ concerns.  She reiterated the comments made by the Committee on 20 September 2018 and asked what was the point of a conservation area if it was going to be ignored.  She also told the Committee that while the Mancunian Way had been called a “scar”, which fragmented the area, a development of the nature proposed would damage the conservation area further rather than enhance it.  The resident also gave examples of other proposed development that had been rejected as inappropriate for the area which were actually smaller in scale, height and massing than this development. 

The resident also reiterated concerns regarding vehicle movements and parking problems in the area, and pointed out that the area was subject to a 12 month programme of road works which had severely exacerbated the problems that residents faced on a daily basis. She told the Committee that the traffic problems made the area unsafe for current residents, and that the increase in population that would result from a development of this size would only make matters worse. 

Residents welcome development of the area, but said that this proposal was not  ...  view the full minutes text for item 91.

The report of the Head of Planning, Building Control and Licensing is attached.

Planning application 117470/FO/2017 for the erection of 6 storey building comprising a restaurant (Class A3) and retail unit (Class A1) at ground floor level and fourteen apartments above, together with basement parking was received.

The application site relates to a rectangular shaped area of land situated at the corner of Mason Street and Marshall Street and is presently used as a surface level, pay and display car park.

The application follows the granting of planning permission in 2010 for a 7 storey building to form 15 student apartments involving the creation of 80 bedrooms and a ground floor retail unit (Ref: 087073/FO/2008/N1). Shortly after permission was granted, the public house previously situated on the site was demolished in anticipation of development, but due to economic conditions, the permission was never implemented. The permission has since lapsed and the site used as a car park since.

The Committee asked for clarification as to whether the policy of only triggering a S106 assessment for developments of 15 units or more was an NPPF policy or a Manchester Policy.  Officers confirmed that this was a Manchester agreed policy that officers were bound to work to.

Neither the applicant nor any objector was present, and the Committee carefully considered the information in the report as well as the representations.  The Committee asked for clarification regarding the recycling facilities, and officers confirmed that there is space within each individual unit for recycling bins, with larger waste and recycling facilities being located on the ground floor.

The Committee asked whether there was any mechanism to prevent the ground floor retail space standing vacant for any prolonged period as other developments of this nature looked unattractive at the street scene level when vacant for extended periods.  Officers confirmed that they do discuss lettings policies with applicants as part of the application process, but as this would be a commercial decision this was not something that could be controlled by means of conditions.  Officers can however add conditions to ensure that the retail units have sufficient finish to preclude any unit being boarded up or providing unacceptably unattractive views at street level. 

On balance, the Committee considered that the proposal represents an appropriate and satisfactory form of development that fulfils the criteria laid down in policy and City Council guidance which seeks to provide high quality, residential accommodation of an appropriate density which will contribute to a vibrant and sustainable neighbourhood with a high level of connectivity to adjoining neighbourhoods, including the city centre as well as nearby public transport. The proposal will involve the regeneration of a brownfield site, whilst contributing to national housing growth objectives and the continued evolution of the aspirations contained within the New Cross Neighbourhood Development Framework.

Decision

To approve the application subject to the conditions and reasons in the report and an additional condition regarding the finish to the retail units.