The report of the Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing is enclosed.

The Chair confirmed that both applications (for the proposed demolition of the existing building and erection of a new build) would be considered together.

124234/FO/2019

The applicant is proposing to demolish the single storey Lodge and replace it with a

2-storey building that would provide meeting and storage facilities for the existing

solicitors’ office that operates out of the Old Town Hall.

124453/LO/2019

The applicant is seeking Listed Building Consent to demolish the Lodge in order to

facilitate the erection of a 2 storey building to form ancillary meeting and storage

space for the solicitors’ office operating out of the Old Town Hall.

The applications relate to The Lodge, a single storey detached building located at

the rear of the former Withington Town Hall (now referred to as the Old Town Hall) on Lapwing Lane. The Old Town Hall is a Grade II listed building. The Lodge is located within the Albert Park Conservation Area. The Lodge is currently used as a store, in association with the office uses within the Old Town Hall, but it is believed to have originally been the gate lodge to the Corporation Yard that existed where there is now residential properties. The Lodge is accessed directly off Raleigh Close, a short cul-de sac off Lapwing Lane.

This application was placed before the Committee on 2September 2021 but

determination was deferred at the request of the applicant in order to allow for

ownership issues to be resolved. The applicants have amended the site edged red

location plan so that it only includes land in their ownership.

The Planning Officer added nothing further to the reports submitted.

An objector spoke against the application stating that they were a resident of the adjacent Raleigh Close, a private road, and no consultation had been made with any residents regarding the addition of tactile paving, that the siting of the proposed new build would encroach on Raleigh Close, that the demolition of a wall had been requested but there were no defects with the wall and ownership may be an issue and that the application noted increasing traffic concerns for Raleigh Close due to the development. The objector also raised concerns in relation to scale and mass, in that the proposed building would replace a one storey building with a two storey building, that Raleigh Close may become blocked at busy times, that children played on the street and that Raleigh Close may become an overflow car park.

The applicant addressed the Committee on the application.

Cllr Stanton attended the meeting, also on behalf of Cllr Hilal, and addressed the Committee on the application. The Committee was informed that the site had a complex history and requested that the Committee conduct a site visit and take note of residents’ views.

Cllr Leech attended the meeting and addressed the Committee on the application. The Committee was informed that Cllr Leech was objecting to both applications on the grounds that there would be a lack of parking space available if the development went ahead, that the new building would overlook Raleigh Close, that the current Lodge was linked to the now listed Old Town Hall, that a lack of meeting rooms at the current site did not constitute an exceptional reason with which to demolish the Lodge, that there was a concern of how the use of the building could be enforced i.e. no staff to be based in the new build. Cllr Leech requested that the Committee conduct a site visit if they were not minded to refuse.

The Planning Officer addressed the Committee to state that the proposal had been agreed by Highways in terms of car parking, that the business would have a travel plan in place for employees with cycle storage and showers on-site and confirmed that the inclusion of the recommended condition to ensure that the building was only used for ancillary meetings and storage could be enforced. The Planning Officer also confirmed that the Lodge was not part of the Listing and the heritage value had been fully assessed. The proposal had been fully assessed in terms of scale and relationship to neighbouring residents. The requirement for tactile paving would need to be assessed through a scheme submitted to discharge the relevant condition.

The Chair invited the Committee to ask questions and comment on the application. 

A member requested information on the square metreage of the site with regards to planning policy for parking spaces.

The Planning Officer stated that this information would have been fully assessed as part of the overall consideration of the scheme before Members including the proposed use and mitigation through the travel plan and ancillary use, including cycle storage.

Councillor Andrews requested a site visit to better understand the proposal for car parking on the site. Councillor Lyons seconded the proposal.

Decision

The Committee agreed the deferral of both applications, in order to undertake a site visit.