Agenda item

Ward: Steyning

Applicant: Mr Cameron Robertson-Aitken

The Head of Development reported that this application sought permission for the conversion of a former Lloyds Bank to provide one ground floor retail unit and four flats.  These would be two 2-bedroom flats on the ground floor and one 2-bedroom and one 3-bedroom flat on the first floor.  The proposal also included the erection of two 2-bedroom semi-detached dwellings in the yard to the rear of the building, and conversion of a barn to a 1-bedroom dwelling, with associated car parking.  There would be a ground floor extension to the former bank to provide accommodation for the two ground floor flats.

The application site was located in the centre of Steyning and was a Grade II Listed Building comprising the bank and a 4-bedroom first floor flat, surrounded by a mix of retail, commercial and residential buildings. 

Members noted the planning history of the site, in particular DC/17/2620 which had been refused by the Committee in May 2018.  The responses from statutory internal and external consultees, as contained within the report, were considered by the Committee.  Members were advised that an additional condition was recommended requiring an Archaeological Monitoring Plan to reflect paragraph 3.6 of the report.  

The Parish Council objected to the application.  Three objections had been received. One member of the public spoke in objection to the application and the applicant’s agent addressed the Committee in support of the proposal.  

Members considered the officer’s planning assessment which indicated that the key issues for consideration in determining the proposal were:  the principle of development; the design and appearance of the frontage building, barn conversion and new dwellings; landscaping; impact on neighbouring amenity; highways; and housing needs.

Members discussed the scale of the new dwellings and their impact on the courtyard garden and the amenity of neighbouring properties and considered the additional dwellings would lead to overdevelopment of the site.  Members also discussed the on-site parking provision and were concerned that the configuration of the spaces would make manoeuvring within the site difficult thus leading to on-street parking.  The access was also considered to be too narrow for easy access and egress; this also raised serious concerns regarding construction vehicles.   

RESOLVED

That planning application DC/18/1810 be refused for the following reasons:

01     The erection of 2 dwellings and the provision of extensive hardstanding within the rear curtilage represents an overdevelopment of the site which would have a detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the Steyning Conservation Area and the setting of adjoining Listed Buildings.  The proposal is therefore contrary to policies 32, 33 and 34 of the Horsham District Planning Framework (2015).

02     The development would incorporate a restricted vehicular access and a constrained site layout which would require impractical manoeuvres in order to access the proposed parking.  The development would therefore provide inadequate off-street parking and would result in displaced parking to surrounding streets to the detriment of amenity and highway safety.  The proposal is therefore contrary to policies 40 and 41 of the Horsham District Planning Framework (2015).