A Nottinghamshire council will pay out to a developer after rejecting an 'out of keeping' student plan. The plans looked to demolish the existing building on the corner of Marlborough Road and High Road in Beeston, formerly used as a Kings Carpets store, and replace it with a four-storey block with 9 HMOs making up 54 single bedroom apartments.
This was rejected at a Broxtowe Borough Council planning committee on June 23, 2021, after being recommended for planning permission by council planning officers. Councillors worried the plan was 'out of keeping' with the area due to the scale and design.
They also reasoned it would worsen pre-existing local parking issues for residents. Following this decision to reject the plans, appeals were submitted by the prospective developer, with the results of the most recent appeal now revealed by the council.
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When brought to a planning inspector the appeal was dismissed as it was previously, but the Government inspector also ordered the council to pay the applicant partial costs. This was due to a council failure to evidence their reasons for refusal initially.
The inspector considered the main issues were the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the street scene, the impact on the amenity of neighbouring properties and the impact on highway safety and parking. The inspector concluded the "substantial scale of the proposal being four storeys in height on a corner plot, the proposal would appear dominant and incongruent in the area due to its size", according to a council document.
No significant concerns were raised by the inspector over the impact on quality of life for neighbouring or future occupiers. In a council document detailing the appeal, "the inspector noted the lack of objection from the council’s highway advisor over the number of car parking spaces provided and the close proximity to services, shops and public transport."
The inspector awarded costs against the Council for failing to substantiate the highway safety and amenity reason for refusal. that The appeal report stated the inspector said there was " no substantive evidence to show that the proposal would increase local parking pressure to unacceptable levels detrimental to highway safety."
A planning document submitted with the initial designs by architects Julian Owen Associates on behalf of applicant Sandip Leihal, said: "The proposed development will create a new quality building, making a positive contribution [to] the area. The building has been designed to relate well to the existing properties along Marlborough Road, blending the traditional and contemporary elements of the street together." Broxtowe Borough Council said the costs are currently with legal teams and are yet to be agreed.
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