Agenda item

Demolition of the existing office building and erection of a mixed-use building of 4, 9 and 14 storeys incorporating office space and 41 residential flats.

The committee received the report of the Head of Development Management, including the relevant planning history of the site and details of the responses to the application. 

The Development Management Team Leader (PB) introduced this item.  He explained that the application was to demolish the existing office building and erect a mixed-use building of 4, 9 and 14 storeys incorporating 1,800m2 of office floorspace and 41 residential flats.

Attention was drawn to the update sheet which included some clarifications on the officer’s report, particularly in regard to the viability of the scheme.

The Chair invited Adam Murray from Coda Planning to speak for the application.  Mr Murray advised the committee that this was an exciting, landmark development which had evolved over a number of years.  On-going discussions had been held with planning officers to devise the most workable scheme for the site, which would see a near doubling of the amount of office accommodation available and some 41 residential flats.  The development was in a sustainable location and there would be no on-site parking provision.

A payment of £368,000 had been agreed with the council in lieu of affordable housing provision on site.

Before opening out discussions to the committee, the Chair commented that he had concerns about the lack of affordable housing provision in the proposals.  This contravened the council’s own policies, which required 35% affordable housing provision on all new residential sites over a certain size.  The Chair commented that the committee had a duty to balance the developer’s desire to make a profit against the Council’s need to meet its requirement for affordable housing.  He considered that more information was required about the developer’s viability assessment for this scheme to enable the Committee to make that judgement.

Whilst welcoming the overall design of the tall building and the proposed mixed use development, the committee agreed that viability was proving a key issue in decision making for planning applications.  As such, it was important that all relevant information should be made available to the committee members in order to make informed decisions.  This included full access to any viability reports.

As a consequence, it was agreed that a decision on this application be deferred to allow time for a full scrutiny and assessment of the developer’s viability report. 

The Head of Development Management reported that he would arrange a meeting with the council’s advisers, GL Hearn, for councillors to help determine how the council should instruct consultants in future applications on the question of viability.

RESOLVED –

That a decision on the application be deferred, pending full consideration by the committee of the developer’s viability report and rationale in regard to its offer of £368,000 for off-site affordable housing provision.