Agenda item

The Planning Manager:

 

a.     reported that planning permission was sought for demolition of existing buildings, erection of a building consisting of a hotel with ancillary restaurant and bar (Use Class C1), flexible retail (Use Class A1/A2/A3/A4/A5)/leisure uses (Use Class D2), landscaping and associated works

 

b.     described the application site located on a prominent corner on the west side of High Street, bounded by St Peter's Passage to the north, Mint Lane to the West and Mint Street to the south and occupied by a number of buildings, the main building being House of Fraser, a department store fronting High Street and Mint Street with a series of other buildings fronting Mint Street, lined towards Mint Lane

 

c.     advised that the principal building fronting High Street consisted of a four storey department store which was re-clad during the 1960s, elsewhere on the site there were smaller scale three/two storey buildings fronting Mint Street positioned at the back edge of the footpath, these buildings had been amalgamated into the department store albeit some used for storage or back of house facilities and a cafe in association with the main use

 

d.     referred to a yard to the rear of the block, accessed from Mint Lane used for car parking and deliveries

 

e.     reported that none of the buildings on the site were listed although the site was located within the Cathedral and City Centre Conservation Area No. 1

 

f.       described the location of Nat West Bank (Grade II Listed) and the Stonebow, a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade I Listed Building adjacent to the site, on the south side of Mint Street

 

g.     highlighted details of the current ownership of the site outlined within the content of the officers report with the current tenant House of Fraser on a short-term lease (3 monthly); they will not commit to their long-term future at this location.”

 

h.     reported that the applicant had stated throughout pre-application discussions that securing a scheme for re-development of the site was a defensive position in order to secure a sustainable use and its long term future

 

i.       highlighted that the current scheme, if granted, would safeguard against a highly prominent site within the City of Lincoln's High Street becoming vacant; whilst the operator of the hotel had not yet been confirmed, the applicant had confirmed that there had been significant market interest for a hotel use on the site and on submission of the application were in “advanced negotiations with an international brand hotel operator, who proposed to deliver a 4* lifestyle hotel.”

 

j.       Referred to relevant site history as detailed within the officers report

 

k.     provided details of the policies pertaining to the application, as follows:

 

·       Policy LP2    The Spatial Strategy and Settlement Hierarchy

·       Policy LP6    Retail and Town Centres in Central Lincolnshire

·       Policy LP7    A Sustainable Visitor Economy

·       Policy LP13   Accessibility and Transport

·       Policy LP25   The Historic Environment

·       Policy LP26   Design and Amenity

·       Policy LP29   Protecting Lincoln's Setting and Character

·       Policy LP31   Lincoln's Economy

·       Policy LP33   Lincoln's City Centre Primary Shopping Area and Central Mixed Use Area

·       National Planning Policy Framework     

 

l.       advised members of the main issues to be considered as part of the application to assess the proposal with regard to:

 

·       National and local planning policy- The principle of the proposed mixed use development

·       Assessment of harm to the character and appearance of the conservation area

·       Archaeology

·       Highway Safety

·       Impact on Adjacent Businesses

·       Contamination

·       Flood Risk and Surface Water Disposal

·       Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour

·       Ecology

 

m.   outlined the responses made to the consultation exercise

 

n.     concluded that:

 

·       The proposals represented an opportunity to address an identified need for a Lifestyle hotel and mixed-use scheme of the highest quality at a prominent location in the heart of the city centre and conservation area, whilst securing a long term future for this prominent site and impacting positively on the City Centre economy.

·       The public realm would be improved with the creation of a landscaped area and enhanced movement through the re-opening of St Peter's Passage, linking High Street and Mint Lane and assisting the development in integrating into the wider townscape.

·       Whilst the development would impact on the historic environment, the harm was considered to be less than substantial. Officers considered that there was a clear and convincing justification for this harm which was outweighed by the significant public benefits offered by the proposed scheme.

·       On balance, therefore, it was considered, that, notwithstanding the very considerable weight that must be given to preserving the setting of the conservation area, the harm caused would be less than substantial and would be outweighed by the public benefits of the scheme and therefore meet the requirements set out in paragraph 196 of the NPPF.

 

Tim Waring, representing the agent, addressed Planning Committee in support of the application, covering the following main points:

 

·       the applicant had worked closely and positively with the City Council’s Planning Team as part of the pre-application process;

·       in respect of heritage and archaeology issues, given the sensitivity of the site and its central location to the city centre, positive conversations had been held between the applicant and the Council’s conservation and archaeology professionals to ensure that the development was acceptable from that perspective;

·       Historic England had objected to the proposal, mainly in respect of the western buildings associated with Mint Lane. The applicant had provided a wide range of information to demonstrate the benefits of the proposed scheme from a heritage standpoint, in response to those objections raised, as reflected in the final scheme submitted as part of the application. Mr Waring therefore felt that the proposal had strong heritage merits with good architecture and bespoke planning conditions in respect of archaeology;

·       Raddison had confirmed that it would occupy the development upon completion as the hotel operator, therefore confirming that the development was not speculative;

·       the development would effectively re-open St Peter’s Passage which had recently been closed by the Council due to antisocial behaviour concerns;

·       the development consisted of high quality units offering a variety of amenities, such as a bar, restaurant and retail outlets, which could be used by members of the public who were not necessary patrons of the hotel on the same site;

·       the proposal would generate approximately one hundred equivalent full time jobs, together with a significant number of jobs in the construction and delivery of the scheme, contributing to the sustainable economic growth of Lincoln. It therefore represented an important and significant investment in the city, bringing with it a range of economic, social and environmental solutions.

 

Members raised questions and comments in relation to the proposed scheme as follows:

 

·       the current building, despite previous renovations, looked very dated, was in desperate need of improvement and actually made a negative contribution to the high street;

·       the disruption that would be caused by the current building’s demolition and subsequent construction of the new dwellings was concerning, despite very few objections raised by the Highways Authority even though Mint Street was a main artery into the city and Mint Street itself was a very narrow road;

·       confirmation was sought that a construction management plan would be implemented;

·       the proposed hotel and accompanying amenities were a very welcome addition to the city;

·       it was very positive that St Peter’s Passage would be able to be re-opened as a result of the development, creating a more open and accessible space that members of the public would be able to use and thereby naturally disperse antisocial behaviour that had previously occurred in the passage;

·       archaeology was a key consideration given the Roman and Medieval nature of the location of the site;

·       the widening of Mint Lane would help with loading to and from the site but also created a more attractive vista;

·       it was pleasing that a prestigious national hotel chain had committed to operate from the site;

·       confirmation was sought as to whether any conditions could be included to ensure that local labour or materials were used in the demolition and construction works.

 

The Planning Manager provided the following response to the questions and comments raised:

 

·       it was inevitable that there would be some disruption caused by a demolition and construction of this scale in a city centre location such as this site. A condition requiring a construction management plan had been included which would seek to minimise disruption as much as possible through a range of controls and measures, balanced against enabling the efficient demolishing and construction being able to occur;

·       St Peter’s Passage would be wider, with more visibility, linking into the courtyard of the proposed development making it accessible to members of the public. The very nature of this redesigned passageway should encourage more activity in the area and naturally deter any antisocial behaviour that had previously been experienced there;

·       the applicant was fully aware of the historic nature of the area, which could be covered by bespoke conditions in respect of archaeology;

·       in respect of local labour and materials, this was not something that could be included in a planning condition.

 

RESOLVED that planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:

 

·       Timeframe of permission - Standard

·       Approved Plans –Standard

·       Material samples for all external materials

·       Archaeology

·       Contamination

·       Noise assessment with regard to external plant and machinery

·       Construction Environmental Management Plan;

·       Highway construction management plan

·       Building Recording Survey

·       Travel Plan to be in place before operation

·       Stage 1 Road Safety Audit

·       Highway works to be completed before occupation

·       Delivery and Servicing arrangements to the implemented before use

·       Kitchen extract system to be submitted

·       Hard and soft landscaping details for courtyard to be approved