Agenda item

(Councillor Longbottom left the room during the consideration of the following item having declared a personal and pecuniary interest in the matter to be discussed. She took no part in the debate or vote on the matter to be determined.)

 

The Planning Team Leader:

 

a)    advised that planning permission was sought for the erection of a single house and demolition of two existing garage buildings at this site to the rear or 10 Steep Hill, Lincoln, facing out onto Michaelgate

 

b)    reported that this was a resubmitted planning application following planning permission being refused in 2022 for two houses

 

c)    described the location of the site in the Cathedral and City Centre Conservation Area within a predominantly residential part of the conservation area

 

d)    highlighted that although the application site belonged to 10 Steep Hill, it had a stronger relationship to Michaelgate; it had the appearance of being disused, taken up with two derelict single storey brick garages

 

e)    advised that the application proposal for a two-storey house would involve the L shaped structure being built up to the back of the pavement on Michaelgate, and along the northern boundary of the site adjacent to the garden of 11 Steep Hill, which also ran through to Michaelgate

 

f)     reported that access for vehicles would be provided to the south side of the site and off-road parking be provided for two cars within a newly rebuilt garage to the rear of the proposed house

 

g)    gave details of the history to the application site as detailed within the officer’s report, advising that the new application for one dwelling sought to address the previous reasons for refusal of planning permission

 

h)    provided details of the policies pertaining to the application, as follows:

 

·         Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 – sections 16, 66 and 72.

·         National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) – particularly: para 11 – presumption in favour of sustainable development; para 130 – achieving well designed places; para 183 and 184 – ground conditions and pollution; Chapter 16 – Conserving and enhancing the historic environment, particularly paras 199, 201, 202, 203.

·         Central Lincolnshire Local Plan – particularly: Policy S57 The Historic Environment and Policy 53 Design and Amenity.

·         Paragraph 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

 

i)     provided details of the issues to be assessed in relation to the planning application, as follows:

 

·         Compliance with National and Local planning policies;

·         Impact on the character and appearance of the conservation area and wider views of the hillside;

·         Impact on the amenity of neighbouring properties

·         Impact on slope stability

·         Impact on the Scheduled Monument and archaeology.

 

j)     outlined the responses made to the consultation exercise

 

k)    referred to the Update Sheet circulated at this evening’s Planning Committee which included additional indicative photographs of the proposed scheme

 

l)     concluded that:

 

·         The application had sought to address the previous reasons for refusal, the development having been reduced down to one dwelling and modified in design to assimilate it more appropriately into its context.

·         The design was still contemporary but the use of brickwork and the limited scale of the proposals meant that your officers were confident that the proposal was acceptable.

 

Councillor Neil Murray addressed Planning Committee in his capacity as Ward Advocate in relation to the proposed planning application, also on behalf of fellow Ward Advocates. He covered the following main points:

 

·         He wished to express concerns raised by local residents.

·         He couldn’t see much of a difference to the horrible design of this building compared to the previous refused application.

·         The City deserved better in the historic core of Lincoln.

 

Mr John O’Donohue, Applicant for the development addressed Planning Committee in support of the proposed development, covering the following main points:

 

·         He thanked Planning Committee for allowing him the opportunity to speak.

·         There had been a great volume of work carried out on this application involving the Conservation Officer, English Heritage and Planning Officers.

·         When he purchased the land, he had no pre-conception of the design of the build.

·         He was not an architect or a Conservation Officer.

·         Due to the sensitivity of the site it was important for him to have engaged with a reputable architect.

·         The proposal had been considered in great detail.

·         The Conservation Officer had mentioned that the proposals would only be supported if they were of ultra-modern design.

·         It was a matter of rebalancing the quality threshold of the design on an important street.

·         The flat roof detail reduced the illumination of the view to the Cathedral and homes above.

·         The design incorporated a large elevated private terrace which offered a tranquil south facing view over Bomber Command and the south of the city.

·         The outdoor space was accessible and low maintenance.

·         There had been no objections from local residents. He urged members of Planning Committee to put faith in the professional work of the architects and associated parties involved in the design of the build.

 

The Committee discussed the content of the report in further detail.

 

The following points were raised in support of the planning application:

 

·         The proposed design was a positive addition to the area.

·         There was only one objector here tonight which spoke volumes.

·         Older properties were becoming more contemporary further down the hillside which was looked quite pleasing.

·         This design did not look out of place in the 21^st century.

·         The design was subjective.

·         It was pleasing to see an energy efficient proposal with a good element of biodiversity net gain.

 

The following concerns were raised in relation to the planning application:

 

·         This building design was in the wrong place.

·         The public objector to the planning application had described the building as inspired by the MI5 offices on the Thames or shipping containers stacked up in a random fashion.

·         It would be lovely to see an appropriate development on this important street but it needed to work with the grain.

 

Members referred to the objection from Lincoln Civic Trust and asked whether the development overhung the pavement.

 

The Planning Team Leader confirmed that the development did not overhang the pavement. There was a deflection at the 1^st floor element.

 

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

 

Conditions

 

Standard Conditions

 

·         Development to commence within three years

·         Development to be carried out in accordance with the approved drawings

·         Details of the facing materials to be submitted and approved before commencement

·         Details of the methodology for the installation of the foundation for both properties and for the retention and strengthening of the retaining wall along the northern boundary of the site

·         Works to be undertaken in accordance with archaeological watching brief

·         Detail of boundary treatments

·         Details of surfacing materials

·         Details of surface water drainage

·         Hours of work.