Bournemouth Borough Council: Pure Town Planning are thrilled to announce that, teaming up once again with ARC Architects, we have recently secured a valuable planning permission for the demolition of a currently unlawful HMO building (formerly a nursing home) and erection of a 3 storey building comprising of 11 luxury flats in Glenferness Avenue in Bournemouth. This approved scheme followed a number of failed attempts to redevelop the site by other parties.
After a long and drawn out planning process, with a number of revisions made to the initial plans we were delighted that all our hard work had been worth while, as we were able to convince the Councillors on the Bournemouth Borough Council Planning Board (on the second time of asking) that the scheme was acceptable and both the Planning and Conservation applications were subsequently approved by the Planning Committee. This was achieved despite the application going to planning committee with a recommendation for refusal from the Planning Officer. The planning officer had three main concerns:
- Firstly, loss of the existing building (by virtue of the building being classed as a ‘positive contributor’ to the conservation area in the adopted Character Appraisal). In response to this perceived concern, Pure Town Planning argued that the existing building was not listed and it had been significantly altered and extended throughout its former care home use which had resulted in the loss of the majority of the original Victorian features both internally and externally. These piecemeal extensions and current HMO use of the building had undermined the original character of the Victorian building and therefore PTP and indeed the Councillors felt that it could no longer be judged to make a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area.
- Secondly, Design and Scale (by virtue of its size, scale and bulk not relating to the other buildings in the conservation area). In response to this perceived concern, Pure Town Planning demonstrated that alongside ARC Architects that great care and attention had been taken in designing the replacement building incorporating traditional features and using high quality materials to ensure it shared the Victorian characteristics of other mansion blocks within the Meyrick Park and Talbot Woods Conservation Area. We strongly felt that this Victorian replacement building will re-invigorate the corner plot and once again encourage a positive visual contribution to the Conservation Area, which has become lost in recent years – the Councillors agreed.
- Lastly, Loss of trees (by virtue of the loss of 1 TPO tree which was considered to make a positive contribution to the street scene). In response to this perceived concern, the applicant assured the Committee of the mature size and good quality of replacement trees which were intended for the site. Together with this, the submitted arboricultural report confirmed that due to the presence of a number of mature and well established trees to the south and west of the site, these will buffer the impact of the tree loss and in conjunction with additional replacement planting will ensure the overall character and long term screening of the site will remain largely unaffected under the current proposal.
Whilst the vote was not unanimous, the majority of the Councillors on the Planning Board deemed that on balance the scheme had merit and should be granted planning permission and voted accordingly. This approval will undoubtedly breathe new life into the surrounding street scene by introducing a grand and attractive proposal of a traditional Victorian villa design style.
As you can see, here at Pure Town Planning, we like nothing more than securing our clients planning approvals. If you are working on a large residential development and are looking for a firm who will work tirelessly to steer your development through the planning process and secure that all-important planning permission, then why not give us a call (01202 585524) or send us an email to info@puretownplanning.co.uk.