Plymouth City Council: Pure Town Planning have recently secured planning permission for a change of use of a former social club to a ground floor convenience store (Use Class E) with 3 no. flats (Use Class C3) at first floor level in Plymouth.
Working in collaboration with UAN Architecture and ADL Traffic, we prepared, submitted and managed a planning application for the proposed development on behalf of the landowner. The new store will be operated by the Co-op who will be relocating from a smaller store in the local area. The improved store will offer a wide range of convenience goods to the local community and will be accessible to disabled users.
The site is occupied by a social club, known as the Saltram Club, which closed in May 2024 due to financial difficulties. The former club is an end of terrace building, which was originally constructed as two separate properties that were later amalgamated to former to social club. The building is two storey in scale and dates from the late Victorian period.
The building has a traditional appearance with a render exterior under a slate roof. Many of the building’s original architectural features remain, which will be retained as part of the new development.
Prior to the submission of the full application, we held pre-application discussions with the Local Planning Authority, which were positive, but highlighted that further information was required to justify the loss of the social club, which was designated as an important local community facility under the Local Plan. In addition to this, the LPA advised that a sequential test was required due to the site’s ‘edge of centre’ location adjacent to an existing local centre.
To ensure compliance with local and national planning policies which aim to safeguard the vitality town centres, we instructed a specialist retail consultant to prepare a sequential retail test in support of the scheme which concluded that there were any other sites suitable or available in edge or out-of-centre locations that would be sequentially preferable to the application site.
Upon considering the application and supporting documents, the Council agreed with our conclusions and moved to grant planning permission for the development. The client was delighted with the decision and is now preparing for the redevelopment of the site.
If you have a commercial premises and would like to pursue a change of use application, or any other commercially-related planning application for that matter such as; increasing opening hours, new shopfronts, new signage, canopies etc. then why not call Pure Town Planning or email info@puretownplanning.co.uk to see how we can help you.