BCP Council (Poole area): Jess Glover is delighted to announce that she has recently secured planning permission for the change of use of a guesthouse (C1 Use Class) to 2 no. dwellinghouses (C3 Use Class) in Poole.
The site comprised a detached property and a semi-detached two storey property and adjacent car parking area which had been in operation as a guesthouse for over 30 years. In total the guesthouse across the two sites accommodated 10 lettable rooms and additional accommodation for the owners.
To establish the acceptability of the proposed change of use and loss of guesthouse, we had to demonstrate that the proposal was compliant with adopted Policies PP23 which states that:
‘proposals resulting in the loss of tourist accommodation (in the case of hotels, B&Bs and guest houses, those with 10 or more bedrooms) will only be permitted where it can be:
(i) demonstrated that the continued use is no longer financially viable and attractive to future occupiers in accordance with the requirements of Policy PP40: Viability; or,
(ii) adequately demonstrated that the loss is necessary to enable investment in the remaining tourist accommodation on site or elsewhere in Poole.’
In order to meet the requirements of PP23 and PP40 we prepared a Viability Report which detailed that the existing site was no longer viable in its present form. To substantiate this we collated evidence of business accounts, details of advertising on popular hotel booking websites and reviews from guests in our justification. Furthermore, as the site had been marketed for over 12 months and no offers were made this demonstrated that the guesthouse was not an attractive business investment to future occupiers.
As part of the application, we prepared a comprehensive supporting planning statement which set out the merits of the proposal in a clear and concise manner and made clear that the development complied with local and national planning policy.
Upon considering of the application and supporting documentation, the Case Officer and all statutory consultees agreed with our conclusions and moved to grant planning permission for the development within the 8-week target date.
If you own a site which you consider could provide a more viable use and want to convert your existing buildings to maximise their revenue potential then why not contact Pure Town Planning on 01202 585524 or email info@puretownplanning.co.uk for a FREE 30-minute confidential consultation.