BCP Council (Christchurch): Matt Annen is pleased to share the news that BCP Council has granted planning permission for two linked applications at on Christchurch High Street, regularising six self-contained flats created from former office space above and behind a High Street commercial unit. The scheme was designed by Shore Architecture.
The offices were originally approved for residential use under a 2021 prior approval, but unfortunately the flats were not built out by the developer in accordance with the approved layouts. Full applications were therefore needed, to regularise the situation.
Housing in a sustainable location. The officer confirmed the principle of development was sound, describing the site as “highly sustainable” and within walking distance of town centre services, the railway station and a regular bus route. With BCP Council able to demonstrate only a 2.55-year housing land supply, the tilted balance was engaged and the provision of additional dwellings carried “significant weight”.
Town centre vitality protected. Because the ground floor commercial unit fronting the High Street is retained, the officer concluded that both schemes comply with Core Strategy Policies KS7 and CH2.
Heritage preserved. The conversion of five of the flats involved no external alterations. The only external change for Flat 6 – a full-height window within an existing door opening facing the private courtyard – was found not to affect the character or appearance of the Conservation Area.
Good-quality living accommodation. Flats 1–4 were found to broadly accord with the Nationally Described Space Standards, and all fall within the Housing Quality Indicator range, with habitable rooms benefiting from sufficient light and outlook. For Flat 6, the proposals incorporate a redundant fire-escape stairwell to create a new bedroom. This takes the flat to around 41 sqm – above the 37 sqm national standard for a one-bedroom, one-person home – and opens up a larger open-plan kitchen, dining and living space. The officer concluded this would provide adequate living conditions for occupiers.
Parking and waste resolved. As the site lies within Parking Zone A, no on-site car parking was required. The Highway Authority accepted that cycle parking could not be insisted upon given the site’s highly accessible location. An amended plan identified bin storage within the site, alongside an established collection point that has been serviced by the Council’s crews since 2022, and the officer found the waste arrangements acceptable.
Environmental mitigation secured. A legal agreement secured contributions towards Dorset Heathlands and New Forest recreational mitigation, and phosphate credits were purchased to achieve nutrient neutrality for the River Avon SAC. The development was also confirmed as exempt from Biodiversity Net Gain.
The officer concluded that there was no harm which significantly and demonstrably outweighed the economic and social benefits of providing housing in a sustainable location, and that the schemes accord with the Development Plan as a whole and the NPPF. Both scheme were approved under delegated powers last week with no objections from neighbours, BCP Highways or Christchurch Town Council.
Retrospective and regularisation applications call for a careful, evidence-led approach, particularly in conservation areas and town centres. If works at your property have departed from an approval, or you are considering converting upper-floor commercial space to residential use, get in touch with Pure Town Planning to discuss how we can help.