Agenda and minutes

Members are asked to declare any interests in the items under consideration and in doing so state:

(1) the type of interest concerned either

(a)   personal interest

(b)   prejudicial interest

(c)    disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI)

and

(2) the nature of the interest concerned

If any member requires advice on declarations of interests, they are advised to contact the Head of Democratic Governance in advance of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest on this occasion.

To agree the minutes of the last meeting held on 5 February 2019 as a true and correct record.

The Planning Committee considered the minutes of the last meeting held on 5 February 2019.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting on the 5 February 2019

The Planning Committee considered the report of the Head of Development Management regarding planning appeals lodged and determined. The report outlined the two planning appeals received against the refusal of planning permission in respect of application 18/0169 at 518 Midgeland Road and application 18/0385 land between 15 and 127 Powell Avenue. The Committee was also advised that no appeals had been determined since the last meeting.

Resolved:

To note the report on planning and enforcement appeals lodged and determined

The Committee will be asked to note the outcomes of the cases and support the actions of the Service Manager – Public Protection.

The Committee considered a report detailing the planning enforcement activity

undertaken within Blackpool during January 2019.

The report stated that 19 new cases had been registered for investigation, 6 cases had been resolved by negotiation without recourse to formal action and 21 cases had been closed as there was either no breach of planning control found, no action was appropriate or it was not considered expedient to take action.

The report also provided comparative information for the same period last year.

Resolved: To note the outcome of the cases set out in the report and to support the

actions of the Service Manager, Public Protection Department, in authorising the notices.

To update the Planning Committee of the Council’s performance in relation to

Government targets.

Ms Parker, Senior Planner, presented the planning applications and appeals performance report.  He referred to the performance figures against Government targets for the determination of planning applications for December 2018 that showed 100% performance for major development decisions and 100% for minor development decisions.  He also reported on the performance for the last quarter of 2018, which showed 92% for minor development decisions.  One appeal decision had been dealt with in January with the appeal being dismissed.

Resolved:

To note the report.

The Committee will be requested to consider application 19/0083  for planning permission in respect of the Sands Venue, Palatine Buildings, Promenade details of which are set out in the accompanying report.

The Planning Committee considered application 19/0818 for external alterations and erection of a two-storey side extension and a two-storey extension to the roof to create a 3rd and 4th floor and use of the premises as altered to provide a restaurant, hotel reception and museum reception, themed bar at ground floor level, a museum and associated facilities at first floor and hotel accommodation on the upper three floors comprising 91 en-suite bedrooms and suites and associated facilities in the basement, including meeting rooms and a spa and a rooftop plant area at the Sands Venue, Palatine Buildings, Promenade.

Ms Parker, Senior Planner, provided the Committee with an overview of the application and explained that this application was a resubmission of application 18/0083 which had been refused by the Planning Committee on the 5 February 2019.  Ms Parker also presented an aerial view of the site, site location and layout plans and photographs depicting the setting of the proposed development on the Promenade.  Ms Parker reminded members of the outline planning permission that had been granted for a development on the site in April 2016, followed by approval of a reserved matters application in July 2017. Ms Parker highlighted the changes between the approved development and the current proposed development which included a reduction in height of the building, a reduction in the number of bedrooms, the introduction of a museum, the omission of retail use and car parking and the change in colour scheme.  Ms Parker referred to the presentation that contained photographs of the previously approved development and the current proposed development. Ms Parker highlighted the additional information submitted by the applicant after the submission of the update note and commented that the planning team had only just received this information including samples of materials. There therefore remained a number of questions to be dealt with and while there had been a degree of progress there remained

Ms Parker reminded members of the social and economic benefits of the scheme and its compliance with Policies CS17 and CS21 of the Core Strategy and Policy LQ4 of the Local Plan which were outlined at the meeting on the 3 February 2019.  She referred to the Head of Highways and Traffic Management’s concerns and advised that these concerns could be designed out or resolved by imposing conditions on the planning permission, if granted.  Ms Parker reported the planning department’s view that in common with the previous there were significant benefits that weighed in favour of the application. However the proposed colour of the materials for the building in view of the location of the site was considered to be in conflict with both national policy and guidance and local policy and as such weighed heavily against the proposal. Ms Parker reported that on balance given the size, prominence and setting of the proposed building in close proximity to the Tower, former Woolworth building and Town Centre Conservation Area, she considered that the disbenefits from the proposed colour scheme and its  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.