Agenda item

The Committee will be requested to consider an application for planning permission,

details of which are set out in the accompanying report.

The Committee considered planning application 18/0202 seeking permission for the demolition of the existing public house, relocation of the vehicular access and erection of a bingo hall (Use Class D2) and a drive-thru cafe/restaurant (Use Class A3) with associated reconfiguration of the existing car park and provision of new landscaping on the land at Odeon Cinema, Rigby Road, Blackpool.

Miss Parker, Senior Planning Officer, provided the Committee with an overview of the application and presented the site location, layout and elevational plans for the proposed development and an aerial view of the site.  She also circulated computer generated images of the proposed development to Members.  The Committee was reminded that the application had been deferred from the last meeting to allow the applicant the opportunity to address outstanding concerns relating to the design of the building and compliance with the sequential test.  Miss Parker reported that the applicant had demonstrated that the sequential test had been met and that the amended design had now been considered acceptable and therefore the application had now been recommended for approval.

Mr Smith, the applicant’s agent, spoke in support of the application.  He reported his view on the benefits of the development in terms of employment opportunities and investment in the town.  He also reported on the amendments to the building design to address concerns and referred to the reports submitted that demonstrated in his view that there would be no impact on the amenity of neighbouring residents from the proposed development. 

The Committee considered the application and raised concerns regarding the impact on the amenity of local residents due to the reduction in parking spaces, the increased traffic flow and additional noise that would be generated due to the number of vehicles accessing/exiting the site.  Further concerns were raised relating to the impact on the amenity of residents due the size, scale and design of the proposed development and the inappropriateness of the location, particularly in relation to its close proximity to residential properties.  Members also expressed concerns at the loss of a community facility in terms of the loss of the public house.

The Committee discussed the proposal made by the Head of Highways and Traffic as detailed in the Update Note for £10,000 funding to be secured and held for a period of three years to address future potential parking issues but did not consider that this would be adequate to alleviate the parking concerns.

Whilst the Committee acknowledged the benefits of the scheme in terms of providing employment opportunities, it considered that this did not outweigh the disadvantages of the proposal in terms of its impact on the amenity of local residents, on highway safety, design and loss of the public house.  It considered that the proposed development conflicted with Policies LQ1, LQ4, BH3, BH21 and AS1 of the Blackpool Local Plan 2001-2016 and Policies CS7 and CS12 of the Blackpool Local Plan Part 1: Core Strategy 2012-2027.

Resolved:  That the application be refused for the reasons set out in the appendix to the minutes.

Background papers: Applications, plans and replies to consultations on the application.