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 18/0818 for the external alterations and erection of a two-storey side extension and a two-storey extension to the roof to create a third and fourth floor and use of the premises as altered to provide a restaurant, hotel reception and museum reception 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, Blackpool.

Mr Johnston, Head of Development Management, provided the Committee with an overview of the application.  He 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.  Mr Johnston reported on 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.  He reported on 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.  Mr Johnston referred to the presentation that contained photographs of the previously approved development and the current proposed development.

Mr Johnston reported on 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.  He referred to the Head of Highways and Traffic Management’s concerns as detailed in the update note and advised that these concerns could be designed out or resolved by imposing conditions on the planning permission, if granted.  Mr Johnston reported his view on the 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.  Mr Johnston referred to the statement in the report that provided the Applicant’s justification for the proposed colour scheme which in his view did not provide sufficient justification.  He also referred to Paragraph 11 of the National Planning Policy Framework that stated the presumption that applications representing sustainable development should be approved with the exception for applications where the disbenefits outweighed the benefits.  Mr Johnston 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, he considered that the disbenefits from the proposed colour scheme and its conflict with national and local policies outweighed the benefits of the development and justified the recommendation for refusal.

Hard copy photographs of the proposed development were circulated to Members of the Committee.

Mr Walker, Agent, acting on behalf of the Applicant spoke in support of the application.  He passed on the Applicant’s apologies for being unable to attend due to other commitments.  He read a statement provided by the Applicant in support of the application which reported his commitment and financial investment in the development, the costs incurred so far and the reasons for the change in design from the previously approved scheme.  He also provided an overview of the facilities that would be provided and the economic benefits of the scheme in terms of the provision of the first 5* hotel in Blackpool and employment opportunities for local people. 

Councillor Smith, Councillor for Talbot Ward, reported on the benefits of the proposed development for the local area and the town and his view of the importance of the development for the area, the town and the local community.  The benefits included the potential to give confidence in the town thereby attracting other potential investors, the employment opportunities for people in the local area and the potential to attract high level spend to the area and increase conference and business trade.  He acknowledged the challenges of the proposed development and expressed his hope that a resolution could be found that would enable the development to proceed.

The Committee considered the application at length during which concerns were raised regarding the colour scheme in view of the setting of the proposed development in close proximity to the Promenade and adjacent to heritage buildings and bordering the Town Centre Conservation Area.  Mr Walker was invited to expand on the reasons for the change in colour from the originally approved scheme and he reported on the benefits of the new colour scheme in terms of providing privacy for guests and the provision of a quality modern building.  Responding to further concerns from the Committee, Mr Walker stated that in reality the proposed development could potentially be lighter than the colour palette depicted in the photographs but in the interests of integrity the photographs submitted depicted the darkest possible shade of the proposed materials.  The Committee acknowledged this but noted that it had to determine the application based on the information before it.

Mr Walker was asked by the Committee if the Applicant would be willing to negotiate on the colour scheme in an attempt to reach a compromise with the planning officers, which would not necessarily require a change in colour but could provide increased differential between the black and silver areas and thereby potentially address the Committee’s concerns.  Mr Walker reported on the extensive discussions that had already taken place with planning officers and advised on the Applicant’s reasons for requiring the development to progress as quickly as possible.  He stated that the Applicant had confirmed that he would not be prepared to compromise on the colour scheme, for all the reasons already stated.  He also expressed the Applicant’s preference for the application to be determined at this meeting and not deferred to a future meeting and reported on his view of the adverse impact of a delay, which included the timescale for the opening of the development.

The Committee acknowledged the social and economic benefits of the proposed development and its importance for the area and town and expressed regret that a compromise could not be reached on the colour scheme which it considered was inappropriate given the setting of the proposed development.  The Committee considered that the design of the building in terms of the colour scheme in the context of the setting of the proposed development conflicted with local and national policies and outweighed the benefits of the proposal and agreed with the officer’s recommendation and reasons for refusal.

Resolved:  To refuse the application for the reasons set out in the appendix to the minutes.

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

NOTE:  MOTION MOVED, SECONDED, VOTED UPON AND LOST

During consideration of the above item, the following motion was moved, seconded, voted upon and lost:

‘That the application be deferred to the next meeting to provide the opportunity for further consultation between the Applicant and the planning officers to enable an agreement to be reached on the colour palette and materials to be used.’