Agenda item

To consider Planning Application 24/0135 for the approval of reserved matters (Appearance and Landscape) pursuant to outline planning permission 24/0131, comprising the erection of a hotel development with car parking and associated works.

The Committee considered planning application 24/0315 for the approval of reserved matters (appearance and landscape) pursuant to outline planning permission 24/0131, comprising the erection of a hotel development with car parking and associated works on the land bounded by Adelaide Street, Leopold Grove and Alfred Street, Blackpool.

Ms S Parker, Head of Development Management, provided the Committee with an outline of the application and planning history and reminded the Committee that the application was one of reserved matters to agree appearance and landscaping. The application had been deferred from the meeting held on 12 November 2024 in order to obtain more supporting information and detail in relation to matters of landscaping.

The site was in a sensitive location within the Town Centre Conservation Area and opposite the listed Winter Gardens building. The approved building was five storeys in height with 266 bedrooms and suites. In terms of vehicular access, access would be from Alfred Street and the main pedestrian access point situated on Adelaide Street with a secondary access on Leopold Grove. The approved layout would comprise of distinctive eastern and western wings with a central podium at first floor level.

In respect of design, Ms Parker advised the Committee that the design was intended to reflect Blackpool’s art deco heritage to include clean lines, horizontal banding and geometric shapes with chamfered corners on the Adelaide Street elevation. In terms of ground floor glazing, some of this would be broken up by sections of Verdigris textured panels with the upper floors overhanging and supported by grey/brown brick clad panels. Two vertical features had been secured which would help to animate the building and provide legibility however the Committee was advised that some of the proposed materials were not considered to be appropriate and a condition was recommended to require these details to be agreed post-determination.

The Committee was advised that no objections had been received from Historic England and that no response had been received from the Civic Trust or Built Heritage Manager and the concerns expressed by the Trees and Landscape Officer were outlined. Ms Parker advised that statutory biodiversity net gain requirements did not apply, however the scheme should still make effort to maximise green infrastructure.

Ms Parker advised the Committee that in response to the deferral at the meeting on 12 November 2024, the applicant had proposed 173 square metres of planting in the ground on Leopold Grove, Alfred Street and Adelaide Street which would be watered by a ‘leaky pipe’ system and that a provision of 26 trees had been calculated as a requirement. In relation to tree planting at first floor level, the Committee was advised that this was no longer proposed due to uncertainties over the building’s structural ability to support any such planting. A financial contribution of £26,000 had been offered to support off-site tree planting and Ms Parker advised that as the Council was the landowner, it could not enter into a financial agreement with itself. Therefore an appropriate legal mechanism would be entered into in order to secure this financial contribution.

The application was, on balance, considered to be acceptable and the Committee was asked to resolve to support the application and to delegate authority to the Head of Development Management to issue the decision notice once a planning obligation of £26,000 towards off-site tree planting has been secured. In addition the Committee was asked to authorise the Head of Development Management to make changes to the conditions below including the removal or addition of conditions as may be appropriate, as long as the changes did not affect the substance of the permission being granted.

Mr I White spoke in objection to the application and raised concerns regarding delegation of all conditions to Head of Development Management and also in relation to the number of trees that £26,000 could provide. He advised the Committee that the Council should take care to minimise the impact of the hotel on the holiday accommodation trade.

Ms Parker provided the Committee with clarification in relation to delegations and advised that the published Scheme of Delegation made no provision for discharge of condition applications to go before the Committee. In respect of the sum of £26,000 for off-site tree planting, the Committee was advised that as there had been no Supplementary Planning Document at the time of the original application, the calculation of £26,000 was based on the increase in floorspace since that time and was the most appropriate sum that could be provided.

Mr H Spawton, Agent for the Applicant, spoke in favour of the application and advised the Committee that the applicant had taken steps to provide more supporting detail. Further information in relation to landscaping had been provided since the meeting on 12 November 2024 to provide planting in the ground which would soften the landscape and a contribution of £26,000 for off-site planting had been offered. He reminded the Committee that there had been no objections from Historic England and that the site was a vacant brownfield site being brought be into use.

The Committee discussed the application, noted the representations but considered that on balance the contribution had been calculated appropriately.

Resolved:

To support the application subject to the conditions as set out in the Committee Report and to:

·        Delegate authority to the Head of Development Management to issue the decision notice once a planning obligation of £26,000 towards off-site tree planting had been secured.

·        Authorise the Head of Development Management to make changes to the conditions below including the removal or addition of conditions as may be appropriate, as long as the changes did not affect the substance of the permission being granted.