Agenda item

Full application for Demolition of vacant former public house and erection of 86 bed care home including onsite parking amenity space and associated works at Former Bull and Monkie, Church Gate, Spalding (report of the Lead Development Manager (Interim) – BBC & SHDC enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Lead Development Management Planner (Interim) upon which the above application was to be determined, including their recommendations, copies of which had previously been circulated to all members. 

The case officer noted that a further eight letters of objection had been received from members of the public following the publication of the agenda. These would be recorded in the final report but there were no additional points to objections already received.

Members debated the matter and fully explored the details of the application in light of prevailing policies and guidance, with the following comments being raised:

• The proposed development had been improved from its previous design. However, some concern was raised as to whether it was enough of an improvement as the height of the building would still dwarf those of the surrounding buildings.
• The proposed development would block the view of St Marys and St Nicholas church a Grade 1 listed building.
• Concern was raised that if the proposed development was not approved the site could remain derelict for another long period of time.
• There appeared to be a shortage of parking spaces for visitors and staff and there was a concern that cars may need to be parked along the riverside.
• There was concern that the entrance to the building would be very close to the nearby traffic lights and would therefore be a danger to vulnerable residents crossing the road.
• Noted that historically, the view of the church had been obscured by a building on the riverside.
• Recognition of that the proposed development would have a positive impact on the current state of the site but this did not outweigh the negatives.
• Concern that deliberate neglect of a site should not be taken into account under Paragraph 209 of the NPPF and a justification for the extent of harm to the conservation area in this application had only been provided based on the issue of viability, but no viability statement had been appended to the application.
  • Officers clarified that this site was not a case of deliberate neglect and therefore this paragraph of the NPPF did not apply here.
• The proposed development was not wholly exceptional for the development of a brownfield site and therefore it needed to be shown that there was significant benefit which outweighed the substantial harm created by the proposed development.
• Concern that there hadn’t been any demonstration within the documentation that the sequential test for flood risk had been met with alternative sites not having been tested to see if they were reasonable for the proposed development.
  • Officers confirmed that they were content with the sequential test that had been conducted.
• There did not appear to be a surface water drainage condition included within the report.
  • Officers confirmed they were happy to include an additional condition to detail the drainage strategy.
• Queries around the adverse impact the proposed development could have on the neighbouring commercial business.

The full debate was not repeated here as a livestream of this Planning Committee Meeting could be viewed on South Holland District Council’s Facebook page for a limited period of time, in line with the Democratic Services Privacy Notice.

AGREED:

That permission be granted subject to the conditions outlined at section 9.0 of the report, along with an additional condition for a surface water drainage scheme, and completion of the Section 106 agreement.

(Moved by Councillor Beal, Seconded by Councillor Tyrrell)

Oral representations were received in respect of the above application in line with the Council’s scheme of public speaking at Planning Committee meetings:

Supporter: Cheten Chauhan (Agent)

Objector: Howard Baxter (Spalding Civic Society)

Additional Condition:

The permitted development shall be undertaken in accordance with a surface water drainage scheme which shall first have been approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

The scheme shall:

• be based on the results of evidenced groundwater levels and seasonal variations (e.g. via relevant groundwater records or on-site monitoring in wells, over a 12-month period);
• be based on sustainable drainage principles and an assessment of the hydrological  and hydrogeological context of the development and the principles set out in the submitted Flood Risk Assessment Parts 1 – 4 received by the LPA on 25-Jan-2025 and forming part of the approved application;
• provide flood exceedance routing for storm event greater than 1 in 100 years;
• provide details of how run-off will be safely conveyed and attenuated during storms up to and including the 1 in 100-year critical storm event, with an allowance for climate change, from all hard surfaced areas within the development into the existing local drainage infrastructure and watercourse system without exceeding the run-off rate for the undeveloped site;
• provide attenuation details and discharge rates which shall be restricted with a flow control device to no more than 2.5 litres per second;
• provide detailed drawings and associated calculations of all drainage assets forming part of the scheme;
• provide a routing from the interceptor drain on the northern and western site boundaries which will direct flows into the site attenuation are and thence to the IDB maintained drainage system;
• provide details of the timetable for and any phasing of implementation for the drainage scheme; and
• provide details of how the scheme shall be maintained and managed over the lifetime of the development including the maintenance of the interceptor drain and any arrangements for adoption by any public body or Statutory Undertaker and any other arrangements required to secure the operation of the drainage system throughout its lifetime.

No dwelling/ no part of the development shall be occupied until the approved scheme has been completed or provided on the site in accordance with the approved phasing.  The approved scheme shall be retained and maintained in full, in accordance with the approved details.

Reason:  To ensure that the permitted development is adequately drained without creating or increasing flood risk to land or property adjacent to, or downstream of, or upstream of, the permitted development and to accord with Policy 4 of the South East Lincolnshire Local Plan (2019).