Agenda item - BH2011/03487 - 247-249 & Land Adjacent to 251 Ditchling Road

Erection of 2no residential dwellings to replace 247-249 Ditchling Road, Brighton.Erection of two storey office building (B1) and single storey retail/financial and professional services building (A1/A2) over existing basement to North.

Recommendation – GRANT

I           BH2011/03487 – 247 – 249 & Land Adjacent to 251 Ditchling Road, Brighton

(1)       Erection of 2 no residential dwellings to replace 247 – 249 Ditchling Road, Brighton. Erection of two storey office building (B1) and single storey retail/financial and professional services building (A1/A2) over existing basement to North.

(2)       The Area Planning Manager (East), Claire Burnett gave a presentation detailing the proposed scheme, by reference to photographs of the site and drawings showing its relationship to the Ditchling Road frontage and the neighbouring residential dwellings and commercial premises. The proposed development was considered to conserve the character and appearance of the conservation area by utilising high quality materials, which would be controlled by condition. The applicant had demonstrated that the proposal would cause no undue harm to residential amenity, trees, highway issues and would be constructed to an acceptable level to ensure a sustainable development. As such the proposal was considered to be in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework and the Brighton & Hove Local Plan and approval was therefore recommended.

            Public Speakers and Questions

(3)               Mr Moore spoke in objection to the scheme and on behalf of other neighbouring objectors. He stated that he considered the photographs and plans displayed were misleading in that they did not accurately reflect the levels of overshadowing and loss of light and amenity which would result to the properties backing onto the site from Stanford Avenue including the outside area of the nursery which backed onto the site which would be detrimentally effected. Levels varied across the site and in consequence the distances from neighbouring properties was less than indicated and the roof heights of properties on the development would be higher than that of the surrounding residential development.

(4)       Mr Bareham spoke on behalf of the applicants in support of their application. He stated that the development had been designed in order to bring the site back into use to fit into the scale and be of a complimentary appearance with the neighbouring residential dwelling houses and the adjacent Fiveways Centre and to fill in the broken Ditchling Road frontage. In answer to questions of Councillor Davey Mr Bareham explained that the lighting assessment had been undertaken by independent experts who had confirmed that any potential loss would be within acceptable levels. Mr Bareham confirmed that the roofline which was stepped was slightly higher than that of properties located in Stanford Avenue and the development would be 10-12m distant from the boundary of those properties.

            Questions of Officers, Debate and Decision Making

(5)       Councillor Randall noted that the development would attain a Level 3 sustainability and queried whether it was required to be a Level 4. It was explained that this was not required on brown field sites of less than four dwellings. In answer to further questions it was confirmed that solar panels or photovoltaic panels would be provided to the rear roof slopes of the buildings

(6)       Councillor Mrs Theobald sought clarification of the differences between this proposal and the previously refused application and also enquired regarding retention of the on site trees. It was confirmed that the major tree adjoining the site was to be retained, albeit that it was located on the neighbouring site and that measures would be taken to ensure that it was protected throughout the course of the on site works.

(7)       A vote was taken and Members voted unanimously that planning permission be granted.

187.9  RESOLVED – That the Committee has taken into consideration and agrees with the reasons for the recommendation set out below and the policies and guidance in section 7 of the report and resolves to GRANT planning permission subject to the conditions and informatives set out in the report.