Agenda item

Demolish conservatory to the side and outbuildings to the rear; construction new rear extension.

The Blink Bonny Hotel, Christon Bank, Northumberland, NE66 3ES

Demolish conservatory to the side and outbuildings to the near; construct new rear extension.

The Blink Bonny Hotel, Christon Bank, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 3ES

D. Love – Senior Planning Officer, introduced the application with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation, there were no updates.

D. Cooper spoke on behalf of Embleton Parish Council and gave the committee the following information:

·       The Blink Bonny was the only accessible community facility in the village.

·       The Embleton Neighbourhood Plan Vision was “The rural parish of Embleton will continue to be a thriving and sustainable place to live, learn, work and visit.”

·       Christon Bank was recognised in the Neighbourhood Plan as a “Local Needs Centre” with limited services and one of the priorities of the centre was to prioritise the satisfaction of resident needs.

·       Embleton Parish Council strongly supported the planning application.

·       The proposed change would provide extra employment opportunities within the parish whilst offering improved facilities for both tourists and local inhabitants.

·       The proposed development at the Blink Bonny Hotel would protect and improve year-round community and recreational facilities for the benefits of residents and visitors.

·       Provision of food and drink would enable the facility to cater for community activities, commercial lettings and local bookings.

·       The Blink Bonny Public House formed part of the original infrastructure of the village and was a thriving social hub. The application aimed to maintain that appeal and add to its purpose and preserve the building and its social value.

T. Finch spoke in support of the application and gave the committee the following information:

·       It was unlikely that the future of the business could be safeguarded without the development.

·       There was strong support for the development with Christon Bank as well as the surrounding areas.

·       There had been no objections.

·       The proposed extension would assist in providing a community hub and would allow the business to be viable.

·       The extended areas of the proposal would enable the business to provide quality food and 10 modern ensuite hotel rooms as well as a function room, which would be a valuable asset to the community.

·       The proposed development would create up to 20 new jobs, which would be a mix of full and part-time roles.

·       The case officer agreed that the principle of the development was acceptable and that the developments accorded with the relevant economic development and tourism policies contained within the local plan.

·       It was accepted that the proposed extension was large, but it was proportionate in the context of the overall proposals.

·       The case officer had wrongly considered, in part, the acceptability of the development by applying part 2 of local plan policy HOU9 which was only relevant to householder proposals.

Following members questions to the planning officer, the following information was provided:

·       There would be no harm to the setting of the listed building.

·       The application was recommended for refusal due to it being unacceptable in terms of the design, in particular the scale and massing.

·       The recommendation was an on-balance decision by the planning officer.

·       There had been no financial information submitted by the applicant.

Councillor Pattison proposed to grant the application, contrary to the planning officer’s recommendation, stating that since the Post Office closed and the bus service was withdrawn, the Blink Bonny Hotel was the only warm space for the community and stated that by virtue of its design, scale and massing, the proposed development was not considered to significantly detract from the character and distinctiveness of the existing building. The proposals were therefore considered to be acceptable and were in accordance with Policy QOP 1 of the Northumberland Local Plan and the NPPF, with conditions and a S106 Coastal Mitigation to be delegated to the planning officer in conjunction with the Planning Area Manager and the Chair of Planning.

This was seconded by Councillor Castle.

Several Councillors agreed with Councillor Pattison’s comments and that in the context of the plot, the extension was acceptable and that it would be good for Christon Bank.

A vote was taken as follows: FOR; 7, AGAINST; 3, ABSTAIN; 0

RESOLVED that the application was GRANTED with conditions and a S106 Coastal Mitigation to be delegated to the planning officer in conjunction with the Planning Area Manager and the Chair of Planning.