Agenda item

Conversion of former community building to create 9no. flats, with construction of 1no. new house and garage block to rear (as amended)

5 Palace Street East, Berwick Upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1HT

Conversion of former community building to create 9no. flats, with construction of 1no. new house and garage block to rear (as amended)

5 Palace Street East, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1HT

J. Sharp – Senior Planning Officer, introduced the application to members with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation, it was noted that there would be a single presentation for both applications 21/02292/FUL and 21/02293/LBC, with a separate vote for each application and public speakers were granted 10 minutes to speak.

J. Sharp explained to committee members that following the North Northumberland Planning meeting on Thursday, 19 January 2023, Northumberland County Council had received a solicitor’s letter explaining that the report had failed to mention paragraph 204 of the NPPF.

The following updates were noted by committee members:

·       There had been a late representation from Historic Buildings and Places which highlighted concerns around the loss of the Armstrong and Speirs huts.

·       The application was subject to a s106 agreement.

·       Condition 49 was required to be amended following comments received from Mr Smart. An additional condition in relation to phasing was also required to be added.

J. Smart spoke in objection to the application and gave the committee the following information:

·       There was serious harm to a conservation area.

·       The Speirs hut was one of a handful of corrugated iron schoolrooms that had survived in England. Destruction had been condemned by three of the England national amenity societies.

·       The new buildings were not necessary for the main building renovation.

·       There was a false balance of harms and benefits distorted by the combined nature of the application.

·       The new build project was a tangible threat to the vulnerable old buildings nearby.

·       The applications should be refused.

J. Bell spoke in support of the application and gave the committee the following information:

·       The applicant would like all of the construction works to commence at the same time.

·       Berwick Barracks, Beamish Museum and Blyth Battery had declined to accept the Armstrong and Speirs huts as a donation.

·       The site was in a sustainable location.

·       The site was for the needs of Berwick Youth Project.

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

·       The Conservation Officer noted that there was less than substantial harm.

·       The public benefit for removing the Armstrong and Speirs huts was to allow the Berwick Youth Project to use the space and refocus on activities.

·       The phasing condition was originally proposed by Councillor Bridgett and voted upon in January 2023.

Councillor Hill proposed to accept the officer’s recommendation to grant permission subject to the conditions in the report, a s106 agreement and the amendment to condition 49 and an additional condition to phase the works, and that works to the rear should not start until first occupancy of the main Georgian building with the exact wording delegated to the director of planning in consultation with the chair of planning. This was seconded by Councillor Castle.

A vote was taken as follows: FOR; 8, AGAINST; 0, ABSTAIN; 1.

RESOLVED that the application was GRANTED subject to the conditions in the report, a s106 agreement and the amendment to condition 49 an additional condition to phase the works, and that works to the rear should not start until first occupancy of the main Georgian building with the exact wording delegated to the director of planning in consultation with the chair of planning.