abcde Conwy County Borough Council, Planning Committee 13/06/07

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1 CODE NO. 0/32603 EXPIRY DATE: 14TH JUNE 2007 APPLICANT: PROPOSAL: SITE: MR T SMITH CHANGE OF USE OF PART OF GROUND FLOOR FROM STORAGE TO 4 NO. UNITS (WHICH COMPRISE OF A BEAUTY PARLOUR, A SHOP, A CAR SALES OFFICE AND A CAR WASH SALES OFFICE) AND ALTERATIONS TO FORM HAND CAR WASH AND CHANGE OF USE OF FIRST FLOOR TO FORM 2 NO. SELF CONTAINED FLATS AND USE OF FORECOURT AS A CAR SALES AREA FOURWAYS/FREDERICK HOUSE, GORS ROAD, TOWYN, ABERGELE, CONWY, LL22 9LS RECOMMENDATION (A) (B) Minded to refuse planning permission To authorise the Head of Planning Services to determine the application under the Scheme of Delegation SITE / LOCATION 1. Fourways/Frederick House is a flat roofed building which is situated on the eastern side of the junction of the A548 Towyn Road with Gors Road (Towyn Crossroads). Fourways fronts onto Towyn Road. 2. The application site itself is a two storey vacant building which has previously been used for storage/office purposes. Federick House adjoins the building and is situated to the rear. There are two accesses to this site one is off A548 and the other off Gors Road to the South of the site which also provides access for a separate workshop located directly to the rear of Frederick House. 3. There are a mixture of other commercial buildings surrounding Towyn Crossroads and fronting Towyn Road to the North and West of the site. To the North East of the site is Dutton s Business Park which comprises of car/van/caravan sales. To the South West of the site is a Chapel and residential properties. There is also a large area of residential properties to the East and South East, together with other residential properties in Sandbank Road and above some of the commercial properties. 4. The premises has had a number of different uses over the years which includes use as an amusement machine repair workshop and office and permission was also granted in 1997 to use the whole of the building as a licensed club. PROPOSALS 5. The application seeks approval of a number of elements which comprise of: (i) Change of use of part of ground floor storage to form 4 units which comprise of a beauty parlour, a shop, a car sales office and a car wash sales office.

2 (ii) A hand car wash facility which will be situated on the frontage adjacent to the A548. (iii) Change of use of part of first floor to form 2 no. one bedroom self contained flats. (iv) Use of part of forecourt as a car sales area. 6. The forecourt area, which faces Towyn Road, will have 6 spaces allocated for car sales and 2 spaces for the car wash facility, the remaining 10 spaces will be distributed between the other proposed units and the existing use at Frederick House and will be positioned at both sides of Frederick House. 7. The proposals also include a traffic management plan which proposes a one-way system will be operated, with entry only being permitted from the A548. The movement will be controlled by way of signs and directional ramps and will pass in front of the proposed units. The engineers also propose some form of illuminated signage that could be erected at the entrance and controlled by operatives to indicate that the site is temporarily full. The report also indicates that two way access will be available from Gors Road with space available to allow circulation around the building. The report argues that there is a planning history which would have generated higher levels of vehicular movement than currently proposed. PLANNING HISTORY 8. There is an extensive history to this site, the applications of most relevance are: 1/14834 change of use from workshop into amusement arcade café and bingo hall and assoc. extension refused, located close to busy crossroads. 1/14990 change of use from workshop into amusement arcade café and bingo hall and assoc. extension this application was approved as the scheme overcame previous highway concerns with the introduction of traffic management measures and was approved in / Permission was allowed on the adjacent building (Frederick House) situated to the rear for the change of use of warehouse for display and sale of conservatories and garden sheds. 1/AGT/938 Permission refused for a taxi rank and erection of booking office at the front of the site on the grounds of design of building and highway grounds. 1/13590 Change of use from shop and living accommodation showroom and workshop with offices over and extension approved /20834 Change of use of ground floor into licensed club premises - approved /20486 change of use from offices into licensed premises withdrawn. 0/29595 Demolition of existing building and erection of bowling centre (entire site) - withdrawn ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 9. Flood Consequence Assessment has been submitted CONSULTATIONS AND REPRESENTATIONS 10. Previously the application description related to 4 retail units on the ground floor and this has recently been amended and now comprises a beauty parlour, a hairdressers shop, a car sales office and a car wash sales office. The application has been re-advertised and the following responses have been received: (a) (b) Kinmel Bay and Towyn Town Council Objection to car sales on the corner as this would be a distraction to traffic, parking at front should be used by shop users and this area has very restricted parking in the vicinity. Welsh Water No objection, subject to conditions

3 (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) Environment Agency No objection subject to conditions Chief Highway Officer Objection inadequate off street parking provision Environmental Services Non-committal Public Protection No objection Policy No objections 11. The application has been advertised by means of site notice and neighbour notification to date 3 letters and correspondence from a local member/assembly member have also been received which relates to: A car wash facility is unnecessary in the area Antisocial behaviour increased vandalism Inadequate landscaping Too much traffic created by proposal/inadequate off-street parking Lack of on-street parking in the area proposal will add to the already congested streets Entrance into site (by traffic lights) is dangerous The car wash facility will conflict with other business users at the premises, concern also raised in respect of health and safety issues. Concern in relation to use and that it is situated close to busy crossroads. The car sales activity will be detrimental to the appearance of the area. PLANNING POLICIES Planning Policy Wales Technical Advice Note 15 Development and Flood Risk Technical Advice Note 18 - Transport Clwyd Structure Plan 12. Policy SH1 - Retail Colwyn Borough Local Plan 13. Policy CG1- Development control guidance Policy CH18 - Conversions Policy CS1 - Retail Policy CS6 Use of upper storeys Policy CTR7- Parking provision Policy CG10- Development and flooding PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS Proposed use 14. Fourways has a long history of different uses but is currently used for storage/office purposes. The proposal for two residential flats on the first floor is considered acceptable as there are other premises in the area that have upper levels of living accommodation. In terms of the beauty parlour and shop this will add to the range of commercial uses within the area and as such is acceptable. 15. The main planning consideration is the use of the forecourt for car sales, provision of a hand car wash facility with two ancillary units. Although the adjacent site has a car/van/caravan

4 sales area and associated office it is positioned further away from a busy crossroads and concern is expressed due to close proximity to these busy crossroads. In addition it is considered that this forecourt area is too restricted to accommodate car sales, a car wash, access to the units as well as vehicular access. 16. In terms of the hand car wash facility it is considered that this use could conflict with other business users and clients to the detriment of the amenity of the locality. There are also concerns that traffic movements which include deliveries etc to the units could also conflict with the forecourt uses and given that a one way system from the A548 is proposed there are also concerns that the traffic entering the site could conflict with people utilising the car sales area/car wash and proposed units. 17. The use at Frederick House will be retained and does not form part of this application and overall it is considered given the amount of uses proposed in a small section of the site would amount to overdevelopment. Highway issues 18. The Highway Officer has previously objected to the application on the basis of the proximity to the traffic controlled crossroads which is particularly busy especially during the summer months and that the application lacks details of the intended traffic management/potential flows. This information as stated above has now been provided and has been amended and re-advertised to take into account the above mentioned comments. The amount of car sales has also been reduced to 6 spaces (previously 10) and two spaces provided for the hand car wash. 19. This information has now been assessed by the Chief Highway Officer who has objected to the proposal on the basis that there is inadequate off street parking provided for the existing and proposed uses. In addition to this comments have also been expressed in terms of the internal route area around the building and safety implication for vehicles on the A548 close to the traffic lights. However Highways have indicated that provided there is circulation space around the building this could be controlled by a condition if the application were approved. Design/visual appearance 20. Overall the proposals are fairly minimal and are considered acceptable. CONCLUSIONS 21. The property has a long planning history and there are no objections to the change of use provided that the uses are compatible and would not have a detrimental effect on the amenity of the locality and highway safety. On balance it is considered that the number of different uses particularly the hand car wash and sales would conflict with people living, working and visiting the proposed and existing units and would also conflict with cars passing directly in front of these buildings. The Chief Highway Officer has also recommended refusal on highway grounds and it is considered that the proposal constitutes overdevelopment of the site, detrimental to amenity of the area and highway safety and should therefore be refused. RECOMMENDATION (A) (B) Minded to refuse planning permission To authorise the Head of Planning Services to determine the application under the Scheme of Delegation

5 Gwasanaethau Cynllunio / Planning Services Cynllun Pwyllgor / Committee Plan Sw w urle PCs Centre 05m Rest Youth Firstholme Haven Trenwith Ormdale Craig Rhif Cais [0/32603] / Application Number [0/32603] Bach Ivy Dene The Surgery Leeside Lydiate Abbeyville Pontydd Pol Sta N R Domek OAD Rose Min-y-don Chapel Cottage Sunday School 4.5m TCBs TCB 9 Bodhyfryd (PH) Cambrian The Seagull LB TOWYN ROAD El Sub Sta 5 Laurel Grove 12 Mews 7 SAFLE R CAIS APPLICATION SITE Gas Gov m Ganwy 1 Glan Morfa Club 4.2m Towyn Browns Holiday Park Hawlfraint y Goron. Cedwir pob hawl. Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Conwy County Borough Council