Philip Barton MCD BA(Hons) MRTPI C h a r t e r e d T o w n P l a n n e r

Transcription

1 Philip Barton MCD BA(Hons) MRTPI C h a r t e r e d T o w n P l a n n e r S E Q U E N T I A L S I T E A S S E S S M E N T APPLICANT: Mr Christopher Lawler BA(Hons) MA DipPT PROPOSAL: Establishment of Crossfit gymnasium (Use Class D2) AGENT REF: CL.COM DATE: November Lorn Court, Lorn Street, BIRKENHEAD, Wirral. CH41 6SA T: E: [email protected] W:

2 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. The Applicant proposes the establishment of a Crossfit 1 facility in Birkenhead. The Crossfit business model is inclusive and family-friendly. There are typically no more than five classes per day (from 07:00 to 21:00), each comprising up to six people Annex 2 (p.53) of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) includes health and fitness centres in a list of town centre uses. Both the Applicant and the Local Planning Authority (LPA) agree 2 that a Crossfit facility would reasonably fall within the definition of a health and fitness centre (Use Class D2) On 12, 14 and 19 November 2012 searches of the Tractivity 3 database were made of the entire Wirral area, although, on the Applicant's instruction, only those premises within 1km of the Birkenhead Town Centre boundary (SH1/1 on the UDP 4 proposals map) were included in the assessment (Appendix A) NPPF par.24 states: Local planning authorities should apply a sequential test to planning applications for main town centre uses that are not in an existing centre and are not in accordance with an up-to-date Local Plan. They should require applications for main town centre uses to be located in town centres, then in edge of centre locations and only if suitable sites are not available should out of centre sites be considered. When considering edge of centre and out of centre proposals, preference should be given to accessible sites that are well connected to the town centre. Applicants and local planning authorities should demonstrate flexibility on issues such as format and scale. 1 See: 2 In a pre-application meeting with LPA officer Karl Spilsbury, held on 1 November See: 4 Wirral Unitary Development Plan, adopted February /11/2012 1

3 2. PARAMETERS 2.1. Size: The Applicant has produced a business plan, which has been used to determine the financial viability of the proposal. Premises of between 400 and 500 square feet are considered viable Parking: Given the brief summary of the Crossfit business model in paragraph 1.1. above, no more than eight car parking spaces would be needed. This assumes that each participant and the instructor would bring their own vehicle, plus one space for delivery vehicles. However, this is very much a maximum because the inclusive nature of these sessions ought to attract family groups, with more than one person travelling in each vehicle Facilities: The sessions are designed to be as inclusive as possible. Thus, the involvement of children, older people and people of all ages with a range of physical and learning impairments must be catered for (in addition to that of able-bodied adults). Floor space with level access (or lift access) is essential. There must be mains electricity, mains water and lavatories Access: Although preference should be given to accessible sites that are well connected to the town centre, in edge of centre locations only proposals for retail uses are required to be well connected and up to 300m of [sic] the primary shopping area (NPPF p.52). As this proposal is for a D2 use, an edge of centre location is defined solely as one within 300m of a town centre boundary. The NPPF does not define the attributes of an accessible site. For the purposes of this assessment, premises within 500m of a bus stop and/or within 1km of a railway station shall be considered to be accessible Available: The premises must be available for the intended use. 19/11/2012 2

4 Electricity Lavatories Ground floor (or lift access) Level access Accessible? Available? Viable? Prepared by: Philip Barton MCD BA(Hons) MRTPI 2.6. Viable: Rental costs and other property-related charges must be in line with the projections made in the Applicant s business plan (i.e. 7 per square foot or 3500 annually). 3. SEQUENTIAL SITE ASSESSMENT No. Address Use Class Size (sq ft) Parking Water Wilbraham Street D YES YES YES YES YES NO YES YES NO 2 40 Appin Road B2 484 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES Appin Road B2 495 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES 4 Unit 12, 300 Cleveland St. B2 413 YES YES YES NO YES YES YES YES YES 19/11/2012 3

5 Electricity Lavatories Ground floor (or lift access) Level access Accessible? Available? Viable? Prepared by: Philip Barton MCD BA(Hons) MRTPI No. Address Use Class Size (sq ft) Parking Water 5 26 Appin Road B2 484 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO 6 28 Wirral Business Centre B2 474 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES 7 32 Appin Road B2 484 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES 8 46 Appin Road B2 484 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES 9 52 Appin Road B2 484 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO YES Appin Road B2 484 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES Market Street A1 452 NO YES YES YES YES YES YES NO NO Hamilton Square B1 429 YES YES YES YES YES NO YES YES NO 13 4 Royal Standard House B1 409 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO Cleveland Street B1 500 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO 15 2 Royal Standard House B1 409 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO 19/11/2012 4

6 Electricity Lavatories Ground floor (or lift access) Level access Accessible? Available? Viable? Prepared by: Philip Barton MCD BA(Hons) MRTPI No. Address Use Class Size (sq ft) Parking Water 16 3 Royal Standard House B1 409 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO A foot survey failed to identify any further premises that meet the criteria. 4. ANALYSIS 4.1. No town centre premises appeared in the Tractivity search and a foot survey conducted on 19 November 2012 also failed to identify any vacant premises that meet the criteria One (no.1 in the table in Section 3 above) is in an edge of centre location and already has a D2 use. The Applicant contacted the agent and was shown around the property. It is over three floors and the vendor is unwilling to let the floors separately. Thus, the rental cost and size make the premises unviable The one vacant A1 shop (no.11 in the table in Section 3 above) has now been let None of the vacant B1 offices (nos in the table in Section 3 above) were viable due to rental costs. 19/11/2012 5

7 4.5. The B2 premises that meet the Applicant's criteria are: Unit 28, Wirral Business Park, Price Street (no.6 in the table in Section 3 above) Appin Road, Argyle Industrial Estate, Argyle Street South (no.7 in the table in Section 3 above) Appin Road, Argyle Industrial Estate, Argyle Street South (no.2 in the table in Section 3 above) Appin Road, Argyle Industrial Estate, Argyle Street South (no.8 in the table in Section 3 above) Appin Road, Argyle Industrial Estate, Argyle Street South (no.10 in the table in Section 3 above) Appin Road, Argyle Industrial Estate, Argyle Street South (no.3 in the table in Section 3 above) Each of these is considered separately below: 4.6. Unit 28, Wirral Business Park, Price Street. Whereas all of the premises in paragraph 4.5 above are in out of centre locations, this one is the furthest out, at about 950m from the Birkenhead Town Centre boundary. It is also the smallest unit (474 sq feet). Thus, it has been discarded from further consideration Appin Road, Argyle Industrial Estate, Argyle Street South. A smaller unit (484 sq feet) Appin Road, Argyle Industrial Estate, Argyle Street South. A smaller unit (484 sq feet) Appin Road, Argyle Industrial Estate, Argyle Street South. A smaller unit (484 sq feet) Appin Road, Argyle Industrial Estate, Argyle Street South. A smaller unit (484 sq feet) Appin Road, Argyle Industrial Estate, Argyle Street South. The largest of all the units (495 sq feet). 19/11/2012 6

8 4.12. There is not much to distinguish the units in Appin Road. All are just outside the 300m edge of centre boundary and are equally accessible. The only difference is their size and the periods that they have been vacant. The Applicant seeks the best value and, all other things being equal, this is best measured by the ratio between rental cost and size. By this measure, 102 Appin Road is the best value. According to the agent, it has been vacant since 14 May 2009, and has been marketed continuously on the Argyle Industrial Estate's website 5 throughout the intervening period. (see Appendix B) 5. Conclusion 5.1. The foregoing sequential site assessment has established that there are currently no sequentially more preferable sites than 102 Appin Road. On this basis it is considered that 102 Appin Road represents the most appropriate location for the Applicant's proposal /11/2012 7

9 APPENDIX A Tractivity database search results for vacant D2 premises in Birkenhead Date of search: 12 November 2012 (re-run 19 November 2012) 3-7 Wilbraham Street, Birkenhead, Merseyside. CH41 2PZ Reference Number: Size: 0 SqF SqF Type: Leisure Leasehold: P.O.A. Jolley & Co (Birkenhead) ( ) Tractivity database search results for vacant A1 premises in Birkenhead Date of search: 14 November 2012 (re-run 19 November 2012) 70 Market Street, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 5BT Reference Number: WIRMETIW70 Size: 452 SqF SqF Type: Retail Leasehold: Upon Application Wirral Methodist Housing Association ( ) 19/11/2012 8

10 Tractivity database search results for vacant B1 premises in Birkenhead Date of search: 14 November 2012 (re-run 19 November 2012) 25 Hamilton Square, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 6AY Reference Number: SMITHSONIW25 Size: 429 SqF SqF Type: Office Leasehold: 20,000 per annum Smith & Sons ( ) Office 4 Royal Standard House New Chester Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH42 1LE Reference Number: Office 4 Size: 409 SqF SqF Type: Office, Managed/ Serviced Office Licence: 625 pcm Lairdside Communities Together Offices. 363 Cleveland Street, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 4JW Reference Number: Size: 500 SqF SqF Type: Office Leasehold: 12,500 19/11/2012 9

11 Office 2 Royal Standard House New Chester Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH42 1LE Reference Number: Office 2 Size: 409 SqF SqF Type: Managed/ Serviced Office Licence: 625pcm Lairdside Communities Together ( ) Office 3 Royal Standard House New Chester Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH42 1LE Reference Number: RSHWD26 Size: 409 SqF SqF Type: Managed/ Serviced Office Licence: 625pcm Lairdside Communities Together ( ) Tractivity database search results for vacant B2 premises in Birkenhead Date of search: 12 November 2012 (re-run 19 November 2012) 40 Appin Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside. CH41 9HH Reference Number: whittlejiw42 Size: 484 SqF SqF Whittle Jones North West ( ) 19/11/

12 Unit 102 Appin Road, Argyle Industrial Estate, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 9HH Reference Number: WHITTLEJIW10 Size: 495 SqF SqF Whittle Jones North West ( ) Unit 12, 300 Cleveland Street, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 Reference Number: ASSETMANIW 12 Size: 413 SqF SqF Leasehold: 2,250 per annum Asset Management ( ) Unit 26 Appin Road, Argyle Industrial Estate, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 9HH Reference Number: WHITTLEIW26 Size: 484 SqF SqF Licence: per week Whittle Jones North West ( ) 19/11/

13 Unit 28, Wirral Business Centre, Dock Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 1JW Reference Number: ASSETMIW28 Size: 474 SqF SqF Licence: Per month Asset Management ( ) Unit 32 Appin Road, Argyle Industrial Estate, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 9HH Reference Number: WHITTLEJIW32 Size: 484 SqF SqF Whittle Jones North West ( ) Unit 46 Appin Road, Argyle Industrial Estate, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 9HH Reference Number: WHITTLEIW46 Size: 484 SqF SqF Whittle Jones North West ( ) 19/11/

14 Unit 52 Appin Road, Argyle Industrial Estate, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 9HH Reference Number: WHITTLEJIW52 Size: 484 SqF SqF Property Status: Under Offer Whittle Jones North West ( ) Unit 56, Appin Road, Arygle Industrial Estate, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 9HH Reference Number: WHITTLEJWD54 Size: 484 SqF SqF Whittle Jones North West ( ) 19/11/

15 APPENDIX B To: [ANONYMISED] Sent: Mon, 12 Nov :19: Subject: Re: Planning Application - Unit 102, Argyle Industrial Estate, Appin Road, Birkenhead, CH41 9HH Dear Chris, Re: Planning Application Apologies for the delay in my response. Please find my comments below: I can confirm that Unit 102 has been vacant since 14/05/2009 I can confirm that Unit 102 has actively been marketed since this date. All marketing has been through our standard letting particulars for the site (attached) as well as being advertised on Argyle Industrial Estates own website since 14/05/2009. ( Unfortunately, we do not have any traffic flow data for the site but I can confirm that there are a number of communal parking spaces (say around 30) which are available for use for any tenant related matter. The units do not have a specified parking allocation, but I would say that the hard surfaced area at the front of Unit 102 has a provision for around 6 car parking spaces. I hope this is sufficient information but if you need anything further please feel free to give me a call on the office number below or my mobile - [ANONYMISED]. Kind regards, Andrew 19/11/

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