Agenda item

To consider the report of the City Development Manager.

The Principal Project Manager (Development) (HS) presented the application for the demolition of existing buildings (Transport Club and Exeter Auto Centre) and re-development to provide student accommodation (Sui Generis), ancillary facilities, and ground floor uses in classes A1, A2, A3, A4, B1, D1 and D2, cycle parking provision and public realm improvements. The proposed development was for 111 student bedrooms, arranged as 102 bedrooms in cluster flats and nine in studios. The proposal included ground floor retail/business/leisure uses arranged as two units with landscaping and public realm.

In response to Members’ questions, the Principal Project Manager advised that the dropping off and picking up of students would be facilitated through laybys in adjoining streets with residents also able to park in the nearby NCP carpark. Responding to a Member, he advised that the building was not within a Conservation Area.

Members were circulated with an update sheet - attached to minutes.

Mr Yeates spoke in support of the application. He raised the following points:-

·         the block, set on the former Transport Club and Exeter Auto Centre, would complement the adjoining purpose built student accommodation set for completion in August 2019, representing the second phase of the overall development of the site

·         the design approach sought an appropriate structure to complement the evolving Grecian Quarter;

·         a presentation had been made to the Planning Member Working Group in March 2018 and  a public consultation exercise held;

·         occupants would share the first phase bin and bicycle storage and internal amenity area;

·         development would help meet demand for additional student accommodation and offered lower rent than the first phase; and

·         it provided employment opportunities and was a sustainable development.

He responded as follows to Members’ queries:-

·         the public consultation had involved a letter drop to 500-600 local residences and businesses, advertisement in the Express and Echo and a public exhibition; and

·         because of the constrained nature of the site it had not been possible to continue the pitched roof approach of the first phase. The two phases could not be built simultaneously because of the inability of the developer toacquire this site at an appropriate time and concomitant assembly difficulties.

Members supported the principle of this development. However, the majority of Members felt that the “block” appearance of the design provided an unacceptable contrast to the first phase of the development and, as such, detracted from the overall urban appearance of the area. It was also stated that it would adversely affect neighbouring residential properties already impacted on by large, purpose built student blocks in the vicinity.

The recommendation was for approval, subject to the conditions as set out in the report.

RESOLVED that planning permission for the demolition of existing buildings (Transport Club and Exeter Auto Centre) and redevelopment to provide student accommodation (Sui Generis), ancillary facilities, and ground floor uses in classes A1, A2, A3, A4, B1, D1 and D2, cycle parking provision and public realm improvements be REFUSED as the appearance and shape of the proposed development relate poorly to the first phase of which it is an integral part and, as such, the proposals are considered not to be visually attractive or good design, and to be contrary to the aims of policy DG4 of the Exeter Local Plan First Review, the objectives of the Exeter Core Strategy and Chapter 7 of the NPPF.