Agenda item

To consider the report of the Assistant Director City Development.

The Assistant Director City Development presented the application for the change of use from office to student accommodation of the eastern and western podiums and construction of extension and two additional floors of student accommodation comprising 247 units, cycle parking, hard and soft landscaping and associated facilities. (Amended Description)

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

The Assistant Director reported the following as additions to the circulated report:-

§  that following receipt and approval of an application for prior notification for the conversion of the existing tower block from office accommodation to student accommodation, the Highway Authority had requested that the redevelopment and the one which is the subject of this application, be tied together by an appropriate condition; and

§  an additional heritage statement had been submitted and Heritage England were now positive about this current application identifying less than substantial harm.

He responded as follows to Members’ queries’:-

§  that the two additional floors to the podium, together with the extensions thereto and their conversion would raise approximately £1.8 million in New Homes Bonus (over a 6 year period) as well as £600,000 in Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). With regards to the latter, the Committee was reminded of the Council’s procedures for consideration and allocation of CIL monies;

§  that there would be no residential accommodation within the ground floor of the buildings due to the potential risk of flooding;

§  that an archaeological assessment had been included with this application, which had addressed various issues including the leats which run through the site; and

§  that issues raised by Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service would be addressed as part of the Building Regulation requirements.

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

§  that the car park associated with the Fitness First building was not part of the application site;

§  the scheme before Members had been developed in consultation with officers;

§  that, in his opinion, the development satisfactorily met the Council’s policy on the development of student accommodation, particularly the spread of such accommodation more widely across the City;

§  that there was an over supply of office accommodation within the City, some of which was of a more modern design etc than the accommodation forming the application which had, in his opinion, seen its time, leading to under occupancy and difficulty in retaining tenants; and

§  that the development of this site would see an investment of between £12 - £13 million.

He responded as follows to Members’ queries’:-

§  that he would meet with the Leader of the Council to discuss improvements to amenities in the vicinity, but that any financial contributions attributable to this development would be bound by legal tests governing a Section 106 Agreement under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990;

§  that he believed that this development would encourage other accommodation in the City currently being used for students to be released elsewhere in the City;

§  that improvements to the façade of the central tower were not a part of this application; and

§  that the scheme would be a well-managed, good quality scheme of student accommodation.

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

An amendment to the recommendation, which included the delegation of any final approval to the Assistant Director City Development, subject to prior consultation with the Chair of this Committee, and which included an additional negotiation regarding discussions on support for local amenities was proposed and seconded and, on being put to the vote, was declared LOST on the Chair’s casting vote.

RESOLVED that, subject to the completion of a Section 106 Agreement under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, securing a Student Management Plan, planning permission for change of use from office to student accommodation of the eastern and western podiums and construction of two additional floors of student accommodation comprising 247 units, cycle parking, hard and soft landscaping and associated facilities. (Amended Description) beAPPROVED, subject also to the following conditions:-