home - committee - volume - faq's - help -search - meeting - previous - next

V25-317 : W8669/5 - PORTABLE CAFE AND WC, BELVEDERE ROAD CAR PARK, LOWESTOFT

Permission for the above had been given in October 1996, after a protracted series of negotiations to find the least harmful siting. The approved site was against the eastern boundary of the car park adjacent to a furniture warehouse/retail building which also shared this boundary. Some loss of public car parking would result. There was a minor siting adjustment, to avoid hindering access to an overhead advertising hoarding in January 1997.

During subsequent negotiations with the Council as landowner, it was revealed that a high pressure gas main ran under the proposed siting. Despite being a pair of portable buildings, British Gas could not permit such a siting in case of the need for emergency access to the main. It was prohibitively costly to divert the main. During these discussions, the cafe proposer asked if he could site a mobile burger bar at the site to generate income, as the protracted case was causing him financial losses. This was agreed by the Director of Planning and Building Control for three months and would expire on 24 May 1997.

The gas main problem seemed unresolvable, so the applicant once again asked if he could site the cafe/wc close to the Belvedere Road frontage, adjoining the recycling point. However, this position, and another behind the Fyffe Centre, had both been previously rejected by Planning Sub- Committee No. 2. Officers still advised that a prominent frontage siting would harm visual amenity close to an area of recent and hoped-for future improvement. One marginally better possibility was to site it further back onto the next double row of car spaces. The car park manager was examining this, but was unhappy as this would result in the loss of more spaces than a frontage site.

RESOLVED

That the amended siting of the portable cafe/wc to the front of the Belvedere Road Car Park, Lowestoft, be refused, and that better alternatives be explored.

PLANNING APPLICATIONS

Volume 25 Minute 317

powered by Oultwood Web Technology

© Waveney District Council