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V28-400 : PLANNING APPLICATION REFERRED FOR DECISION

W17336 - LAND OFF BELVEDERE ROAD, LOWESTOFT

The report of the Corporate Director (Regeneration and Environment) outlined an application for the development of a site of 7.66 hectares consisting of land between Waveney Drive/Horn Hill/Belvedere Road and the inner harbour of Lowestoft for retail and leisure uses. The proposal was in the form of an outline application at this stage, and a comprehensive written report had been submitted to members which identified the key policy issues and set out the officer perceptions of the planning benefits and disbenefits of the proposal.

The Development Control Panel considered this application at its meeting on 30 August 2000 and recommended approval subject to a Section 106 Agreement, numerous conditions, and referral to the Secretary of State as a departure from the Local Plan. A copy of the draft minutes of the Panel meeting, together with the amended and approved recommendations, was circulated at the meeting. As this was a departure from Policy the matter was referred to The Executive for a decision.

Focusing on the policy aspects, the application in general terms of urban development conformed with government aspirations, and met a number of government policies as it was a brownfield development, it was a mixed use scheme and was located at a site which was well served by public transport. Also, in terms of national transport policies it arguably met the government's aims by being accessible by public transport and because there was provision in the scheme for non-car links between this site and the town centre.

The most difficult area in policy terms was the government's retail policies, and the extent to which the proposal met the need and sequential test criteria for the scale and location of major new retailing. New retail sites were classified as town centre, edge of centre, and out of centre, with the former two designations providing support to the existing town centre functions through "linked trips". The officers' view, at both county and district level, was that this development was out of centre and was therefore contrary to both national, county and district retail policy.

The question of need was also important. The developer regarded the proposal as an edge of centre location which would clawback trade from the out of centre stores which had been lost from Lowestoft town centre. He felt that a large proportion of people would make "linked trips" into the town centre providing support and a boost to this area. Officers, at both county and district level, remained to be convinced. A key issue of the proposal was whether the developer was capable of providing links which were able to encourage people to make the "linked trips" to the town centre.

As this application was only for outline permission and the final use was unknown it was very difficult to predict the exact impact on the town centre. The developer was confident that impact would be very little, but officers with advice from the Council's consultants felt that there could be a serious impact on the town centre, particularly on the food aspect.

The benefits of this proposal were seen as offering an opportunity for regeneration, both as a result of the planning gain arising from the development itself and by operating as a key element in the overall regeneration strategy for South Lowestoft. The Waveney Partnership which was overseeing the regeneration of this whole area had employed consultants last year to produce an outline regeneration strategy, and that strategy identified commercial development at this end of the site. The specific benefits that could flow from the scheme provided it was managed and developed properly included:

(a) it could be a quality scheme in itself, doing justice to this part of Lowestoft;

(b) it would contribute to improvements in the area, in particular transport improvements which would complement the relief road if built;

(c) the potential to link with the proposed Mann Egerton scheme at Clifton Road car park for leisure/retail uses, which would bring the whole area together and encourage movement between the south beach area, London Road South and the Mann Egerton site.

Finally, KYE would be facilitated to move to the adjacent business park by the developer and this would not only safeguard the 300 existing jobs but would enable the company to expand and attract additional manufacturing jobs to Lowestoft.

The Executive concurred with the view of the Development Control Panel that the potential to achieving the regenerative benefits for the whole of the south part of Lowestoft outweighed the policy objections.

RESOLVED

1. That planning permission for the South Quay development, reference W17336, be granted subject to:

(a) the prior completion of a Section 106 Agreement dealing with those issues identified in Appendix 6 to the report of the Corporate Director (Regeneration and Environment), ie those issues identified under the headings "Quality of the Scheme", "Mitigation Measures" and "Regenerative Benefits";

(b) the imposition of planning conditions covering:

(i) site layout
(ii) design of buildings
(iii) car parking
(iv) landscaping
(v) access;

(c) the lifting of the holding direction of refusal imposed by the Highways Agency;

(d) The receipt, advertisement and consideration by the Panel of all relevant and necessary information relating to the Environmental Impact Assessment;

(e) Satisfactory reassurances regarding the relocation of KYE within Lowestoft;

(f) Satisfactory reassurances regarding progress of the Mann Egerton scheme.

(g) referred to the Secretary of State as a major departure from the development plan.

Volume 28 Minute 400

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