Decision over plans to convert former town office space into apartments deferred

A decision over plans to convert former office space in the town centre into apartments has been deferred until next months.

Planning committee members called for more information on access to the proposed redevelopment of 31 High Street, along with further details on bin storage and whether a site visit could take place.

Councillors had been asked to approve the plans, which include turning the first and second floor of the former Thomas Andrew and Partners, into six apartments.

However concerns were raised at the meeting about the lack of parking provision, amenity space and the proposed layout of the building.

Cllr Alun Jenkins, who represents the Offa ward, said the application was an “over intensive” use of the building and questioned why more couldn’t be down to improve the parking provision for accomodation in the town centre.

He said: “It is almost that because it is in the town that anything goes, we should be looking at the quality of the conversions.

“Yes we desperately need this listed building to come back into use. There will be use on ground floor but whatever is the on upper floors has to be of quality.

“Given its location on High Street there is every possibility of creating four quality flats looking out onto the street. What is being put forward is over intensive and trying to make too much use of a limited space.

Cllr Jenkins added: “We can’t have a situation where we develop the town and create new properties but have no provision at all for car parking.

“The suggestion I was that in putting forward plans, the developer needs to make an arrangement to make sure that there is somewhere for those cars to park.

“If that can’t be done then there is a planning contribution to be made towards the council’s car parking.”

However planning officer, Matthew Phillips, said that due to the location, the development was unlikely to cause any significant parking pressures in the nearby residential streets.

He continued: “The difficulty is if were to ask for a planning obligation, we can only do so where there is a clear evidence of an impact arising from a development that would otherwise result in it being refused, and that there is a clear means of mitigating that impact. We don’t have that situation here.

“The highways authority given the town centre location give no objections to the development.

“I think is will unlikely give rise to significant parking pressures in residential streets around town centre. I would suggest the pressures around there arise in office hours and during the daytime from people parking there and coming into town.”

“It is an appropriate means of bringing the upper floor of a building in the town centre into use, increases the natural surveillance of the street and ensures longevity of a listed building by bringing it back to use.”

Concerns were raised from several members of the committee about accessibility to the new flats and bin storage.

As a result Cllr I David Bithell, proposed that a was deferred until next month to allow for more information to be submitted by the applicants.

Committee members unanimously voted in favour of deferring the application.