2400945PP - New Street, Stevenston
North Ayrshire Council · 19 February 2025
Back to Planning Committee — 19 February 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 19th February 2025 Planning Committee Locality Reference 24/00945/PP Application Registered 6th January 2025 Decision Due 6th March 2025 Ward Saltcoats And Stevenston Recommendation Approved with no Conditions __________________________________________________________________ Location 42 New Street Stevenston North Ayrshire KA20 3HD Applicant Europe Jersey Ltd Proposal Change of use from public house to dwelling flat ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Description This can be ascertained by reference to the attached plans and photographs. Permission is sought for the change of use of a public house to a dwelling flat. The site is the ground floor south-westmost corner of a one and a half storey building which sits on the corner of New Street and Afton Road. The rest of the building comprises a mix of commercial and residential uses as set out below: • Flatted properties to the immediate east on the ground floor - Nos. 18A to F and 19A to L Afton Road. • A bookmaker to the immediate north on the ground floor - No. 40 New Street. • Flatted properties to the north and above the bookmakers and partially above the application site - Nos. 36A to F New Street. • Shop units and a hot-food takeaway on the northern side of the building - Nos. 28 to 34 New Street; and • Flatted properties on the north-easternmost corner of the building - Nos. 26A and B New Street.
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To the immediate east of the site is the Three Towns Care Home, to the immediate south across Afton Road is sheltered residential accommodation. The internal floor space of the application property is some 222sqm in area. It is proposed to create a 4-bedroom property with each bedroom being a minimum of 18.5sqm in area. There would be two reception rooms, a kitchen, bathroom and storerooms. Space for four bins would be provided to the rear. It is proposed to install two windows on the western elevation facing New Street. It is also proposed to change an existing door in a recess onto Afton Road into a window. The recess would be enclosed with a 1.2m high timber gate. All applications require to be assessed against the development plan, which consists of the Local Development Plan (LDP) and National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), and any other material considerations. The site is identified as being in the Town Centre of Stevenston in the adopted Local Development Plan (LDP). The proposal therefore requires to be assessed against Policy 14: Design, quality and place, Policy 15: Local living and Policy 27: Town centres of NPF3 and Strategic Policy 2 and Policy 3: Town Centres of the LDP. The Stevenston Local Plance Plan was prepared by Stevenston Community Council and registered with North Ayrshire Council in August 2024. It is a material consideration for this application. Relevant Planning History None. Relevant Development Plan Policies The LDP can be viewed at the link below. LDP November 2019 NPF4 can be viewed at the link below National Planning Framework 4 2. Consultations and Representations Neighbour notification was carried out. No public comments were received. Stevenston Community Council object to the proposal. They consider there would be a negative impact on the local economy by way of loss of employment opportunities and loss of footfall to the town centre. They consider that the character of the town centre would be eroded. They consider the loss of a public house within the town centre risks undermining its identity and function as a
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commercial and social hub. There should be a mix of business and amenities to serve both residents and visitors within a town centre. They consider the proposal is counter to the objectives set out in the Local Place Plan. A key focus of that plan is the economic regeneration of the town centre. The plan emphasises the need to reverse the loss of business space within the town centre and this proposal would hinder efforts to achieve sustainable growth. Response: The Community Council comments are noted. The applicant has submitted a response to the comments as follows: The applicant advises that the pub has been trading negatively for more than a year and continued operation cannot be sustained. The pub will close regardless of the outcome of the application. They consider that a boarded-up pub would contribute nothing to the Town Centre and would negatively impact on the quality of environment. A four-bedroom property would help maintain life in the town centre and be sympathetic to the neighbouring residential developments. In terms of the Council's information, the Council commissioned a Retail Capacity Study in 2024. This found the Stevenston Town Centre had 45 commercial units (2887sqm GFA). Of the units 40 were in retail or service (e.g. health & beauty, hot-food takeaway, cafes, estate agents and pubs) use. Five units were found to be vacant. There are 5 public houses within the Town Centre - the application site, the Pop Inn (directly opposite), the Cross Keys, the Champion Shell (a Category B Listed Building) and Rankins (currently vacant). Public houses therefore currently make up approx. 11% of the commercial units in the Town Centre. Changing the use of this property would mean approx. 9% of the units would be in public house use. It is noted that most of the service uses, bar the public houses, could be changed to retail use without planning permission under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order, as amended. The use is considered more fully below in respect of impact on the Town Centre and development plan polices. Publicity:- Not Advertised Site Notices:- No Site Notice 3. Analysis The site is identified as being within the Town Centre of Stevenston where a wide range of uses can be acceptable. Policy 15 of NPF4 states that development proposals will contribute to local living. Policy 27 of NPF4 states that development proposals that enhance and improve the vitality and viability of town centres will be supported. The policy outcome is to create centres that are vibrant places for people to live, learn, work, enjoy and visit.
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Policy 3 of the LDP states that support will be given to development in Town Centres which positively contribute to factors including the role and function of the town centre, its vitality, viability and vibrancy by enhancing and diversifying the mix of uses, and accessibility. The proposed residential use would be within a building with an existing mix of uses, including residential. The Town Centre has 45 commercial units, of which 40 were in use when the Council's Retail Capacity Study of 2024 was published. The commercial units are in a range of uses including retail, hair/beauty/health services, cafes, hot-food takeaway, estate agents/solicitors' offices and public houses. Permission was granted in 2024 to turn a former supermarket and charity shop into a softplay and café (ref: 24/00471/PP). The Stevenston Public Library is within the Town Centre as are masonic and church halls. There are a range of tenure and residential types, some light industry and parking and open space within the Town Centre. It is therefore considered that the Town Centre has a wide variety of uses within its area. This proposal would result in the addition of one 4-bedroom residential property which is in keeping with the mix of uses. One public house use would be lost. This would comprise approx. 2% of the commercial uses in the town centre and four public houses would remain. It is noted that one of the public houses is currently vacant and in a dilapidated condition. It is also noted that an owner of any such property is under no obligation to keep a public house open, and that a property not put to a suitable use can have adverse impacts on the wider area. Stevenston Community Council's concerns over loss of footfall from the closure of the pub is noted. However, the creation of a 4-bedroom house would contribute to local living and the viability of the Town Centre. It is therefore considered that the proposal accords with Policy 15 and Policy 27 of NPF4 and Policy 3 of the LDP. Policy 14 of NPF4 and Strategic Policy 2 of the LDP sets out the six qualities of a successful place. The relevant qualities in respect of this application are considered to be 'distinctive,' 'pleasant/safe and pleasant' and 'connected/easy to move around and beyond.' Physical works are proposed to the exterior of the building. These include the installation of two windows on the western (New Street) elevation. This elevation is currently blank between the entrance and the adjoining bookmakers. The proposed windows would be in keeping with the appearance of the building and are considered to be acceptable in design terms. They would provide an outlook on an existing blank wall improving the appearance of the building and providing additional overlooking of the pavement in the interests of security. The other proposed external work is to change the door on the Afton Road elevation to a window and install a 1.2m high gate across the recess entrance. These works would be adjacent to and across from existing residential properties and are considered acceptable given the building and the more residential character of Afton Road. Apart from a bookmaker, the adjoining parts of the building are residential. It is considered that the proposed residential use would have less amenity impacts than the public house. The new windows look over the street and do not give rise to any privacy concerns for neighbouring residences. There is space for sufficient bins storage to the rear of the property and the existing properties are already serviced from this location.
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Being in the Town Centre the property is near the shops and amenities listed above. There are bus stops on New Street and Fullerton Place to the north which cater for local services as well as services to Largs, Saltcoats, Ardrossan, Irvine, Ayr, Kilmarnock and Glasgow. The train station is some 680m to the south. No off-street parking is proposed. The Council's Supplementary Street Development Guide, approved by the Planning Committee January 2025, states that in town centre locations where services are readily available off-street parking may not be required. Given the services set out above, it is not considered that any parking is required. However, the rear service yard with space for vehicles is noted as are the car parks within the Town Centre. On-street parking is available to the east on Afton Road and further south on New Street. Given all of the above, the proposal is considered to accord with relevant qualities of a successful place as set out in Policy 14 of NPF4 and Strategic Policy 2 of the LDP. The Stevenston Local Place Plan is a material consideration for the application. The Community Council's objections have been noted. It is also noted that the Local Place Plan seeks fundamental structural change for the Town Centre. The Local Place Plan considers the Town Centre to be poorly organised and lacking civic space and shops. The changes required may need to involve the demolition of buildings to create a square fringed with shops. The Rankins pub building is identified as being in a poor state of repair and it is considered that site should be demolished and used to create new Council housing. It is not considered that the use of the application property as a residence would be at odds with the desires of the Local Place Plan. The rest of the building is in use for commercial and residential purposes and if some fundamental structural changes were proposed this property could only be considered in conjunction with the rest of the building. Notwithstanding, no such restructuring is being proposed. This application must be determined on its own merits. The comments of the applicant with regards the viability of the existing public house are also noted. Whilst a closed public house could reopen the vacant Rankins suggests that there may not be a viable market. The Town Centre would retain three public houses, and the experience of Rankins also suggests a vacant building with no prospect of alternative use could be harmful to the Town Centre. The proposal accords with the development plan and there are no material considerations to the contrary. Planning permission can therefore be granted. 4. Full Recommendation Approved with no Conditions Allan Finlayson Chief Planning Officer For further information please contact Mr Iain Davies on 01294 324320.
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Appendix 1 – Location Plan DO NOT SCALE Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of the Controller of His Majesty’s Stationery Office © Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. North Ayrshire Council Licence Number AC0000825715.