5 - 25-0032-PP Hawkhead Road
Renfrewshire Council · 20 May 2025
Back to Planning and Climate Change Policy Board — 20 May 2025 and its agenda
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Planning and Climate Change Policy Board: 20 May 2025 Report by Chief Planning Officer Reference No 25/0032/PP Application Type Planning Permission (Local) Proposal Demolition of single storey commercial units and redevelopment of yard comprising of the erection of a two-storey office, workshop and storage facility with associated access, parking, fencing and associated works Location 108 Hawkhead Road, Paisley, PA2 7BA Ward 5 - Paisley East and Central Community Council Paisley East and Whitehaugh Community Council Applicant Mr Greg Chalmers Lambert + Son Properties Ltd Recommendation Refuse All plans, reports, documents and representations relating to this application can be viewed in full online at https://pl-bs.renfrewshire.gov.uk/online- applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=SQHCWWMWN3S00 This report fulfils the requirements of regulation 16, Schedule 2, paragraphs 3(c) and 4 of The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2013. The report is presented to the Planning and Climate Change Policy Board in line with the Council's Scheme of Delegation. In this instance, Cllrs Mylet, Devine and McNaughton have requested that the application be determined by the Planning and Climate Change Policy Board due to the number of local objections received. Proposal This application seeks planning permission for the erection of a two-storey office, workshop and storage facility with associated access, parking, fencing at a commercial yard off Hawkhead Road, Paisley. The structure would be located to the south of the site, with 10 parking spaces found to the north of the building. Existing single storey commercial units located at the southern end of the site would be demolished to accommodate the proposal. The building would measure 16.5 meters in width by 24.3 metres in depth and would feature a shallow dual pitched roof that would measure 5.5 metres in height to the eaves and 6.3 metres to the ridge. An application for the same development was withdrawn by the applicant in January 2025. Site Description The application site is flat and is currently used as a commercial yard, with several single storey buildings that have been developed in a piecemeal fashion located at the south of the site. Access is taken onto Hawkhead Road from the northeast though the site does not front onto the road. Residential properties are found on all sides. Commercial properties owned by the applicant are also found to the east. Pre-Application Consultation with Officers
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The Scottish Government strongly encourages constructive pre-application discussions between prospective applicants and the planning authority. Pre-application discussions seek to identify key planning considerations at an early stage and help inform what supporting information is required to support a subsequent application. No pre-application discussions have taken place. Negotiated Improvements Following submission of the first application, the overall height of the structure was reduced from 8.1 metres to 6.3 metres in light of concerns raised by planning that the structure was too tall. However, as the structure would sit in close proximity to the boundary of residential properties the reduction was not considered sufficient and the building is still considered to be too tall for the location. Site History The planning history for the site is as follows; if no history is listed then planning has no record of previous applications for the site. Application No: 24/0390/PP Description: Erection of two storey office, workshop and storage facility Decision: Withdrawn Application No: 24/0391/PP Description: Change of use of office (Class 4) to hot food take away (sui generis), shop (Class 1A) and two flats (sui generis) and associated external alterations Decision: Grant subject to conditions Consultations ▪ Chief Executive's Service (Roads Development) - no objection subject to the provision of cycle storage, the repositioning of gates and upgrades to the site access. ▪ Environment, Housing & Infrastructure (Env. Protection) - no objection subject to the remediation of the site and submission of Noise Impact Assessment. ▪ Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) - no objection. Representations The application has been publicised in line with the requirements of the relevant legislation. The following representations were received: ▪ Object - 117 ▪ Support - 21 ▪ Neutral - 0 The issues raised in support can be summarised as follows: 1. The proposal would improve the appearance of the site 2. The development would allow an existing company to expand 3. The business may need to leave the area if consent is refused The issues raised can be summarised as follows: 1. The development is not suitable for the location 2. Road safety concerns 3. Insufficient parking would be provided 4. Privacy concerns
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5. Future residents may not be aware of the proposal 6. Nearby properties would be overshadowed 7. Noise would negatively impact residential amenity 8. Light pollution would negatively impact nearby properties 9. House prices would be negatively impacted 10. Potential for air and water pollution 11. Construction work would negatively impact nearby properties 12. The application should not have been validated 13. The proposal would increase flood risk to nearby properties 14. The business should move to the nearby industrial estate 15. Those who do not live nearby should not be able to comment 16. The development would impact on views from residential properties Policy Context In making any determination under the Planning Acts, regard is to be had to the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. In this instance the Development Plan consists of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) and the Renfrewshire Local Development Plan (2021) (LDP). The following provisions of the Development Plan are considered relevant to the determination of this application: National Planning Framework 4 ▪ Policy 2 - Climate mitigation and adaptation ▪ Policy 9 - Brownfield, vacant and derelict land and empty buildings ▪ Policy 11 - Energy ▪ Policy 13 - Sustainable transport ▪ Policy 14 - Design, quality and place ▪ Policy 22 - Flood risk and water management ▪ Policy 26 - Business and industry Full details relating to the policies of the NPF4 can be found online. Renfrewshire Local Development Plan ▪ Policy P1 - Renfrewshire's Places Full details relating to the policies of the LDP can be found online. Other relevant policies and guidance ▪ Delivering the Places Strategy - Creating Places Submitted Reports and Assessments The following reports and assessments were submitted in support of the application: ▪ Supporting Statement - provides the applicant's justification for the development. Scottish Ministers Direction In determining a planning application, the Council is required to provide details of any Direction made by Scottish Ministers under Regulation 30 (Directions requiring consultation), Regulation 31 (Directions requiring information), Regulation 32 (Directions restricting the grant of planning permission) and Regulation 33 (Directions requiring consideration of condition) of The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2013, or under Regulation 50 (that development is EIA development)
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of The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017. None. Planning Assessment Policy P1 of the Local Development Plan supports the continuance of the built form, where the development would be compatible with and complementary to surrounding uses. Similarly, Policy 26 of NPF4 states that proposals for business and industry should consider the impact the development would have on the residential amenity of surrounding properties. The relevant Supplementary Guidance sets out five criteria for the creation of successful places. The application can be assessed against these five criteria to establish whether it is acceptable for the location: Access and Connectivity The proposal would make use of an existing access off Hawkhead Road and is well served by the public road network. Sufficient parking within the curtilage of the development would be provided for the size of building and the development would benefit from nearby public transport options in line with the requirements of Policy 13 of NPF4. As the site is already used for commercial purposes it is not considered that the development would place additional pressure on the existing road network. Roads Development have, however, raised concerns regarding plans to reposition the gates at the entrance to the site and have asked that space to store bicycles is provided in line with the provisions of the National Roads Development Guidance. Roads Development have also asked that the existing access be redesigned to make it safer for pedestrians. These issues could be addressed via the submission of revised plans or conditioned but these have not been pursued or progressed due to other issues which are considered in detail further in this assessment section below. Environment and Community The building would be located within an existing commercial yard and would not introduce a new use into the area. Furthermore, the Hawkhead Local Industrial Area is found to the northeast of the site. The site is not within a high-risk area with respect of coal mining and, subject to the remediation of the site, Environment, Housing & Infrastructure (Env. Protection) have not raised any concerns regarding contaminated land. The site can therefore be made safe for the proposed development in line with the requirements of Policy 9 of NPF4. Environment, Housing & Infrastructure (Env. Protection) have requested the submission of a Noise Impact Assessment given the proximity of the site to residential properties. This could be requested prior to determination or conditioned but similar to Roads Development matters, it is superseded by other issues which are discussed below. A condition could also be added to control any lighting that would be installed at the site but again this is superseded by issues addressed below. Given the amount of hardstanding at the site would not change it is not considered that the proposal would increase the likelihood of surface water flooding in the area. Furthermore, SEPA have not objected in respect of fluvial flood risk. The proposal is therefore considered to comply with Policy 22 of NPF4.
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In line with Policies 2 and 11 of NPF4 which seek to reduce carbon emissions solar panels would be installed on the roof of the building. Buildings and Design The two-storey building would sit approximately 1.6 metres from the western site boundary and 4.8 metres from the eastern site boundary. Given the building would measure 6.3 metres in height at its tallest point, the proposal would represent the overdevelopment of the plot and would have an unacceptable impact on the amenity afforded to the residential properties that share a boundary with the application site. An assessment undertaken by the applicant suggests that the building would overshadow approximately 4 metres of garden ground belonging to the residential properties to the west. Although it is acknowledged that the overshadowing would be limited in duration, given the garden ground of these properties measures only 12 metres in depth it is considered that the overshadowing would have an unacceptable impact on the residential amenity afforded to these properties. Following discussions with the applicant and agent after the submission of the initial application the overall height of the structure was reduced from 8.1 metres to 6.3 metres. However, despite the reduction it is still considered that the building is too tall for the location. Furthermore, the first-floor windows on the northern and southern elevations of the building would result in an overbearing impact and an unacceptable loss of privacy for the residential properties to the north and south as the garden ground of these dwellings would be overlooked from close range. The structure would be finished with grey cladding and would feature dark grey windows and doors while the shallow pitched roof would be finished in dark grey cladding. The choice of finishing materials raises no design concerns. As the two-storey structure would replace a collection of single storey units that have been developed in a piecemeal arrangement, it is considered that the overall appearance of the site be rationalised and would improve as a result of the development. However, as the site is not readily visible from Hawkhead Road the overall benefit to the wider streetscape is minimal. Given the above the proposal is considered to be contrary to Policy P1 of the Local Development Plan and Policy 26 of NPF4 in that the building, by way of its height, proximity to boundaries and window placement, would not be compatible with nearby residential properties. The proposal is also contrary to Policy 14 of NPF4 in that it would not be conducive to the creation of a pleasant place for the same reasons. Context and Character While it is accepted that commercial activity is long established at the site and predates the construction of the residential development found to the north, south and west, for the reasons discussed above the two-storey structure would not respect the current character of the area. Layout and Form The structure would be located to the south of the site and would replace a collection of existing single storey units that have been developed in a piecemeal manner. Parking would be found to the north of the building and the amount of hardstanding within the site would not change as a result of the development.
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There are no concerns with the proposed layout of the development in this regard. Representations The potential for the development to affect house prices or to impact on views from nearby properties are not material planning considerations. The impact construction work may have on residential amenity is also not a material planning consideration. The application has been validated in line with the requirements of The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2013. In line with the Regulations there are no restrictions on who can comment on a proposal. While support for business is provided throughout the Development Plan, the site must be suitable for the business in question and the impact the proposal would have on nearby uses must be considered. The fact that the business could have to leave the area if consent is refused or that there may be other sites nearby that could accommodate the proposal are not material considerations in the determination of this application. Given the scale of the development and the existing use of the land it is not considered that the proposal would raise any air or water pollution concerns. All other issues have been addressed in the above report. Planning Obligations The Council is required to provide a summary of the terms of any planning obligation which is required to be entered into under Section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act in relation to the grant of permission for the proposed development: None. Conclusion In view of the above assessment, it is not considered that the proposal would accord with the relevant provisions of the Development Plan. The proposal is contrary to Policy P1 of the Local Development Plan and Policy 26 of NPF4 in that it would not be compatible with the existing built environment and would have an unacceptable impact on the amenity of surrounding residential properties. The proposal is also contrary to Policy 14 of NPF4 for the same reasons. There are no other material considerations. Planning permission should therefore be refused. Recommendation Refuse. Reason(s) for Recommendation 1. The development is contrary to Policy P1 of the Local Development Plan, the New Development Supplementary Guidance on Creating Places and Policies 14 and 26 of NPF4 in that the proposal, by way of its height, proximity to boundaries and window placement, would not be compatible with the existing built environment and would have an unacceptable impact on the amenity of the surrounding residential area. Condition(s) 1. None required. Advisory Note(s) 1. None required.
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Schedule of Plans Reviewed Drawing Number Revision Drawing/Document Title 00-001 Location Plan 00-002 Block Plan as Existing & Proposed 00-003 D Site Section A-A as Proposed 02-001 B Site Plan as Proposed 02-002 B Ground Floor Plan as Proposed 02-003 B First Floor Plan as Proposed 02-004 B Roof Plan as Proposed 02-005 C North & West Elevations as Proposed 02-006 B South & East Elevations as Proposed For further information please contact James McCafferty, Development Standards Team, Email: james.mccafferty@renfrewshire.gov.uk