Outline planning permission granted
Outline planning permission has been granted for a two-storey building plus accommodation in the roof space at 26 Abinger Road, Portslade.
The site is on the junction of Abinger Road and Hurst Crescent. It is currently occupied by a part two-storey and part single storey building used as office and training space by the applicants, Sigta Ltd.
Pernission granted
At Planning Committee on Wednesday 10 January, outline permission was granted for that building to be demolished and replaced with the new 2-storey building with additional accommodation in the roof to provide residential units.
The application had been amended after concerns were raised with an original proposal for a 3-storey building.
Concerns raised
Sixteen letters objecting to the proposal were received and considered by the committee members in coming to their decision.
Concerns expressed included additional traffic and parking impacts; the height being inappropriate and overshadowing neighbouring houses; and the design being out of character with the area.
One letter received in support of the development was also considered, together with objections from ward councillor Alan Robins and former ward councillor Les Hamilton.
Responses from the council’s Building Control, Planning Policy, Environmental Health, Urban Design and Sustainable Transport officers were also taken into account.
The main considerations for the committee were transport / access issues and whether the proposed scale of the development was appropriate.
Unanimous vote
In a unanimous vote, councillors agreed that the scale and height of the development was acceptable in the context of the road and neighbouring buildings. Its impact on nearby occupiers and on local transport was also judged acceptable.
As an outline application, however, the amount of residential units, the appearance and design of the building, and landscaping were not considered as part of this application.
Further chance to comment
The detailed design of the proposal will be determined at the reserved matters planning application stage.
The impact on amenity - the attractiveness of the surrounding area - will be fully assessed along with other key considerations at that stage.
Residents will have a further chance to comment on those proposals when the application is published.
Committee members expressed disappointment that demolition would result in the loss of the building’s frontage but heard from officers that surveys had established significant damage to the foundations, walls and roof.
The application included structural reports which confirm that the building requires significant remedial/structural work.
Councillor Julie Cattell challenged the applicant to improve the design when they do submit detailed plans saying: “The agents have got to come back with a much better design.”