22135
permission for 44 no. apartments (23 no. 1 bedroom and 21 no. 2 bedroom) in the form of a new six storey apartment building (40 no. units) and by the conversion of an existing two storey brick building (4 no. units) at Rice's Yard. The application site is bounded to the north by Seatown Place and the rear of No.s 20 to 24 Seatown Place, to the south by the Ramparts River, and the east and west by lands and the rear gardens of properties fronting Seatown Place. Vehicular and pedestrian access to the site will be via the existing established access to Rice's Yard, between no.s 18 and 20 Seatown Place. Other than the original two storey brick building on the site that will be converted into 4 no. apartments, the planning applications provides for the demolition and clearance of all other existing structures on site, removal of modern additions to the existing two storey brick building on site together with all associated site development works, car parking, landscaping, boundary treatments, public lighting and improvement works to the existing site entrance. This application is accompanied by a Natura Impact Statement **Significant further information received on 11/10/2022**
Core Refusal Reason
The proposed development's excessive height and scale are considered out of character with the Seatown Architectural Conservation Area and would negatively impact the residential amenity of adjacent properties through overlooking and overshadowing.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The proposed six-storey height is considered excessive and out of character with the established 2.5 to 4-storey scale of the Seatown Architectural Conservation Area (ACA).
- The development fails to provide an adequate transition in scale, resulting in significant concerns regarding overlooking, loss of privacy, and overshadowing of adjacent residential properties and sports facilities.
- The application lacks sufficient justification for the proposed high density and the high proportion of one-bedroom units (52%), failing to demonstrate compliance with housing mix and inclusivity guidelines.