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A decision made (23/04/2007) regarding: 42- 50 La Colomberie & 1 - 5 Little Green Street, St. Helier.

Subject:	42- 50 La Colomberie & 1 - 5 Little Green Street, St. Helier Demolish existing building. Construct 5 storey office development. RE-ADVERTISED: Alteration to address. RE-ADVERTISED: 46 & 48 Colomberie are Buildings of Local Interest. AMENDED PLANS: Increase in site area and alterations to the design. READVERTISED:Clarification of address.
Decision Reference:	MD-PE-2007-0105	Exempt clause(s):		n/a
Type of Report (oral or written):	Written	Person Giving Report (if oral):		n/a
Telephone or e-mail Meeting?	n/a	Report File ref:		P/2006/0750
Written Report Title:	Planning Application Ministerial consideration in public	Written report – Author:		Richard Glover
Decision(s) APPROVE SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS
Reason(s) for decision: The Planning and Environment Committee on 17 November 2005 were presented with a proposal for the redevelopment of this site with the developer seeking comfort that he would be allowed to demolish Nos. 42-48 Colomberie and effect a comprehensive redevelopment. The Committee considered that the public interest would be better served by the redevelopment of the site as a shopfront development and that it would not oppose the demolition of Nos. 46 and 48Colomberie despite their status as Buildings of Local Interest if a scheme of sufficient quality was brought forward. The developer was then informed by letter that the Committee would approve the demolition of the Buildings of Local Interest as part of an application for the appropriate comprehensive redevelopment of this entrance to the town centre. This advice resulted in a legitimate expectation that the demolition of the Registered Buildings would be acceptable and this sets the context for consideration of the application. This proposal represents the development of a prominent site within the tightly knit heart of the town. At the moment the vacant site at the corner of La Colomberie and Green Street has a detrimental effect on the visual amenity of the area and in turn the character of the town centre. By enlarging the site in line with the advice of the Planning and Environment Committee a critical mass of development can be delivered that results in a building of such a design as to significantly enhance the townscape and this should be achieved by virtue of not only the submitted plans but also by tightly conditioning the final details and finishes of the building.
Action required: Issue decision notice with the following conditions: 1. The development hereby approved shall be carried out entirely in accordance with the plans and documents permitted under this permit. No variations shall be made without the prior written approval of the Minister for Planning and Environment. 2. Prior to the commencement of the development hereby approved, the Minister for Planning and Environment seeks a commitment that a contribution to the provision of public art through the Percentage for Art mechanism will be made. The art could be an integral design element of the development or specific works on the proposed building. 3. Any externally audible plant or equipment must comply with a noise rating (NR) of NR 40 daytime and NR 30 night time, measured 1 metre from the facade of the nearest affected dwelling. All equipment must be acoustically mounted to prevent vibration and structure borne noise transmission to adjacent premises 4. Prior to the commencement of the development hereby permitted the following details must be submitted to and approved in writing by the Minister for Planning and Environment; i) The nature, materials, dimensions and profile of external heads, cills, jambs and mullions (where included) of windows and the heads and jambs of doorways. ii) The design or pattern, materials and extent of reveals of external windows and doors illustrated by a scale drawing of a typical example. 5. Prior to the commencement of the development hereby permitted the following details must be submitted to and approved by the Minister for Planning and Environment plans which are to scale and annotated, showing all proposed doors, windows and any brise-soleil. These shall be no less than 1:20 scale 6. Prior to the commencement of the development hereby permitted, samples of the render finish to be used to construct the office block shall be submitted to and approved in writing with the Minister for Planning and Environment. 7. Prior to the commencement of the development hereby permitted, a Travel Plan shall be submitted to and approved in writing with the Minister for Planning and Environment to establish the existing proportions of travel mode, targets for modal switch, and details of how the modal shift will be achieved by the building's occupants. 8. Notwithstanding the approved plans the building shall not have any pillars at ground floor level along the Green Street elevation 9. All pedestrian areas on the site outside the building shall have granite paving 10. Prior to the development commencing a scheme demonstrating a contribution to the CCTV coverage of the vicinity of the building shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Minister for Planning and Environment 11. Prior to the developemnt commencing a Facade Consultant shall be appointed to supervise the finishes of the building. That Consultant shall previously have been approved in connection with the project by the Minister for Planning and Environment 12. The Architect for the scheme as approved shall be retained for the duration of the construction period 13. Prior to the developemnt commencing a scheme for appropriate landscaping of Colomberie shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Minister for Planning and Environment. The scheme as approved must include deatils of future maintenace arrangements 14. The development hereby permitted shall not commence until the applicant has secured the implementation of a programme of archaeological work in accordance with a written scheme of investigation which has been submitted by the applicant and approved by the Minister for Planning and Environment. The written scheme of investigation shall make provision for the recording and interpretation of the standing building fabric, as well as the recording and interpretation of remains below ground level. The scheme shall also include an arrangement to work in conjunction with the Societe Jersiaise Reason(s) 1. To accord with Article 19 of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002 2. In pursuance of Policy BE12 of the 2002 Island Plan and in accordance with the adopted Percent for Art Supplementary Planning Guidance. 3. To protect the amenities of occupiers of neighbouring properties. 4. These details are not included in the application and are required to be submitted and agreed by the Minister for Planning and Environment to ensure that the character of the buildings in which they are to be inserted are not harmed. 5. To safeguard the visual amenities of the area and to ensure the use of appropriate detailing in accordance with Policy G3 of the Jersey Island Plan 2002. 6. To safeguard the visual amenities of the area and to ensure the use of appropriate detailing in accordance with Policy G3 of the Jersey Island Plan 2002. 7. To ensure the aims of Policy TT1 and TT22 of the Jersey Island Plan, 2002 are achieved by the development. 8. So as to protect and encourage pedestrian movement 9. To safeguard the visual amenities of the area and to ensure the use of appropriate detailing in accordance with Policy G3 of the Jersey Island Plan 2002. 10. In the interest of crime reduction 11. To safeguard the visual amenities of the area and to ensure the use of appropriate detailing in accordance with Policy G3 of the Jersey Island Plan 2002. 12. To safeguard the visual amenities of the area and to ensure the use of appropriate detailing in accordance with Policy G3 of the Jersey Island Plan 2002. 13. To safeguard the visual amenities of the area and to ensure the use of appropriate detailing in accordance with Policy G3 of the Jersey Island Plan 2002. 14. In the interests of improving the understanding of the archaeology and historic building structures in the town centre of St Helier.
Signature: (Minister)			Date of Decision: 23 April 2007

42 - 50 La Colomberie & 1 - 5 Little Green Street, St. Helier.

Planning and Environment Department

Report

Application Number

P/2006/0750

Site Address	42, 46, 46, 48 and 50 La Colomberie, and 1,2 & 5 Little Green Street, St. Helier.

Applicant	Sadler House Ltd

Description	Demolish existing building. Construct 5 storey office development. RE-ADVERTISED: Alteration to address. RE-ADVERTISED: 46 and 48 Colomberie are Buildings of Local Interest. AMENDED PLANS: Increase in site area and alterations to the design.

Type	Planning

Date Validated	13/04/2006

Zones	Town Proposals Map Built-Up Area Town Centre Island Route Network: Primary Existing Ped Priority Area Primary Route Traffic Studies BLI (46 & 48 Colomberie)

Policies	G2 –General Development Considerations G3 – Quality of Design G13 – Building and Places of Architectural and Historic Interest IC2 – Offices in St. Helier BE3 – Town Centre

Reason for Referral	Conflicting policy objectives Size and scale of development proposal

Summary/

Conclusion

This proposal represents the development of a prominent site within the tightly knit heart of the town. At the moment the vacant site at the corner of La Colomberie and Green Street has a detrimental effect on the visual amenity of the area and in turn the character of the town centre but its limited size makes it an unrealistic site in itself to deliver a building of appropriate quality. By enlarging the site a critical mass of development can be delivered that results in a building of such a design as to significantly enhance the townscape. Increasing the development area however does result in the loss of two Buildings of Local Interest which is normally resisted. However the prominence of the site and the quality of the proposed building ultimately outweigh the normal presumption of retaining the BLIs.

Officer

Recommendation

APPROVAL

Site Description	The site is made up of a longstanding vacant plot at the junction of La Colomberie and Green Street and also includes four properties which front onto La Colomberie. The site is at a prominent and busy junction in terms of both vehicular and pedestrian movements.

Relevant Planning History	Approvals were granted for the redevelopment of 50 Colomberie in the late 1990s. However these have a limited influence on the scheme as now proposed.

Existing use of Land/Buildings	Vacant (open land and vacant shop units)

Proposed use of Land/Buildings	Office space with some retailing along the La Colomberie frontage

Consultations	Transport and Technical Services (Highways) have no objection to the proposal subject to one of the parking spaces shown on the submitted plans being removed from the scheme Parish have concerns over the height of the building and would like to see the footway width along Green Street increased H&SS have made comments over the construction process that have been passed to the applicant. Otherwise no objection has been raised. All consultations are attached with the background papers

Summary of Representations	Representations have been received from two bodies raising concerns over the loss of the Registered Buildings on the site. All letters of representation and responses are attached with the background papers

Planning Issues	Policy Considerations Policy BE3 of the Island Plan 2002 allows development that promotes the viability and vitality of the Town Centre subject to any proposal, amongst other things, protecting and enhancing the historic character of the town and preserving retail units. Policy G3 of the Plan requires a high standard of design that reflects the context of the building and offers an architectural integrity that is appropriate for a site. This theme is strongly underpinned by the Minister for Planning and Environment’s Design Principles. Policy G13 of the Plan carries a presumption in favour of preserving registered buildings and does not readily support the demolition of registered buildings. Policy IC2 encourages the development of offices within the Town Centre. Land Use Implications The site lies on the fringes of the retail core of the town centre. with retail/restaurant uses in the vicinity. The town centre has a large mix of land uses, including offices and as such the proposed use in itself is not inappropriate. Previous considerations of a comprehensive development by the Environment and Public Services Committee indicated that the building should have shop frontages at street level. This comment was echoed by comments from the Parish. This element has been noted and two-thirds of the La Colomberie frontage will accommodate retail usage so as to maintain vitality. Heritage Implications Policy G13 of the Island Plan sets a strong presumption against the loss of registered buildings. This scheme involves the demolition of two properties – 46 and 48 Colomberie – included on the Minister’s Register of Buildings and Sites of Architectural, Archaeological and Historic Interest in Jersey as Buildings of Local Interest (BLI). The applicant has indicated that in order to achieve a comprehensive redevelopment of this prominent site it would be necessary to demolish these BLI’s to create a critical mass that can support a building of suitable quality and stature. This argument was put to the Environment and Public Services Committee in November 2005 and the Committee resolved to support the demolition of 46 and 48 Colomberie subject to the submission of a scheme of suitably high quality. Notwithstanding the comments of the Previous Committee the proposal does involve the erection of a building of significant quality that will enhance and revitalise the street scene in this part of the town. As such the loss of the Registered buildings, whilst regrettable, can be justified in this instance. Size, Scale & Siting The site centres on the prominent junction of La Colomberie and Green Street. The built environment is dominated by 3 and 4 storey buildings with some less ambitious traditional scaled buildings close by. The proposed building draws on the scale of the larger more modern buildings in the vicinity and in terms of height goes to 5 storeys. However the 5th storey is set well back from the parapet and will not be readily visible from street level in the vicinity. The proposed building follows established frontage lines along La Colomberie and Green Street and along La Colomberie has a rhythm that reflects a traditionally proportioned town centre row. Design & Use of Materials The proposed building has three essential forms apparent. Along La Colomberie the buildings mass is broken into legible blocks that echo a traditional street frontage. The vertical scale of that frontage is minimised through the use of plain, flat material finishes with mass further reduced by the recessing of windows behind the main elevation. Along Green Street the elevational character differs with a single elevation given depth at upper levels by the use of curved glazing behind the main elevation’s plane. Tying these two frontages together is a simple, but strident corner block that is at once separate from the block pattern along La Colomberie but at the same time blends into the more austere Green Street frontage thereby maintaining the impression of a discreet building made up from a sum of parts. Proposed materials are very simple, with plain smooth rendered masonry complimented by metallic silver glazing framework at upper levels and pure frameless glazing to the main entrance, ground floor and top floor. This light touch to the top floor, along with the not insignificant set back from the parapet top, limits significantly the extra height the building ultimately has over surrounding buildings. Impact on Neighbours This proposal will obviously have an impact on the vicinity. However, along the main elevations to La Colomberie and Green Street the impact will be no more than one would expect in the central location. There will be a significant impact on the outlook of premises in Colomberie Court. Again, this impact on the space is not an unusual occurrence within the Town Centre and is acceptable in order to allow the development as a whole. Access, Car parking and Highway Considerations The site is within Area 1 of the Minister’s adopted guidelines for Parking Provision. Within such areas there is no requirement to provide any dedicated car parking. The submitted plans do indicate 4 parking spaces accessed off Green Street. However these are outside the applicant’s ownership. An appropriate condition will require the submission of a Travel Plan for the occupants of the building in order to encourage sustainable travel habits Foul Sewage Disposal A foul sewer is available. Landscaping issues In this inner-urban location there are no requirements to landscape the site. Other Material Considerations The scheme is such that a contribution to civic art would be appropriate. At this stage it is clear that there is a proposal to lighten the eastern elevation of the building to Colomberie Court through the inclusion of a mural. However in order to fully explore the parameters of any contribution an appropriate condition is proposed to finalise the issue. A Waste management Plan has been submitted to accompany the application

Officer Recommendation	APPROVAL

Conditions/ Reasons	1 The development hereby approved shall be carried out entirely in accordance with the plans and documents permitted under this permit. No variations shall be made without the prior written approval of the Minister for Planning and Environment. Reason To ensure that the development is carried out and completed in accordance with the details approved by the Minister for Planning and Environment. 2. Prior to the commencement of the development hereby approved, the Minister for Planning and Environment seeks a commitment that a contribution to the provision of public art through the Percentage for Art mechanism will be made. The art could be an integral design element of the development or specific works on the proposed building. Reason : In pursuance of Policy BE12 of the 2002 Island Plan and in accordance with the adopted Percent for Art Supplementary Planning Guidance. 3.Any externally audible plant or equipment must comply with a noise rating (NR) of NR 40 daytime and NR 30 night time, measured 1 metre from the facade of the nearest affected dwelling. All equipment must be acoustically mounted to prevent vibration and structure borne noise transmission to adjacent premises. Reason To protect the amenities of occupiers of neighbouring properties. 4.Prior to the commencement of the development hereby permitted the following details must be submitted to and approved in writing by the Minister for Planning and Environment; i) The nature, materials, dimensions and profile of external heads, cills, jambs and mullions (where included) of windows and the heads and jambs of doorways. ii) The design or pattern, materials and extent of reveals of external windows and doors illustrated by a scale drawing of a typical example. Reason These details are not included in the application and are required to be submitted and agreed by the Minister for Planning and Environment to ensure that the character of the buildings in which they are to be inserted are not harmed. 5.Prior to the commencement of the development hereby permitted the following details must be submitted to and approved by the Minister for Planning and Environment plans which are to scale and annotated, showing all proposed doors, windows and any brise-soleil. These shall be no less than 1:20 scale Reason To safeguard the visual amenities of the area and to ensure the use of appropriate detailing in accordance with Policy G3 of the Jersey Island Plan 2002. 6. Prior to the commencement of the development hereby permitted, samples of the render finish to be used to construct the office block shall be submitted to and approved in writing with the Minister for Planning and Environment. Reason To safeguard the visual amenities of the area. 7. Prior to the commencement of the development hereby permitted, a Travel Plan shall be submitted to and approved in writing with the Minister for Planning and Environment to establish the existing proportions of travel mode, targets for modal switch, and details of how the modal shift will be achieved by the building's occupants. Reason To ensure the aims of Policy TT1 and TT22 of the Jersey Island Plan, 2002 are achieved by the development. 8. Notwithstanding the approved plans the car parking space Space 1 as indicated is not approved Reason : The dimensions and orientation of the space does not accord with the Minster for Planning and Environment’s Parking Standards

Background Papers	1:2500 Location Plan (Also include correspondence from Case Officer – Possibly [pre-application advice & any other relevant material)

Endorsed by:

Date: