Decision details

The Committee received an application for full planning permission.

The application sought approval for the change of use from the implemented use as a class D1 dance school/studio (granted under planning permission 14/1252/FUL) to general educational use within use class D1 including limited alterations to the external appearance of the building & associated landscaping works

The Committee received representations in objection to the application from 4 residents who live in the surrounding area:

The representations covered the following issues:

     i.        If the application for change of use was granted it would stop public access to the building and the residents would lose it as a community facility.

    ii.        Claimed that the applicants were not currently adhering to the conditions granted in the original permission and therefore should not be granted further permission.

   iii.        Local dance schools were looking for new premises but had had not been made aware of this building, they were not encouraging community groups to use it.

  iv.        The applicants had not applied for a certificate of lawfulness because they could not prove that the building was being used in the manner that the original permission had granted.

   v.        Potentially losing the community facility had caused a lot of distress amongst the community; they all considered it to be a very important facility.

  vi.        Commented that if the changes were made to the units on the roof they would still be visible for half the year when the surrounding trees were not in leaf.

The tenant of Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts addressed the Committee in support of the application.

Councillor Robertson (Petersfield Ward Councillor) addressed the Committee in objection to the application.

     i.        Suggested that the conditions under the original 2004 permission had not been met therefore the applicant should be subject to the 1997 conditions. 

    ii.        Supported the view that the current planning permission should only be granted if pre-commencement conditions had been discharged and use of the premises was solely a dance studio.

   iii.        The loss of the community facility and protected open space had a damaging impact on residents.

  iv.        Commented that the applicants had a history of cutting corners and undertaking unauthorised work.

   v.        Suggested that the application did not preserve the character of the conservation area.

The Committee:

Unanimously resolved to defer the application to be brought back to committee with two additional reports dealing with the issues separately ie one report regarding whether permission 14/1252/FUL had been lawfully implemented and another regarding the impact of the roof plant.