Issue - meetings

The Committee received an application for change of Use of 1 no. BT telephone box to 1 no. coffee and snacks pod (Class E(a) (former A1 Use).

The Area Development Manager proposed an amendment to the Officer’s recommendation to include Condition 3 (as amended):

Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 3 Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (or any order revoking and re-enacting that order with or without modification), the premises shall be used for the sale of tour brochures, tickets and maps only and for no other purpose (including any other purposes in Class E of the Schedule to the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 or in any provision equivalent to that Class in any statutory instrument revoking or re-enacting that Order with or without modification).

Reason: The application has been assessed on its individual merits and the use of the premises for any other purpose may result in harm which would require re-examination of its impact. (Cambridge Local Plan 2018 policies 35, 55, 57, and 81) .

The Committee:

Unanimously Resolved to reject the Officer recommendation to approve the application.

Unanimously Resolved to refuse the application contrary to the Officer recommendation for the following reasons:

      i.          The proposed change of use to a drinks and coffee pod would detract from the character and setting of the listed phone box, surrounding heritage assets and the character and appearance of the Conservation Area. The harm would arise as the nature of the proposed use means that activity could not realistically be contained within the limited confines of the phone box. It is therefore likely that the door would need to be kept open for long periods of time and that the use would be heavily reliant upon the already very busy and congested surrounding outside space to properly function, thereby resulting in an overdevelopment of the area. The proposed change of use and associated works would therefore be contrary to Policies 58 and 61 of the Cambridge Local Plan 2018. It is considered the degree of harm to the heritage assets would be less than substantial and, whilst it is recognised the proposal would provide an alternative use for this listed structure, this is not considered to constitute sufficient public benefit to outweigh the harm, particularly as there has been no assessment of alternative uses that could secure the reuse of the phone box whilst preserving the character of the area. The proposal is therefore also contrary to Paragraph 202 of the NPPF 2021.

     ii.          The phone box is located within an area that already experiences a high level of pedestrian traffic and is surrounded by existing predominantly café and restaurant uses. The proposed change of use to a drinks and coffee pod is likely to result in the doors being kept open for long periods of time and a reliance upon the surrounding outside space to adequately function. The proposal would therefore cause an obstruction to the public highway and free flow of pedestrians within this busy location, adversely affecting the safe and efficient use of the public highway, contrary to Policies 58 and 81 of the Cambridge Local Plan 2018.