Agenda item

Change of use to 86 bedroom hotel with ground floor restaurant and construction of flat roof third floor and plant room. Alterations to elevations infilling of ground floor colonnade [Micklegate Ward].

Members considered a major full application, submitted by Whitbread and The Blossom Street Venture, for the change of use to 86 bedroom hotel with ground floor restaurant and construction of flat roof third floor and plant room with alterations to elevations and infilling of the ground floor colonnade.

Officers referred to additional letters and information received since the report had been published, copies of which had been circulated at the meeting:

• york-england.com, informing Members of office space available within the immediate locality of the railway station and within the city centre at Hudson House, Albion Wharf, West Offices and Grays Wharf. Members were asked to think carefully about future supply of office stock to ensure it met the needs of York’s economy;
• Visit York, providing additional information and welcoming this application for hotel investment. They agreed that future potential of the site was finely balanced but that the proposed investment was an attractive proposition in view of the current economic climate;
• Whitbread, detailing a number of factors, which they wished the Planning Committee to consider when determining the application. These included
  • the proposal guaranteeing 50 new jobs,
  • that demand for office space had fallen due to the current economic climate,
  • the proposal would provide investment in the Micklegate Conservation Area,
  • York needed to rely on tourism as a key local industry during the economic downturn,
  • The scheme would provide 86 new rooms 65 of which would be large family rooms,
  • That the application was supported by the Yorkshire Tourist Board and Visit York.

Officers updated that if the application was refused, as recommended, an amendment was required to Reason 1. The first line of the second paragraph required the removal of the reference to “Section 6” of the Regional Spatial Strategy and its replacement with “Policy E5”. Officers confirmed that the Regional Spatial Strategy was part of the development plan for York and that Policy E5 would give greater support to the refusal.

Representations were received in support from the applicant’s agent, who requested the Committee to support the application to bring the building back into use. She stated that a shortage of family accommodation had been identified by York Tourism Bureau and that the change of use to a hotel would benefit the local economy with visitor spending.

Representations, also in support of the application, were received from the developer, who referred to the present economic climate and the need to react quickly at this opportunity to create employment. He confirmed that if approval was granted that work would commence immediately on the scheme. He confirmed that the cost of upgrading the building as offices was a major issue as floor to ceiling heights made it impossible to incorporate all the technical equipment to provide Grade A office space.   He requested Members to balance the economic effect of refusal against immediate new employment.

Officers confirmed that york-england.com had received three enquiries regarding office accommodation in the city centre. They reported that the second stage of the Councils Employment Land Review, which would identify sites to meet the demand for employment land, was set to be completed by the end of the year and that this was a premature application. They stated that there was a long term need for office accommodation with this site being one of the best in the city within walking distance of the centre and the railway station.

Some Members commented that as Blossom Street was one of the main routes into the city and as this building had stood empty since 2007 there was a need to bring it back into use quickly. Members also referred to paragraph 4.3 of the Officers report, which described the demand for secondary office space as “patchy”. They also referred to the shortage of family accommodation in the city and the boost this would give to tourism and employment.

Other Members expressed concern that special circumstances had not been demonstrated in this case to depart from the Council’s policy of retaining this building for office space.

RESOLVED:             That delegated authority be granted to the Assistant Director (Planning and Sustainable Development), in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair to approve the application subject to the imposition of appropriate conditions.

REASON:                  In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority the proposal, subject to conditions, would not cause undue harm to interests of acknowledged importance, with particular reference to:

- the supply of office space in the city

 - impact on character and appearance of the conservation area.

 - impact on streetscene and adjacent listed buildings

 - highway and parking issues

As such the proposal complies with Policies GP1, HE2, HE3, E3b of the City of York Local Plan Deposit Draft.