Agenda item

Single storey extension to showroom and antiques restoration building to form furniture storage area.

[Huntington/New Earswick Ward] [Site Visit]

Members considered a full application for a single storey extension to the showroom and antiques restoration building to form a furniture storage area.

Mr Stephen Hazell, the owner of French House (Antiques) Ltd, addressed the committee in support of the application. He informed Members that the business had grown year on year and was now the leading supplier of French antiques in the country. He explained that he wanted to continue operating the business from York but needed additional space in order to expand the business and be able to employ more people.  He advised the committee that the building would be screened on all sides with existing and proposed new trees. He explained that they had looked to moving to another site but that as a small family business they couldn’t afford the logistics of moving to a completely new site in a more expensive location. He advised the Committee that their only option, if the application was refused, would be to transfer the business to Easingwold.

Members noted the reasons for the proposals put forward by the applicant but acknowledged officers views that the reasons put forward as very special circumstances were not special enough to outweigh the harm to the green belt from inappropriateness and harm to openness. Councillor Galvin moved, and Councillor Boyce seconded, a motion to defer the application to give the applicant the opportunity to work with officers to strengthen the reasons which were being put forward as special circumstances.

Some Members were of the view that a local business should be allowed to expand, that this was a relatively modest extension of buildings which didn’t look too different to agricultural storage units which could be found on a farm. They stated that they did not feel that this would cause  harm to the greenbelt and acknowledged that that alternate premises of this nature were hard and expensive to come by with additional moving costs.  They noted that the expansion would lead to employment of four additional staff.

Some Members, however, felt that the applicant had not put forward special circumstances and that he could relocate his business elsewhere as it did not need to be in a rural location. They  noted that the landscaping at the front of the site screened the site from the highway but that the site was visible from the A64 which ran to the East of the site and new development would be visible from there.

After further debate, some Members agreed that the reasons the applicant had put forward constituted very special circumstances but accepted that they could have been articulated more clearly and strongly by the applicant in the planning application. Councillor  Galvin withdrew his motion to defer the application (supported by Cllr Boyce who had seconded the original motion to defer).

Councillor Warters then moved, and Councillor Galvin seconded, a motion to approve the application with appropriate conditions on the grounds that the applicant had demonstrated very special circumstances which outweighed the harm to the green belt, with these very special circumstances: 

·        View of building from A64 would be improved due to additional screening by trees

·        Economic benefit - retention of existing business is good for York’s economy

·        Difficulties in relocating the existing business within the city on grounds of cost

·        Expansion would mean employment of 4 additional members of staff

·        If business moved out of York, site may become derelict

Officers advised Members that, if approved, relevant conditions would need to be agreed. Members requested that the landscaping condition applied to the lifetime of the development and that the applicant be requested to include native species and evergreens to reduce views of the site from the A64 all year round.

Resolved:  That  delegated authority be granted to officersto determine the precise wording of conditions to cover  the time limit for development; approved plans; materials; highway conditions re redundant access; cycle parking; layout of car parking; drainage; removal of outbuildings; and landscaping,  and then to approve the application subject to those conditions.

Reason:     Members considered  that  the applicant had demonstrated very special circumstances which outweighed the harm to the Green Belt,  and any other  harm, with the  very special circumstances as follows :-

·        View of building from A64 would be improved due to additional screening by trees

·        Economic benefit - retention of existing business is good for York’s economy

·        Difficulties in relocating the existing business within the city on grounds of cost

·        Expansion would mean employment of 4 additional members of staff

·        If business moved out of York, site may become derelict