Agenda item

Change Of Use From Public House To Educational Centre (Class D1:Non-Residential Institutions)

The Committee considered a report of the Principal Planning Officer (Easington Area) regarding the change of use from public house to educational centre (Class D1:Non-Residential Use) at the Melrose Arms, Office Row, Front Street, Shotton Colliery (for copy see file of Minutes).

The Principal Planning Officer gave a detailed presentation on the application which included photographs of the site.  Members had visited the site that day and were familiar with the location and setting.

Councillor Robin Todd, local Member, addressed the Committee.  He expressed concern at the application around highways issues and associated parking.  The application site, which had no off-street parking, was on the main road into Shotton from the A19 which was particularly busy during shift changes at nearby factories.  The application was for the building to be used as an educational centre, with a recommended restriction that it be used solely for this purpose, which would require monitoring by the Council.  Shotton Partnership already provided a learning centre in Shotton and Councillor Todd expressed concern that the proposed facility may lead to community segregation.  He suggested that a better use for the site would be for demolition of the building to be followed by residential development with off-street parking.

Mr Blakey, local resident, spoke against the application.  He informed the Committee that the applicant had damaged the fixtures and fittings on the interior of the former public house.  He did not see the application as being a viable proposition for a businessman to undertake and expressed concern that the education centre would become a prayer facility which would result in increasing numbers using the facility.  He expressed similar concerns as Councillor Todd regarding highways and parking issues.

Mr Neki, agent for the applicant, addressed the Committee.  The proposed education centre would serve a small local community of approximately 10 to 12 families and would be a local centre for them to congregate in on an evening and at weekends.  It was not anticipated that people from outside of the Shotton area would use such a small centre, and it was intended that 6 to 12 people would use it as and when needed, which would not generate a lot of traffic.  The pub had been derelict and available on the open market for a number of years but had attracted no interest.  When the building was previously operating as a pub many people would have visited which would have generated a lot more traffic than the current application.  Given the investment that his client would be putting into the building to refurbish it, Mr Neki requested that the application be granted without the recommended 12-month conditional approval.

The Principal Planning Officer (Easington Area) addressed the points raised.  The County Council had an active enforcement team, and any reported transgressions to the planning permission would be investigated.  The Committee needed to consider the application before it today which was in an existing building and would improve the range of facilities in the area.

Resolved:

That the application be approved, subject to the conditions outlined in the report.