Crescent Rd 0000 index
Background
The strip of land had once been the drying field for Crescent Road laundries. It had also been a shooting range, but more recently had been used for light office work, mainly by Geo-Environmental, leaving sufficient soft landscaping to reduce overlooking between Crescent Road and Belton Road properties and to retain some wildlife. This amenity value was enjoyed by at least 37 existing Round Hill properties. The price paid for this property in 2014 was stated then as £425,000.
Red Links = this website; Blue Links = BHCC's Planning Register
BH2014/00124 withdrawn
Belton Road 2014 Open Space BH2014/00124
FIRST FULL PLANNING APPLICATION withdrawn on Wed 19th March 2014
Very soon after this application for 5 self-contained flats was lodged, the developer decided that it might be a quicker route to attempt to claim permitted development.
BH2014/00841 refused 13th May 2014
PRIOR APPROVAL FOR CHANGE OF USE
[permitted development]
Crescent Rd-Belton Rd Open Space Application BH2014/00841
Crescent Rd proposal is wrongly described BH2014/00841
Crescent Rd-fails the permitted development tests BH2014/00841
Crescent Road 2014 BH2014/00841 refused 13 May 2014 - prior approval of development required
Based on the history of the site and previous categories of use, residents put up robust arguments as to why application BH2014/00841 did not qualify for permitted development having sought planning advice from Legal Aid. The Council decided that prior approval of development was required i.e. a full application.
BH2014/03343 refused December 2014
PRIOR APPROVAL FOR CHANGE OF USE
[permitted development]
The developer noticed that legislation was rapidly changing to make it easier to get schemes accepted and decided to have another go at avoiding a full planning application. Description: Prior Approval for Change of Use from Offices (B1) to Residential (C3) to form 5no Self contained flats. Residents continued to study planning law and argue their case. In December 2014, BH2014/03343 was also refused.
Crescent Road 2014 Objection BH2014/03343
Crescent Road and Contamination BH2014/03343
Crescent Road 2014 Pro Forma BH2014/033343
Crescent Road 2014 signatures BH2014/03343
Crescent Road 2014 covering letter BH2014/03343
Crescent Rd and permitted development BH2014/033343 refused December 2014
This was followed by a request for a Certificate of Lawfulness (BH2014/01815 28 A, B & C Crescent Road) which was withdrawn before the decision date.
BH2015/03013 refused 30 November 2015
A SECOND FULL PLANNING APPLICATION followed, which was not withdrawn: Part demolition and conversion of existing commercial buildings and erection of two new buildings to provide 3 no. two bedroom houses, 1 no. two bedroom flat and 1 no. one bedroom flat. However, the amount of accommodation was deemed excessive.
Crescent Road 2015 Application BH2015/03013 refused 30 November 2015
With failure to justify permitted development and a full application for planning refused, the developer showed greater willingness to liaise with local residents.
Towards the end of a planning committee meeting lasting circa 7 hours, BH2016/00862 was approved without any debate. The nature of the application site lent itself to complicated presentation, though it seemed that members of the planning committee had already decided to support the officers recommendation to grant. One who had to leave before the vote was taken was confident that it would go through. Such is the pressure on meeting housing targets. Protecting open spaces on private land has now become an enormous challenge no matter how great their amenity value is to numerous existing residents.
BH2016/00862 approved on 12th October 2016
THIRD FULL PLANNING APPLICATION
Crescent Road 2016 Approval absence of debate towards end of long meeting
Having taken almost three years to get full planning permission for 4no two bedroom houses which clearly did not meet the approval of local residents, the outcome was that the developer did not want to build his own scheme:
Site + permission sold to AMF (Crescent Rd) Ltd prior to auction
The Guide Price set for the auction was £650,000- £700,000.
BH2018/00433 now approved
FOURTH FULL PLANNING APPLICATION
This application came to planning on Wed 7th November 2018
See The Round Hill Society's objection and other comments from local residents.
BH2019/00072 Land to rear of 28 Crescent Rd
How much extra parking stress can RH take?
APPLICATION TO REMOVE CAR-FREE CONDITION
Refused 29/3/2019. Appeal on this condition dismissed 15/10/2019.
- The Round Hill Society's objection to removal of car-free condition
- Dominic Furlong's critique of inaccurate figures on parking stress
Parking surveys have been carried out on behalf of different developers for two application sites approximately 200 metres apart in Round Hill within the past year. The aim of both surveys is to persuade members of BHCC's planning committee that car-free conditions on the developments mentioned below should be removed The surveys claim to demonstrate that removing the car-free conditions will not have any adverse impact on highway safety, or capacity, that can be considered as severe or be contrary to the relevant local and national policies. See
More online objections are needed: Just emphasizing one of the counter arguments (e.g. "BHCC Highways disclosure that permit update in the Area J Parking Zone has been running at 92% during past 12 months") would cast doubt on Reeves' optimistic estimates of on-street parking demand based on 2011 population census data (a partial & out-of-date measure).
UPDATE: Our Council refused The Crescent Rd application See Decision on Application BH2019/00072 document dated 29 March 2019, but note also that the developer has launched an appeal. Read the developer's arguments at the latter link.
Click here for decision to refuse BH2019/00072 and developer's appeal statement
Land to the rear of Crescent Road: click on the picture for an analysis from Dominic Furlong on inaccurate use of figures in the parking survey for application BH2019/00072.
Appeal decision (15th October 2019)
This was a split decision, though the appeal was dismissed in relation to the application to remove the car-free condition.
Car-free condition removed (8th June 2022)
BH2021/04390 | Application to remove condition 12 of planning permission BH2018/00433 which states 'The development shall be implemented in accordance with the scheme for the restriction of resident's parking permits in accordance with the approved application'.
Questions & Answers on this intended car-free development.
NOTES:
- SPD 14 Parking Standards pages 5 - 7 Car Free Housing. The application site is within a key public transport corridor i.e. the accessibility of bus and rail transport makes the car-free condition reasonable.
- Car free roads and properties in Brighton and Hove A massive number! The argument used in BH2021/04390 in attempting to undermine the Crescent Road car-free condition would apply to all of these!
- Use of planning conditions (revised 23rd July 2019) This government guidance is quoted in application BH2021/04390 as the argument for removing the car-free condition. However, the appeal decision of 15th October 2019 from the government's planning inspectorate supports the retention of the condition imposed in 2016 (BH2016/00862 see Decision point 13).