Site: Danesgate House , Grantham Street , Lincoln , LN2 1BA

Application No: 2013/1243/F

Target Date:

Agent: Mr David McCall

Applicant: Mr Neil Parkinson

Development: Internal alterations to accommodate 9 additional student flats. External alterations consisting of replacement windows, cladding of building, relocation of main entrance within 2 existing shop units on Clasketgate.

Background The application site is Danesgate House, a large multi-storey building on a site bounded by Grantham Street to the north, Flaxengate to the west, Clasketgate to the south and Danesgate to the east. Immediately to the west of the site is Clasket House, a three-storey brick built residential building. Originally constructed in 1963 as office accommodation with shops at ground floor the building has been occupied as student accommodation since 2000. The student accommodation currently consists of 13No. cluster flats containing between 11 and 18 bedrooms each. Communal kitchens and bathrooms serve each cluster flat. The building façade is furnished in a mix of red brick and pre-cast concrete panels. The windows are steel framed and the roof profile is flat. The building is formed from three joined wings that vary in height from 5 to 6 storeys; whist single storey shop units form a plinth to Clasketgate. The original parking provision at basement and lower ground level is no longer used as the car lift was decommissioned some time ago. The site is within the Cathedral and City Centre Conservation Area (No.1) The application seeks to make internal alterations to accommodate an additional 5 cluster flats with 4 to 6 bedrooms and 4No. studios, together with the recladding and refurbishment of the external envelope of the building and the relocation of its entrance onto Clasketgate within two existing shop units. The proposal therefore works with the existing structure and does not require any form of extension. Site Visit Undertaken on 2/01/14. Issues

1. The principle of the use 2. The effect on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area 3. Parking

4. Other issues Policies Referred to NPPF – Chapter 7: Requiring Good design 18: Development in Mixed Use Areas 34: Design and Amenity Standards 55 “Long Views Into and Out of the City,” 60: Student Accommodation Consultations Consultations were carried out in accordance with the Statement of Community Involvement, adopted June 2006. Responses Kevin Barron Licensing Manager

Corporate Support Services No objections

Highways & Planning Lincolnshire County Council No comments Environmental Health Environmental Health No objections Mr L Cook 206 Danesgate House

Grantham Street Lincoln LN2 1BA

Objection

Consideration

1. The principle of the development The site is within the Central Mixed Use Area and as such the existing and proposed use as student accommodation is acceptable in terms of the Local Plan allocation. Furthermore Policy 60 specifically refers to student accommodation being acceptable if located within the central Mixed use Area. The proposal does however necessitate the loss of two retail units at ground floor on the Clasketgate frontage. A letter of objection has been received from the occupant of 206 Danesgate House with one of the issues raised being this loss of retail provision and that it will be harmful to the vitality of this part of the City Centre. Ordinarily I would be inclined to agree with this concern but in this instance a number of the shop units are currently vacant, and the applicants state that it has proven difficult to find suitable tenants. The bar area on the ground floor has also been vacant or underused for a number of years. The Spar shop at the end of the run of shops is thriving and the success of this store has possibly impacted on the potential viability of a smaller scale competitor in an adjacent unit. I therefore consider that the loss of two

shop units here will not have a detrimental impact on the vitality of this part of the City Centre. In addition to this the proposal will provide an entrance into the accommodation at this point which will be a main reception and common room. I consider this will therefore ensure good footfall as well as a degree of animation to the frontage and as a result will improve the vitality of this part of the City Centre. 2. The effect on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area The letter of objection received also refers to the proposed design as inappropriate for a Conservation Area and that the existing building should be preserved. The existing building represents a typical example of the style and materials used for buildings of this nature in the 1960s and as such it has little architectural merit. Its monolithic massing, horizontal emphasis and unfamiliar materials set it apart from its neighbours in the local context. That being said the building is in situ and is in good structural condition, despite the apparent lack of maintenance over the years. The overall aesthetic therefore is currently of poor quality and this is somewhat amplified given the buildings size and position within the Conservation Area. In addition to this the building currently does not perform well in terms of heat and sound insulation.

The proposal is therefore to update and improve the external envelope of the building. The single glazed steel framed windows are to be replaced with grey-coloured double glazed slim-profile frames. The existing precast-concrete cladding panels are to be overclad in dark grey metallic finish aluminium rainscreen cladding. The existing red brick is generally in good condition and is contextually compatible with other buildings in this quarter of the city. It is proposed that minor repairs will be carried out to the brickwork to allow its retention. The considered use of a simple but varied palette of materials has enabled the significant mass of the building to be visually broken into three sections which more comfortably responds to its context, and whilst the building remains large it has a much improved relationship with adjacent buildings as well as appearing less prominent from longer range views.

The site is roughly triangular in shape. The various wings of the building are set parallel to the street they face. On Grantham Street this creates an awkward cutback where the rear of the Clasketgate block exposes a sunken service yard to the shops below. In order to overcome this a 2m high screen of vertical hardwood slats is introduced. The effect is two-fold. Firstly, it conceals the service yard from view and secondly, it reinforces the street edge, making up for the lack of built form here.

A study has been carried out in accordance with Planning Policy 55 – “Long Views Into and Out of the City,” to assess the impact of the building on various views across the City. The principal long distance views of the building are No.15, from the Castle looking south and No.16, from the

South Common looking north. In neither of these views does Danesgate House break the skyline. The building is consumed within the relatively densely developed city streets and the Cathedral is the focal point as it is from most vantage points. The Civic Trust have made comments regarding the specific choice of materials to be used however this will be secured via a condition requiring samples of materials.

I consider that the proposal is a significant improvement to the visual quality of both the building itself, and the character and appearance of the Conservation Area.

3. Parking The objector cites additional parking pressure as a potential problem with the proposed development, however it is important to note that the proposal will only create an additional 10 flats and the existing building operates with around 260 rooms at present without any parking provision. The site is within the City Centre, and within walking distance of the University and College as well as a full range of facilities and as such there is no minimum-parking standard. Given its central location there are no residential amenity issues relating to parking here and if any students wished to park they would need to do so in one of the several pay and display car parks in the vicinity, making this unlikely. Therefore I do not consider that the development would create parking pressure that would be to the detriment of the locality. The Highway Authority have raised no objections to the scheme. 4. Other Issues The objector raises the issue that the applicants intend to increase the rent of the existing provision and this would be exacerbated once the development is complete, and whilst this may be the case this is not a material planning consideration, nor is it something that the City Council can control. These types of developments are typically led by demand and the increased provision of student accommodation in the city is leading to increased demand for higher quality accommodation. The current provision is poor quality and is not efficient in terms of its energy usage. This proposal will ensure that Lincoln can continue to compete with other Universities in terms of the standard of accommodation it offers. The development embraces the aspirations of the City Council and the National Planning Policy Framework with regards to sustainable development. The refurbishment will retain the existing structure and its embodied energy. Significant improvements in the thermal performance of the external envelope will also dramatically reduce fossil fuel demand making the building more energy efficient.

Conclusion The proposed scheme will positively contribute to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area in line with Chapter 7 of the NPPF and policies 18, 34 and 60 of The City of Lincoln Local Plan. Financial Implications None. Legal Implications None. Application Negotiated Either at Pre-Application or During Process of Application Yes. Equality Implications None. Application Determined Within Target Date Yes. Recommendation Granted Conditionally. Conditions Grant with conditions

1) Samples of materials Report by: Planning Manager

Lower Ground Floor Plan

Ground Floor Plan

Responses