Contact Officer: John Hamilton, Tel: 01865 815584
ITEM PN9
PLANNING & REGULATION COMMITTEE – 18 FEBRUARY 2008
DEMOLITION OF EXISTING BUILDING AND ERECTION OF TWO STOREY BUILDING ON SITE TO CREATE NEW PUBLIC LIBRARY – THE PIED PEDLAR, 3 NORTH STREET, THAME
Report by Head of Sustainable Development
Application No. S.20/07 District Council Area: South Oxfordshire
Introduction
1. This report describes the planning application to demolish the property known as The Pied Pedlar on 3 North Street, Thame and erect on the site a new public library for the town. The site is located within the Thame Conservation Area and a separate application for Conservation Area Consent for the demolition of the existing building is to be made to the Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government.
The Site and Surroundings (see plan) (download as .doc file) 2. The site is centrally located in Thame on the fringe of the main shopping centre of the town. The shops are centred on the High Street, Butter Market and Cornmarket about 40 m to the south; the Town Hall is 100 m to the west.
3. Immediately abutting the site to the south on North Street is a shop and, beyond that, a shop with residential accommodation above at the junction of North Street and the Butter Market. To the north of the site on the west side of North Street are residential properties (the nearest one 5a North Street is a listed building); the opposite (eastern) side of North Street comprises a mix of shops and dwellings. The town centre car park is 70 m to the south east on Upper High Street. The site is located within the Thame Conservation Area.
Background
4. The County Library Service has been looking for a site for a new library in Thame for several years. No other suitable site or premises has been found to the one the subject of this application.
5. The Library Service considers this site ideal for customers to the library. The site is positioned on the edge of the main shopping area of the town with adequate public parking located close by. The pavement here is wide enough to provide reasonable disabled access and the site has good road access for book deliveries. The site provides room for a building large enough to provide a library appropriate in size for a town of Thame’s projected population.
Details of the Development
6. The applicant has indicated that this proposal is based around providing a facility for Thame that is seen as a ‘space and place off the street’ where the facilities offered are open to view and encouraging to visit. The idea is that the library is a space that is part of the public realm rather than separated from it.
7. The idea of openness represented by 50% of the frontage to North Street being transparent glass which the applicant argues provides a foil to the domestic scale of the buildings opposite and a new feature in a fairly uninspiring street. The other half of the frontage is a brick surface acting as a contrast to the glazing and also forming a corner to the views into the site from North Street. This brick feature is separated from the roof by a band of glazing that wraps around the corner to form a vertical feature at the corner. Windows within the brickwork reflect the domestic character of the street and together with the vertical strip of glazing dropping from the glazed band, break down the mass and add vertical emphasis. A steel column holding the roof up makes the building open to the Market Place view of the site and signifies the entrance to the library.
8. The north elevation of the building comprises a series of vertically orientated panels recessed between brick piers to provide interest to an elevation that by its nature needs to be solid but provide more interest than the current rough cast wall. Horizontal timber louvers in the recesses form the basis of a trellis where climbing plants can be grown.
9. The rear parts of the building containing the service areas of the library step back to allow roof lighting to the ground floor workroom and to break the scale down in relation to adjoining buildings. The courtyard side is a simple, rendered wall with a glass box that provides light to the children’s area of the library on the sunny south side of the building. The materials proposed are a brick to match the colours of those that predominate in Thame and coloured renders with stone dressings. The roof would be clad in zinc sheeting which oxidises to a lead colour within weeks of erection. The new gated courtyard should replicate the back alleyways of the medieval town whilst providing a view out of the library and opportunity for summer use. It also allows secure access to the flat in the adjoining building and delivery access to the rear of the library as well as escape from the first floor.
10. The design would also incorporate a number of sustainable features, including:
· Controllable natural ventilation to all spaces using passive stack ventilation incorporated into the roof lights over the library; · Large overhanging roof to reduce or eliminate solar gain from the east into the library; · Use of renewable timber sources in the structural design of the roof and in the cladding of the building; · Aluminium faced softwood windows to provide a maintenance free product with the advantage of use of natural renewable timber resources; · Dual flush WC’s allowing for less water usage; and · West facing roof lights to bring natural light into the centre of the library.
The use of ground source heating and rainwater harvesting is also being investigated.
Relevant Planning Policies
11. A list of policies relevant to this
proposal is included as Annex 1 (download as .doc file) attached to this report. Key policies relate
to design in a conservation area, impact on nearby listed buildings and the
need for a new community facility (library) Consultations/Representations
12. South Oxfordshire District Council – object for the following reasons:
· The proposed library is intended to be a striking contemporary designed public building. Unfortunately it does not achieve this aim and is let down by unresolved design issues and poor and inappropriate detailing. The north elevation is highly visible in views up North Street and is situated on the boundary with 5a North Street, a Grade II listed building. The proposals are neither properly resolved or detailed to comply with PPG15 advice and the following comments should be considered:
o concern about the impact of the redevelopment of this site on No. 7-10 Butter Market (Listed buildings) which abut the site to the east. In particular there are doors and windows in these existing buildings which could be severely compromised; o detailing of the junction between the flat at 1st floor level on North Street and the front elevation of the new building needs resolving; o concern about the appearance of the brick section on the front elevation – this needs enlivening by a suitable brick bond and appropriate detailing of window openings. There seems to be an uncomfortable relationship between the two halves (brick and glazing) of the front elevation; o decorative rendered panels on north elevation should be removed. The use of good quality handmade brick laid in Flemish bond preferable to the design shown; o roof vents are visually intrusive and should not be permitted unless they provide discernable and effective environmental benefits intrinsic to the design; o metal gates in courtyard should be recessed.
Thame Town Council – objects for the following reasons:
· not in keeping with character of the area; · design and materials.
English Heritage – Do not wish to offer any comments. Application should be determined in accordance with national and local policy guidance.
Commission for Architecture and Built Environment (CABE) – Have been consulted but have yet to respond. Their response is expected shortly and will be reported to Committee.
Transport Development Control – No objections subject to a condition to ensure that the access ramp to the entrance of the new library does not exceed a gradient of 1 in 12.
County Archaeologist – Proposal lies within an area of high archaeological potential. Recommend inclusion of a condition along the following lines: ‘That no development takes place until a professionally competent archaeological organisation as approved by the Head of Sustainable Development has been commissioned to carry out a full watching brief during the period of construction. The brief shall preserve by record any archaeological features which may arise in the course of works and shall include limited archaeological excavation where necessary and the retrieval of artefactual evidence.
County Ecologist – No objection in principle – the existing roof is unlikely to provide habitat for bat roosts, so no surveys are required. However, if any protected species are found at any point during the development, work must stop until a mitigation strategy has been prepared with Natural England.
Third Party Representations
13. Thirteen responses have been received raising the following issues in relation to the application (copies are available for inspection in the Members’ Resource Centre):
· existing building should be retained and connected internally to provide new library (1 comment); · proposal is not in scale and unsympathetic with the street scene – a mostly Victorian cottage streetscape (5 comments); · materials proposed not sympathetic to ‘softer’ materials of town centre (1 comment); · new library should be located within the proposed redevelopment of the Cattle Market site in the town (3 comments); · for a key community building the design is not inspiring (1 comment); · concerned about loss of toy shop (6 comments); · look forward to removal of current eyesore of the shop front and to having a library in its place (1 comment); · positively like the design for the walls (northern elevation) facing our property (1 comment); · like the courtyard plan (1 comment); · suggest conditions requiring tree protection and obscure glazing in elevation facing 5a North Street (1 comment); · detrimental effect on listed building to west of site (1 comment); · transport assessment required.
Comments of the Head of Sustainable Development
14. The aim of this proposal is to construct a significant public building to provide the library and other community services for Thame into the twenty first century. As such the main issues to be taken into account in the consideration of this application are:
· the need for a new library; · the design of the new development and its impact on the street scene in particular and Thame town centre in general; · the impact of the development on the setting of the nearby listed buildings; and · the loss of the shopping unit from the exiting shopping provision in Thame.
Need for the new library:
15. The existing library in Thame is located at the junction of Southern Road and Rooks Lane, about 200 metres due south of the main shopping area in the town centre (see plan). It comprises a small single storey building with restricted accommodation well below the standard required for a town the size of Thame.
16. The recent expansion of Thame has put more pressure on the library to provide a proper service to the town and with further planned development, it is important that a new library is provided to modern standards to meet the growing demand for library facilities.
Design and effect on street scene:
17. The existing building is currently used as a shop but in the past it has been a cinema. It dates from the 1920’s but has been substantially altered over the years. It is two storeys high and is in my view poorly proportioned, a full width horizontal shop window having been introduced at ground level into a street scheme with buildings having a primarily vertical emphasis as result of small frontages. It is in a poor condition structurally and has a roof of asbestos cement tiles. Retention and refurbishment of the building to provide the new library accommodation wanted is not realistic or financially viable given the need for extensive structural works plus the asbestos removal. The building does not, in my opinion, contribute significantly to the street scene or the character of the conservation area.
18. The other buildings in the block which includes the application site comprise a two storey building immediately next door to the south (in use as a shop) with a three storey building on the end at the junction of North Street with the Butter Market. This is also a shop with residential accommodation above. The remaining properties in North Street to the north (on the west side) are residential whilst those opposite the application site (on the east side) are a mix of shops and cottages. The buildings are nearly all two storey brick built structures, with some white render, under red tiled roofs.
19. The philosophy behind the contemporary approach for this new building is important, as is the reason for the amount of glazing proposed which allows the passer by outside to be able to see into the building to see it functioning as a library and public space. The building itself is not as large as the building already on site and would complement the buildings on this side of North Street in massing and scale. The design of the glazing and window openings in the brick area introduce a vertical emphasis to the building which the present building does not have. As mentioned by the applicant in the details of the proposal, I would expect the brick to be used to reflect the use of brick in adjoining buildings and the town centre, which could also include brick detailing around the windows. The roof would be pitched to the front, sides and rear with roof vents in the middle. The existing elevation to the north is currently rough cast rendered. The new building elevation would be far more interesting with recessed rendered panels within brickwork piers, with trellising within the recesses to aid screen planting.
20. The scheme in my view is a big improvement on the existing building on site and should provide a feature building in this locality and add to the variety of the street scene. Significant public buildings in most small towns take on a different form and scale to the predominantly domestic side of the background urban structure. An existing example in Thame is the Town Hall on the High Street. It is an important public building in its own right contributing to the character of the town centre. It is intended that the new public library should do the same.
21. The question of what is good design and architecture is a subjective matter, nevertheless, because this proposal is of a modern design in a Conservation Area, CABE has been consulted on this development – for an independent objective view of the proposal. In addition, in the light of the fairly detailed design comments made by the District Council, a meeting has been arranged with them to discuss their concerns. Views of CABE and the outcome of the meeting with the District Council will be reported to the Committee.
Impact on nearby listed buildings
22. There is a Grade II listed house (No. 5a North Street) about 20 metres to the north of the site and similarly listed structures, (Nos. 7-10 Butter Market) abutting the site to the west. The house at No. 5a currently looks at the proposed site down its garden and driveway towards the existing 2 storey rough cast elevation of the existing shop. The occupant of the house has submitted comments positively supporting the design for the northern elevation of the new library (the elevation facing the house). The mass and form of the new building will be slightly less to that of the existing building.
23. The western end of the new building abuts the single storey outbuildings which are attached to the rear of No. 7 Butter Market (the former Saracen’s Head Public House which has now been converted to a number of small offices). There is also a small internal courtyard immediately to the south of the site served by a narrow alleyway off the Butter Market. There are two windows at 1st floor level, in the rear of the properties looking out into this courtyard. It is my view that, given that the size and mass of the proposed new building is slightly less than the existing building, then the impact of the new building on these windows should be no worse than the situation existing at present. The setting of the listed buildings in the locality would not be compromised by the proposed development.
Loss of shop
24. A number of local people have expressed concern about the loss of the shop and the detrimental impact this would have on the vitality of the town centre. As shown by the plan attached to the report (download as .doc file), the site is located at the very edge of what is described as the primary shopping frontage in the town and neither the District Council nor the Town Council have objected to the development on the grounds of the loss of shopping accommodation. Indeed there is potential for the replacement of the currently, fairly uninspiring building on the site, with the new library building (attracting people) to actually support the vitality of the town centre.
25. A number of respondents have indicated that they would prefer to see a new library for the town incorporated into the proposals for the redevelopment of the Cattle Market site, located less than 200 metres to the north. Plans for the redevelopment of the Cattle Market site however are some way off and there is a need for new improved library provision in Thame now. A site has now been clearly identified, a scheme has been put together which satisfies the Library Services requirements for Thame and a decision should be made on this application rather than wait for any Cattle Market proposals which may or may not provide an opportunity for library accommodation to come to fruition.
26. In conclusion, this is a great opportunity to develop a new public building in Thame which contributes to both the social and cultural vitality of the town. Subject to conditions covering the use of materials on the building and final detailing to the North Street frontage it should provide a building which contributes to the character and appearance of the street scene, does not adversely impact on the setting of nearby listed buildings, and provides a positive addition to the town centre.
RECOMMENDATION
27. It is RECOMMENDED that, subject to the consideration of any further comments from CABE and South Oxfordshire District Council, Application No. S.20/07 be approved subject to conditions to be approved by the Head of Sustainable Development to cover matters to include the following:
(1) Detailed compliance – that the development be carried out strictly in accordance with the application and accompanying plans. (2) Detailed duration – that the development be commenced within 3 years of the date of this permission. (3) That a schedule of materials for use in the development to be agreed before development commences. (4) That the final detailing of the North Street frontage be submitted for approval before the development commences. (5) That no development takes place until a full archaeological watching brief has been agreed and commissioned and the brief to be implemented during period of construction. (6) That the access ramp to the new library entrance should not exceed a gradient of 1 in 12. (7) That details of hard and soft landscaping to be agreed before development commences. (8) That details of the design and location of the proposed gates into the courtyard are agreed before development commences. (9) That final details for the design of the roof vents to be agreed before development commences. (10) That final details of the proposed works and treatment required to the junction between the new building and the adjacent first floor flat on North Street to be submitted and agreed before development commences. (11) That final details of the proposed drainage scheme for the development shall be submitted and agreed before development commences.
Ecological informative – that should the presence of bats be found in the existing building, no work shall commence on site until a mitigation strategy to deal with them has been agreed with Natural England.
CHRIS COUSINS Head of Sustainable Development Environment & Economy
Background papers: Nil
February 2008
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