The development control meeting heard that the plan was recommended for refusal by officers due to the loss of a community facility
Plans to convert a post office into a wine bar have been refused by councillors, amid a lack of “clarity” about proposals to relocate it across the road to an animal feeds store.
Postmaster Mrs Barbara Poole had applied for planning permission to change the use of the ground floor of the building, on Blackburn Road, Rising Bridge. The development control meeting heard that the plan was recommended for refusal by officers due to the loss of a community facility, as well as unsympathetic design materials. That came after a promised update to architect’s plans did not arrive in time.
Planning agent Trevor Hobday said he had not been informed until the evening of the committee that the updated plans had not arrived, adding he found it “unacceptable”.
He told the meeting: “The premises are currently retail, with a post office counter and an off licence licensed to sell alcohol until 10 in the evening. The proposal would have no adverse effect on residents. There are double yellow lines in the vicinity of the site.
“The post office facility at Rising Bridge will not close. There are no suitable reasons for withholding planning permission.”
Mr Hobday confirmed on more than one occasion that two “definitive emails” had been sent from the Post Office, stating “categorically and without doubt” that they are in the process of transferring the counter across the road - adding that planning permission was “not required” for them to do that. However, planning manager James Dalgleish stated that this was open to question, and covered matters outside the scope of this application, saying it was “premature”.
Coun Liz McInnes also queried the suitability of the proposed corn mill site for the relocated service, noting: “I’ve never come across a post office being transferred to an animal feeds store. It doesn’t strike me as an ideal place for people to access post office services.”
And Coun Ann Kenyon, who called in the proposal in her local ward, said: “There’s nowhere for them to park across the road at the corn mill. How much more have these residents got to put up with? There are double yellow lines, but people park there all day and every day knowing there’s no parking warden.”
Mr Dalgleish said an application for a Lawful Development Certificate would be the appropriate way for the applicant to proceed, adding: “The applicant may feel they don’t need that, but we don’t have that clarity. If it doesn’t need planning permission then fair enough, but that hasn’t been demonstrated to us yet.”
The application was refused.