Committee to make final call on Garston refusal
Having rejected Peloton Real Estate’s proposals for open storage at Blackburne Street in April, Liverpool City Council’s planning committee will be asked to set out its position ahead of any subsequent appeal.
Officers had recommended approval for the 11.4-acre site, at Garston Industrial Estate, ahead of Liverpool City Council’s 1 April meeting. Strong local opposition was shown, with 10 objectors and a councillor addressing the meeting. A decision was deferred pending a site visit.
That site visit was completed before the subsequent committee meeting on 22 April, but failed to move the dial significantly.
Peloton’s proposal was refused. Cllr Sam Gorst and nine objectors addressed the meeting, raising concerns relating to the increase in traffic and the pollution caused, air quality, contents of containers, the consultation process, anti-social behaviour and vandalism, health and wellbeing of residents and the potential effect on property prices.
In line with committee procedural arrangements, consideration of the application is now referred back to the planning committee to enable a further report setting out the suggested reason for refusal and potential implications of the proposed decision.
Effectively, grounds for refusal do not appear strong on purely planning reasons, and members are now asked if they are prepared to back their decision in the face of officer advice, setting out a council position for any appeal.
Should they commit to ratifying the “minded to refuse” verdict, officers advise that there is only one reason for refusal that looks reasonably defensible on planning grounds.
As set out in the report, that is: “By virtue of the type and frequency of the vehicular traffic generated alongside the associated operational noise and hours of operation, the proposed development would cause harm to the living conditions of the occupiers of nearby residential properties through unacceptable noise and air quality impacts, contrary to Policy R1 of the Liverpool Local Plan.”
As pointed out by officers, “Members are reminded that the applicant would have the option of appealing against the decision which opens the possibility of costs being awarded against the Council, if the council is found to have behaved in an unreasonable manner.
“In addition, there would be an expectation that if any appeal were to be held as a hearing or public enquiry, a representative of Planning Committee would attend to present the views of Committee.”
It is reiterated that in the opinion of officers, consulting with LCC’s environmental health team, the reports on noise and air quality impacts remain unchanged, ie that there would be minimal impact.
The 11.4-acre Blackburne Street site was bought by a joint venture between Peloton Real Estate and investor Moorfield Group for £4m in 2022, the first investment in what was billed as a possible £100m programme in the open storage market.
Savills is advising the development team. The site is allocated for employment in the Local Plan, and is now cleared.
In a separate matter, members will consider an application from YMCA Together for a change of use at Pembroke Studios, Brownlow Hill.
This would see conversion of the upper floors at a block that currently blends ground floor commercial with three floors of student accommodation and two floors of serviced apartments become a supported living scheme.
Application numbers for the projects are 22F/2806 for Garston and 25F/0364 for Pembroke Studios.
