Shrewsbury & Atcham
Borough Council

PRESENT: Councillor Bebb * (Chairman)

Councillors: Armstrong*, Clarke*, Farmer*, Mrs. Jones, Kenny, Lord, Moore, Richey*, Roberts*, Sambrook*, Sheppard*, Thurston*, and J M Williams.

(* Denotes attendance at site visits)

Also in Attendance: Councillors Mrs. Allaway, Mrs. Chebsey, Cooke, Jetson and Townsend.

Officers in Attendance: Planning Services Manager, Head of Development Control, Head of Conservation and Design, Assistant Chief Executive (Monitoring Officer) and Senior Committee Services Officer.

MINUTES: 18^th December 2006 - confirmed

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Councillors Mrs Owen, Mrs Williams and S J Williams (Councillors Armstrong, Mrs. Jones and Roberts were in attendance as their substitutes).

01/07 THE STEW, FRANKWELL QUAY, SHREWSBURY

Consideration was given to a report of the Planning Services Manager on a reference from the Development Control and Environmental Protection Committee held on the 9^th January 2007 in relation to the erection of a four storey hotel with parking and storage at ground floor level, accommodation in the roofspace and a roof terrace following the demolition of the existing building at The Stew, Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury (Application Reference: 06/0265/F).

At their meeting on 5^th December 2006 the Development Control and Environmental Protection Committee had resolved to approve the application contrary to the officer’s recommendation. At their meeting on 9^th January 2007 the Development Control and Environmental Protection Committee considered a further report from the officers informing members that, following a third party respondent questioning whether the Borough Council still had an interest in the building, advice had been sought from the Government Office for the West Midlands and they had advised the Borough Council to refer the application to them for a decision on whether it should be called-in and subject to a public inquiry. The Development Control and Environmental Protection Committee subsequently decided at their meeting on 9^th January 2007 that if the application was not called-in by the Government Office for the West Midlands then, due to new information being available, it would be referred to the Planning Committee for determination, in accordance with the planning procedure adopted by the Council, as it constituted a significant departure from the Development Plan.

Members had visited the site.

In accordance with the Council’s Scheme of Public Speaking on Planning Applications Mr. R. Morriss spoke against the application and Mr. G. Leese, the applicant, responded.

Councillors Mrs. Chebsey and Cooke also spoke on the application.

The Chairman referred to a schedule of additional letters that had been circulated at the meeting.

That the application for the erection of a four storey hotel with parking and storage at ground floor level, accommodation in the roofspace and a roof terrace following the demolition of the existing building at The Stew, Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury (Application Reference: 06/0265/F) be refused for the following reasons:

The Local Planning Authority considers that no compelling case for the demolition of the existing building has been satisfactorily demonstrated and hence the proposed development will neither preserve or enhance the character or appearance of this part of the Shrewsbury Town Centre Conservation Area and would be contrary to Policy P24 (The Historic Built Environment) of the Joint Structure Plan, Policy HE9 (Demolition of Buildings in Conservation Areas) of the Borough Local Plan and Planning Policy Guidance Note 15: Planning and the Historic Environment.

(Councillor Richey wished it to be recorded that he took no part in the discussion and voting on this item.)

Members of the Planning Committee determined that the application be refused contrary to the recommendation from the Development Control and Environmental Protection Committee.

5.30 p.m. - 6.35 p.m.