the challenge
A client who had been leasing commercial premises for around twenty years had found and purchased a site to create a long term base for their business.
Only after purchase did they discover that the planning consents for residential development had expired in 2010, moreover it had been designated as a flood zone rendering the land's residential development value to nil!
Whilst our client was not seeking consent for a residential development, similar logic would be applied to granting planning for a commercial premises, with the local planning authority and the EA preferring to see new developments of this type located on land with a lower flood risk. A further challenge to be dealth with was the sites proximity to a Grade 1 Listed property know as Llanthony Secunda.
Lastly, just as we were about to receive planning consent for the development, the Gloucestershire Highway Authority deemed that additional land was required to facilitate the widening of the north-west bypass, reducing the width of the site by at least 3 metres throughout its length.
the solution
In order to justify development in this location the EA and the LPA required proof that the site was the only one available for development within the Gloucester City Council boundary - a tall order given the numerous sites available around Gloucester.
We demonstrated that the location of our client's top ten competitors, and their proximity to their existing and proposed sites, meant moving to any other location could impact on our client's business. We also showed that their site needed to be located on an A Classified Road. After detailed discussions it was agreed that we could provide evidence based on a reduced search area.
The proximity to the Llanthony Secunda Grade 1 Listed site, and its prominent location on a gateway entry into the city, also meant we had to ensure that the design of the property not only satisfied our client's brief, but also met with the approval of the LPA's Conservation Officers and Urban Design.
