8 Belmont Road Hereford Herefordshire HR2 7JE

1. 1.By virtue of its proposed use and siting in close proximity to residential properties, the development would result in unacceptable adverse noise impacts and fail to safeguard the residential amenity of current and future occupiers. The proposal is contrary to Policy SD1 of the Herefordshire Local Plan – Core Strategy 2011-2031, which is consistent with Paragraphs 135f and 198 of the National Planning Policy Framework.
2. 2.The proposed use, siting, access and customer/visitor arrangements, taking into account all reasonable future scenarios including noting the reliance on third party land to access the site and current localised private parking stress, would represent an unacceptable risk to both highway and pedestrian safety, which cannot be mitigated to an acceptable degree. As such, the proposal is contrary to Policies SS4 and MT1 of the Herefordshire Local Plan – Core Strategy 2011-2031 and the National Planning Policy Framework, with particular respect to Paragraphs 116 and 117.
3. 3.The application site lies within Flood Zone 3 on land which benefits from flood defences and which is subject to other forms of flood risk, namely surface water flooding. The proposal is not considered to fall within ‘minor development and changes of use’ as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework which would normally exclude the proposal from being subject to the sequential test for flood risk. On that understanding, the proposal has failed to demonstrate that there are other sequentially acceptable sites which are not subject to a risk of flooding in steering new development to areas with the lowest risk of flooding from any source. The proposal would fail the planning and flood risk sequential test, as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework and Planning Practice Guidance on flood risk and coastal change. In also noting the absence of a viable and acceptable means of surface water disposal given the unacceptance of connection by the statutory undertaker, which may raise otherwise flood risk elsewhere, the proposal is contrary to Policy SD3 of the Herefordshire Local Plan – Core Strategy 2011-2031 and the National Planning Policy Framework, having particular regard to Paragraphs 170 – 182 inclusive.
4. 4.The application site lies within the Hereford Central Area Conservation Area, a designated heritage asset. In the absence of sufficient and proportionate supporting information which describes the significance of any heritage assets affected, itself contrary to Paragraph 207 of the National Planning Policy Framework, the Local Planning Authority considers that by virtue of its use, siting and appearance, the proposal would harm the visual amenity and form an incongruous and unduly intrusive addition to the streetscene, undermining the Hereford Central Area Conservation Area hereabouts. The level of harm identified is viewed to be ‘less than substantial’, which would not be outweighed by the minor public benefits. The proposal is contrary to Policies SS6, LD1, LD4 and SD1 of the Herefordshire Local Plan – Core Strategy 2011- 2031, Paragraphs 207 and 215 of the National Planning Policy Framework and Section 72 of The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, which places a statutory duty to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of a conservation area.

From the council's decision notice.

Postcode

HR2 7JE

Application type

Planning Permission

Scale / size

Medium

Parish

Hereford

Date validated

20 January 2025

Consultation expiry

2 March 2025

Consultation start

31 January 2025

Consultation end

2 March 2025

Last date for comments

2 March 2025

Target decision date

30 April 2025

Agent address

DPM (Design Project Management) Services Ltd 9 Marlborough Way Ashby De La Zouch LE65 2NN

Statutory period

100 days

Last advertised

31 January 2025

Documents

24