Agenda item

Demolition of workshop and erection of 1 No. detached dwelling with associated works at Workshop, Quay Lane, Minehead, TA24 5QU

Demolition of workshop and erection of 1 No. detached dwelling with associated works at Workshop, Quay Lane, Minehead, TA24 5QU

Comments by members of the public included;

·       Concerns the application site once formed part of the residential curtilage of Proctors, Northfield Road’. ‘Proctors ‘never owned this site area in question. The conveyance document dated October 1946, when the house name was ‘Glenleigh’, and it makes reference to parts of this site area and the property to the West, as having belonging to ‘The Minehead Land Company’, and ‘The Minehead Electric Supply Company Ltd.’ Also at some time, the MOD had a Drill Hall on the site, and following that, the ‘Brotherhood ‘used it as a mission hall;

·       There was no vehicle access from Quay Lane to Martlet Road, only pedestrian access;

·       Concerns that the dwellings surrounding the site have all been erected through garden development from host dwellings along Northfield Road and Blenheim Road. Again this statement is incorrect, as ‘Proctors ‘, formerly ‘Glenleigh’, at no time owned this land;

·       Concerns with the statement that the existing building was in sound weather tight condition, and currently used as a workshop and store as ancillary space to the former owners residential dwelling. This statement was incorrect, as this building and site was never under the ownership of the ‘Proctors’ property, except for an area around the garage to the North of the workshop site;

·       Concerns with right of way over a 3m wide section of the site for vehicle parking within the garage;

·       Character and Appearance;

·       Concerns that most of the dwellings were relatively modern and formed part of the rear gardens of dwellings along Northfield Road and Blenheim Road;

·       Concerns with discrepancies with the existing floor plan and the proposed floor plan drawings. The North side wall of the existing garage is one distance from the South wall of my garage, then the North wall of the proposed building, has moved more than halfway across the shared maintenance access way, towards my garage. On their drawing, my boundary line is shown to the West of the rear of my garage, and then shown dotted between the two garages, but no boundary line to the front of my garage, is not shown. This, as shown on my documents, runs from the East end of the workshop garage, in a North direction to my boundary, and this area is within the ‘Proctors ‘ boundary;

·       Access to this site was very constricted. Concerns with the uninterrupted access to my garage and rear gateway, while the work proposed, was being carried out;

·       Concerns with the adverse effect that this would have on its foundations, being an old pre-cast concrete building;

·       Concerns with the reservations as to the viability of this proposal because the construction traffic arising would create a completely unacceptable degree of obstruction off Quay Lane. This being a public highway upon which the proposed dwelling also has the use of the external space to the rear of the Eastern garage. Construction of the bike store and enclosed external space would be a breach of my legal easement, being also enjoyed by the affected neighbouring garage;

Comments by Members included;

·       Over development of the site;

·       Access issues for emergency vehicles;

·       Concerns with the footprint and overlooking;

·       No objections from Highways;

Councillor Habgood proposed and Councillor Hill seconded a motion for the application to be APPROVED with Condition 4 requiring either a licence from Natural England or a bird and bat roost assessment from the licensed ecologist removed.

The Motion was carried.