-Site: 1-130 Shuttleworth House, Lincoln, LN2 5DX

Application No: 2014/0097/RG3

Target Date: 09 April 2014

Agent:

Applicant: Mr Kevin Bowring

Development: Erection of a single-storey plant room and external alterations to the flats consisting of replacement windows and balcony doors, cladding of building and installation of 2 flues to south-facing elevation.

Background The proposal involves the erection of a single storey plant room to the south side of Shuttleworth House Stamp End Lincoln, to house a district heating biomass boiler. In addition the application proposes the re-cladding and insulation of the whole building and the installation of 2 no flues to the south facing elevation to serve the biomass boiler and the replacement of windows and balcony doors to all external elevations. Shuttleworth House is a large multi storey block of flats built circa 1960’s, within Local Authority Control on a prominent site on the Stamp End area; a predominately residential area with low and medium rise buildings approximately 1 mile from Lincoln City Centre. The site is adjacent to the River Witham Site Visit Undertaken on 7th March 2014 Issues

• Planning Policy

• Residential Amenity

• Noise

• Visual Impact

• Impact on existing trees

• Flood Risk Policies Referred to 1 34 - Design

and Amenity Standards

Planning permission will be granted for new buildings, extensions, alterations or refurbishment of existing buildings which meet the following requirements scale, height, siting, layout, maximise energy efficiency, protect existing residential amenity, provide suitable landscaping and boundary treatment, where practical should contribute to nature conservation.

2 National Planning Policy Framework

National Planning Policy Framework

Consultations Consultations were carried out in accordance with the Statement of Community Involvement, adopted June 2006. Responses Environment Agency

planl.lincoln2.an@environment-agency.gov.uk Waterside House Waterside North Lincoln LN2 5HA

No comments

Environmental Health

Environmental Health Comment relating to contaminated land if found should be reported.

Upper Witham Internal Drainage Board

J1 The Point Weaver Road Lincoln LN6 3QN Attn. Mr K Pratt

Comment no objections surface water disposal should not be detrimental to drainage standards

Mr J Ranshaw 6 Shuttleworth House Stamp End Lincoln Lincolnshire LN2 5DX

Comment

Highways & Planning

Lincolnshire County Council No objections

Consideration Planning Policy The National Planning Policy Framework requires that Local planning authorities should adopt proactive strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change, taking full account of flood risk. To support the move to a low carbon future, local authorities should: plan for new development in locations and ways which reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and support energy efficiency improvements to existing buildings. The proposed boiler is a biomass boiler which will run on wood pellet fuel, delivered via HGV on a fortnightly basis. The boiler house also has two back up gas boilers in case of the failure of the biomass boiler. The proposal is intended to be energy efficient with an SAP (Standard Assessment rating) of 15-20% which is an improvement on average in comparison to the current rating, and is likely to generate savings for residents on heating and hot water of approximately £250 per year. The proposal will involve the improvement of the thermal performance of the existing building and will also serve to reduce the carbon footprint of Shuttleworth House. The refurbishment of the building is energy efficiency led and the development should improve the energy efficiency of the building and the level of comfort for the buildings occupants.

Residential Amenity/Impact of Noise In addition to the physical improvements to the building the recladding of the building will improve the visual appearance of Shuttleworth House which is a prominent building in the local and wider area due to its height and bulk. The proposed boiler house is to be sited on the south side of the flats away from neighbouring residential properties in order to minimise the potential impact of noise from the boiler house and also from deliveries of the biomass by a heavy goods vehicle. Deliveries will be made via a purpose built parking area adjacent to the boiler house to enable delivery vehicles to discharge the biomass fuel directly into a storage area within the boiler house by a pellet transfer pipe. The main source of noise from the development has been identified as the noise from delivery vehicles in a noise report submitted with the application. The noise report states that deliveries will be reduced to 30 minute intervals in order to lower the 1 hour noise level of a delivery. The noise potential of a vehicle of this type is 82(dB) per hour. This is because the delivery takes place by pneumatic transfer from the vehicle to the storage receptacle within the building. Deliveries are to take place between the hours of 08:00 am and 18:00 pm on week days. A condition can be imposed in order to ensure that the times of the deliveries are controlled. Noise levels from the boiler house will be at 48.0 (dB) 1 metre from the building during use. What the advice from Environmental Health is that the noise levels from the proposed boiler house will be unlikely to cause any significant additional noise sources which could be cause for complaints by neighbouring residential and other properties either in Shuttleworth House or adjacent to the site. Normal noise levels for example range from 20 -30 dB in a quiet bedroom, 30-40dB in a living room during daytime hours, 40-50 dB in a typical office environment, and 50-60 dB inside a car. A typical high street has noise levels at around 60-70 dB. None of the predicted noise levels during the operation of the boiler house are expected to increase the level of noise significantly and the main source of noise from the development will be from deliveries to the site. These have been agreed to be restricted to 30 minute intervals at a time and will be no more intrusive than that of the collection of refuse from the site by a refuse vehicle. Visual Impact The proposal will improve the visual appearance of the existing building from the provision of new windows and doors as well as the cladding of the building. The colour of the cladding will be in Keim Granital 9153 which is similar to the existing building colour, the balcony will be decorated in Keim Granital 9233 and the existing black balcony panels will remain unchanged. A coloured up photograph is attached to the report to demonstrate the proposed colours once the development has been carried out. The proposed flue pipes are to be installed along the full height of the south elevation of the building. They are proposed in powder coated steel to match the external wall insulation system, and will connect the boiler house via a flue bridge for the biomass and gas back up boilers, with the main building. The flue bridge will be at a height which will not interfere with to the fire escape access at the foot of the building. The boiler building will be of a flat roofed steel construction clad in cedar timber cladding and will be on a raised platform. The length of the building will be 17.3 metres by 4.3 metres wide. Whilst the proposed boiler building is of a significant size, in terms of the visual appearance of the building the main Shuttleworth House is a multi storey building together with the existing associated garages and associated outbuildings, and the visual impact of the proposed building on the scale and mass of the existing buildings is considered to be minimal and will not adversely affect the character and appearance of the street scene from this prominent position on Stamp End.

Impact on the Existing Trees. There are 7 no existing copper beech trees at the front of the application site. Two trees to the south elevation adjacent to the existing car park and car park entrance close to Lytton Street are affected one closest to the building will need to be removed, the other may be affected by the proposed parking and turning area for the delivery vehicles. The applicants state that they intend to only take out one tree, but comments from the Tree Officer suggest that two trees will be affected. The applicants propose additional planting to replace the loss of tree(s) and a condition can be imposed in order to secure a suitable scheme of planting in order to mitigate the loss of trees and to integrate the development into the existing street scene. As the proposed siting of the building is in order to reduce the impact of the proposal in terms of noise and disturbance it is considered that the loss of the tree(s) are acceptable subject to suitable scheme of replanting of appropriate species. An additional plan has been requested to show where the applicants intend to replant. Flood Risk Assessment The proposed building is to be sited on a 700mm raised platform in accordance with advice given by the Environment Agency and submitted in accordance with a flood risk assessment submitted with the application. The aim of the NPPF in relation to flood risk is to steer development to areas of the lowest probability of flooding. It is not possible to do so in this instance as Shuttleworth House is located in flood zone 2 and 3a and the location is fixed. In order to mitigate the potential for flood risk the floor levels are raised in order to minimise the impact of any potential flooding. The adjacent watercourse is the River Witham. Previous data on flooding which has occurred at the site gives levels of 450mm or 18 inches above floor level. Therefore the raised levels of 700mm should be sufficient to prevent potential flood damage to the new boiler house. Guidance given by the Environment Agency relating to development in flood zones 2 and 3 suggests that floor levels should be set at a minimum of 300mm above the know or modelled 1 in 100 year river flood level. The proposed floor levels of the boiler building exceed this model and are considered acceptable and in accordance with the EA guidance. The applicant has worked with the EA in order to ensure that the boiler plant will be position a minimum of 538mm above the flood level. Conclusion In view of the information contained in the NPPF and the criteria set out in policies of the City of Lincoln Local Plan and advice given by the Environment Agency in relation to flood risk in areas prone to flooding in zones 2 and 3. The proposal is considered to be acceptable and is recommended for approval. Financial Implications None. Legal Implications None.

Application Negotiated Either at Pre-Application or During Process of Application Yes with Simon Cousins. Equality Implications None. Application Determined Within Target Date Yes. Recommendation That planning permission is granted. Conditions

1) Time limit 3 years (standard) 2) Details in accordance with submitted plans and information. 3) Materials to be submitted and agreed in writing 4) Highways layout of parking and turning areas for delivery vehicles. 5) Floor levels (flood risk) 6) Details in accordance with the FRA 7) Contamination to be reported if found on site. 8) Landscaping additional planting. 9) Tree Protection. 10) No storage under or near existing trees. 11) Storage of materials within the site 12) Hours of operation for delivery times

Report by: Planning Manager