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Premier Inn decision deferred for 2nd time

Monday, 9 March 2020 10:11

By Daniel Clark, Local Democracy Reporting Service

CGI of the Ashburton Premier Inn plans

It's set to be built off the A38 at Ashburton.

An original scheme was recommended for refusal back in October 2019, but a decision by the Dartmoor National Park Authority was deferred after late information on the impact on the South Hams SAC was received and concerns were raised about the design.

The latest meeting was set to decide on a new iteration of the plans with alternative designs, with officers still recommending refusal.

The report to the meeting says that hotel is small scale tourism development, there is still insufficient information has been submitted to assess the likely impact from the proposed development on bats, and the proposed hotel, by reason of its bulk, scale and poor design is considered contrary to Local Plan policies.

But as the meeting began, Philip Sanders, chairman of the committee, announced the item had been deferred following late submission after the publication of the agenda of technical reports on ecological matters to address the reason for refusal.

Chris Hart, planning team manager, said that as the Authority needs to re-consult with Natural England and assess the information, it was not possible to have done so ahead of the meeting, so recommended it be deferred to the next meeting.

After the deferral, Paul Smith, Acquisition Manager at Premier Inn, said: “The Dartmoor National Park Authority has decided to defer our planning application for a new Premier Inn hotel in Ashburton for a second time, so they can consider additional ecological information in relation to bat habitats.  Natural England has been consulted on these ecology surveys and is satisfied, but they are still under consideration by a DNPA ecologist.

“We recognise the decision and are committed to presenting the application with confidence to the Development Management Committee when the committee date is rescheduled.

“Since the application was deferred for the first time (in October 2019), we have held detailed discussions with DNPA officers and have altered the design of the hotel in line with advice from officers to produce a bespoke architectural style that reflects the local environment.

“We are proposing a high quality, bespoke hotel for Ashburton which brings with it a wide range of benefits including £5.2 million of direct private investment, approximately 30 new year-round jobs and more choice of accommodation for people wanting to stay in Ashburton and the National Park.

“The scheme would also kick-start the regeneration of the stalled development at Dolbeare Business Park which won’t be possible without the hotel investment.  Without funds from the sale of the land, the owner of Dolbeare Business Park would not be able to commence and complete the infrastructure works required for the whole site.

“Overall, these proposals promise to strengthen Ashburton and the National Park’s economy, adding to it and complementing existing facilities in the town and the park.”

Planners though had recommended refusal, saying: “The proposed building is designed in an unsympathetic style which does not fit comfortably in this location. It uses neither local stone, or sympathetic window design.

“The Agent was advised to address either a more vernacular style or a landmark contemporary scheme, neither of which, it is considered, have been achieved with this revised design. Any new application would need to be reduced substantially in scale, bulk and massing, to overcome the reasons for refusal of this application.

“It is considered that the desired number of guest rooms in the hotel results in the scale being excessive for this site within the National Park, whilst the design is considered bulky, overbearing and a poor reflection of the location and local vernacular.

“It is not for a small scale hotel, in the context of the National Park and there is insufficient detail to demonstrate that there would be financial and economic benefit to the locality, which would not otherwise be gained by an employment use on this site.”

The same meeting also saw a decision over plans to allow an historic Domesday Manor to be used as a holiday let deferred.

Canonteign Manor in Christow is mentioned in the Domesday Book and became a home for King Charles I and his troops when the war broke out in 1642.

The impressive Grade I listed stately home is owned by Liqun Peng, and he had asked Dartmoor National Park planners for permission to enable the Manor House in Christow to be used as a holiday let.

Initially officers had recommended refusal, but Mr Peng has since revised the scheme following concerns holiday let usage would have an unacceptable effect on near neighbours, in particular, the use of outdoor space including the swimming pool, hot tub and garden which will adversely affect the quiet enjoyment of neighbouring residents.

The new scheme would see the swimming decommissioned, emptied and covered to take it out of action, has been submitted, while the southernmost section of the garden will be fenced off and won’t be available for holiday makers to use.

But Mr Hart said that there had been a legal challenge in relation to the contents of the report and as discussion with lawyers were still ongoing and the Authority will need to react in an appropriate manner, the item was withdrawn from the agenda as deferred until the next meeting.

 

 

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