NEW FLATS PLAN FOR FUSION HOUSE – PLANNING UPDATE

Submitted by Editor on Tue, 15/04/2014 - 09:57

AMA (New Town) Ltd has applied for planning consent to convert 73 Logie Green Road into 34 residential units with 32 car parking spaces (Ref. 14/01376/FUL).

Fusion House – so far fusing only the wrong kind of office space, location and economic climate – has not been occupied since it was built in 2008. AMA says occupancy of similar ‘peripheral’ spaces (e.g. Tanfield, 97/99 McDonald Rd, Eliot House, Bonnington Bond, Claremont House) has been very slow and shows little sign of improving.

The new plan comprises subdividing and converting open-plan office space into 23 one-bedroom, 4 two-bedroom and 7 three-bedroom apartments. It would add external ‘access walkways’ at first, second and third-floor levels facing north. Although mostly unseen except from the former printworks, to Spurtle’s eye, the new elevation would be an improvement on what was otherwise a somewhat uncompromising slab of red brick and glass.

AMA sought and received permission to convert the property into a care home for up to 90 residents back in spring 2010 (Ref. 10/00228/FUL). It said it had identified a likely buyer and expected to create 50 jobs (Breaking news, 1.3.10; 6.4.10).

*****

Planning permission has been granted for the demolition of 2 garages and their replacement by one 3-bedroom and one 4-bedroom mews house at 11 Broughton Place Lane (Ref.13/02558/FUL; Breaking news, 13.7.13).

*****

Watkin Jones' application to extend trading hours at Lidl's (as yet unbuilt) new store on Logie Green Road has been consented (Ref. 14/00417/FUL; Breaking news, 12.2.14).

A Council report said the change would not have an adverse impact on neighbouring amenity and did not rase any transport or parking issues.

A condition of consent was that hours of deliveries and collections – including waste collections – should be limited to 7am–7pm (Mon–Sat) and 9am–7pm (Sun).

*****

Forrest have gained retrospective planning permission for their bigger-than-at-first-consented hoarding on Croall Place (Ref. 14/00624/ADV; Breaking news, 6.3.14) despite 16 objections.

The Development Management subcommittee voted narrowly in favour, considering that the advertisement did not constitute a loss of amenity.

Forrest must, however, reduce the intensity of illumination, limit the frequency with which images change, and restrict the display to static (not moving) images.

Consent is limited to 5 years, after which everything must be restored here to how it was before.

---------------