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NO LONGER IN THE LIME OF FIRE – PLANNING UPDATE (29.10.13)

Submitted by Editor on

An application to build a 2-storey mews house in Northumberland Street North West Lane has been withdrawn (Ref. 13/04398/FUL).

We covered the proposal in September (Breaking news, 8.9.13; 16.9.13).   

It had caused considerable controversy locally owing to the possible fatal damage which pruning and foundation work might cause to a prominent old lime on land adjacent.

Doubts were also raised about the plans' validity owing to disputed ownership of a boundary wall.

Twenty-four letters of objection were sent in to the Council, plus two from the New Town and Broughton Community Council and Great King Street Association.

The developer – Hanover Street-based Torran LLP – apparently withdrew its application by email on 23 October, but we do not know why.

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Arduni Limited want to add a roof terrace and surrounding balustrade; replace a garage door and window; and reconfigure a communal entrance door to create separate private entrances for 17a and 17b Dublin Street Lane South (behind and uphill from Albany Street).

Oh yes, and to raise the parapet and apply a new render finish to the front elevation (Ref. 13/04398/FUL).

We may be architecturally tone-deaf, but the proposed south-facing elevation – clashing heights, styles and materials – reminds Spurtle of a drum kit falling down stairs. This effect, described and interpreted differently, is apparently deliberate. See what you think here.

Arduni Limited is a property company based in Aberdeen.

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A new mews house could rise on the site of a single-storey double garage behind 29 Great King Street (Ref. 13/03353/FUL). 

The proposal – for 4 bedrooms and 1 car parking space – would use a naturally sloping site to form 3 levels and front onto Northumberland Street North East Lane. It would have a floor area of about 1,500 sq.ft.

'The proposed mews house has been designed to reflect the scale, building height and materials of the recently completed, neighbouring property at No.12 Northumberland Street Lane North East,' reads the Planning Design Statement by architects Gilberts Ltd. 'It is intended to provide a compact, four bedroom family home in a quiet and attractive part of the city centre.'

At first glance, despite rueing the loss of yet more open space in the New Town, we like it.

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The Bellevue Cash-and-Carry at 30 McDonald Place is applying to extend its opening hours to 7am–8pm Monday-Friday, and 8.30am–noon on Sunday (Ref. 13/04453/FUL).

Temporary planning consent (Ref 12/002594/FUL) was granted in October last year, for 12 months, to vary the hours of operation here including deliveries (Breaking news, 16.10.12).

Since then, no complaints about noise have been filed by neighbouring residents.

A noise assessment commissioned by the applicant and undertaken by acoustic consultants Sharps Redmore concluded that 'the site can continue to operate between the above hours without causing significant adverse impact on health and quality of life of local residents in accordance with national and local policy aims'.

How comforting.