Planning Applications - Hyndburn Borough Council

• This three storey office block would block off the light at the front of her property, which is
directly opposite. As the property is a small terraced house, the front is the main part of the
house.
• Windows in the offices would be directly opposite her bedroom window and will affect her
privacy.
• The development would not be in character with other properties on Game Street.
Relevant policy
Hyndburn Borough Local Plan
Policy E10 Scale, density, design
Observations
The key issues for consideration in this case are the acceptability of the proposal in policy terms,
the design, appearance and scale of the proposed development, its impact on the character and
appearance of the area, and the impact on the amenities of neighbouring residents.
The site lies within an area of mixed use, including residential, retail, office and recreational uses,
and has been used in the past for storage/industrial purposes. It lies within the shopping area of
Great Harwood as defined in the Proposals Map of the Hyndburn Borough Local Plan. Office uses
are considered appropriate within town centre sites such as this, and Planning Policy Statement 6:
Planning for Town Centres encourages the more efficient use of land and buildings within town
centres through redevelopment where appropriate. The scheme involves the provision of 240m² of
office space over three floors, with an estimated 12 staff to be employed at the premises. In my
opinion, the proposed development is acceptable in principle in policy terms, and would bring
welcome investment into the town centre.
The footprint of the proposed building would measure 10m x 9-10m, slightly larger than that of the
existing building on the site. The existing building is single-storey with a flat roof 3.7m high,
whilst the proposed building would be two-storey with accommodation in the roof space and a
ridge height of 10.2m. Although the residential properties to the south and immediately to the west
of the site are two-storey, there are existing three-storey properties in the town centre, including
nearby properties on Game Street/Blackburn Road, and the adjoining site on Town Hall Street has
planning permission for a three-storey development of flats with a maximum height 1m higher than
proposed in this scheme. In my opinion, in terms of streetscape, the scale of the development is not
excessive in this town centre location.
The proposed building would be constructed of artificial stone and slate, with detailing of stone
quoins and parapet coping. In design and appearance it would be appropriate in this location and
would positively enhance the character and appearance of the area.
There are residential properties directly across Game Street and also to the west of the site, beyond
the sub station. The minimum separation distance to the properties across Game Street is 11m,
which is the same separation between the existing residential properties on the opposite sides of
Game Street. There would be some loss of amenity to the occupiers of the Game Street properties
due to the limited separation distance and the height of the proposed building, but in my opinion
this would not be of sufficient degree to warrant refusal. The scheme has been designed to include
only high-level windows facing onto the Game Street properties and onto the new flat development
to the rear, and this would prevent overlooking. The proposal is likely to result in some increased
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