Consent for this was granted early in July. The unit is the landmark building with the witch’s hat roof in the centre of the image. The building is identified as “outstanding” in its contribution to the conservation area. The scheme will help revitalising the town centre with a more suitable mix of uses.
We submitted this application in May last year. The application period was exceedingly protracted because it was caught up in the hiatus caused by both the case officer, and the principal planning officer, leaving the authority at the same time, just as the application was about to be determined. A new team ended up completely re-assessing it. It is a shocking service failure. The unit is in the heart of the town, and being vacant is a drag on the vitality of the place, not to mention the huge cost to our client.
