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Committee Date: 05/02/2015 Application Number: 2014/08621/PA

Accepted: 26/11/2014 Application Type: Full Planning

Target Date: 21/01/2015

Ward: Selly Oak

Wesley International House, 52 Oakfield Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham, B29 7EQ

Change of use from student accommodation to hotel and student accommodation. Alterations including new windows to guest rooms, covered walkway, landscaping and 10 parking spaces Applicant: The Wesley

81-103 Euston Street, London, NW1 2EZ Agent: Manalo & White Architects

Unit 301, Metropolitan Wharf Building, London, E1W 3SS

Recommendation Approve Subject To Conditions 1. Proposal 1.1. Planning permission is sought for the change of use of existing student

accommodation that has been located on the site since the early 1950’s to student accommodation and a hotel. The property would be split roughly 50/50 between the two uses with the west half student accommodation and the east half, hotel (with 21 rooms). The change of use would require a number of internal alterations which do not require planning permission and a number of external alterations including windows and doors, which do require planning permission.

1.2. The external alterations would comprise:

• Front Elevation to Oakfield Road – existing window removed and new door inserted in the western half of the building (post war addition) to create a new student entrance. New roof light to be inserted into roof of original building.

• Eastern Road Elevation – existing garage doors removed and in filled with new ground floor window inserted into post war addition building. Two new roof lights to be inserted into the roof slope of the original building.

• Rear of building – New roof light to rear elevation of original building and new ground floor window inserted into post war addition.

• Within internal (but open to elements) courtyard linking original building to post war addition – new covered external access ramp which would be accessed from hotel entrance lobby located within the original building.

• Formal laying out of 10 car parking spaces including two specifically for disabled use. The ten spaces include two that are located off Eastern Road and currently form access to a double garage.

1.3. The internal alterations would comprise:

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• Ground floor – creation within existing room layouts of dining room and bar lounge, kitchen, entrance lobby and 6 double en-suite bedrooms for the proposed hotel.

• First Floor – provision of 10 en-suite bedrooms comprising 3 single and 7 doubles.

• Second Floor – provision of 5 en-suite double bedrooms. 1.4. The planning application is supported by an Operator’s Management Strategy, Flood

Risk Assessment, Design and Access Statement and Swept Path Analysis.

1.5. Site area: 0.4Ha. Proposed Ground Floor Plan Proposed First Floor Plan Proposed Second Floor Plan Proposed Front and Rear Elevations

2. Site & Surroundings 2.1. The site is located on Oakfield Road, approximately two miles south east of

Birmingham city centre, just off the A441 and south of Bourn Brook. It is within the Selly Park conservation area.

2.2. The site, on which The Wesley International House is situated, adjoins Oakfield Road, running east-west, and Eastern Road running north-south. The building is accessed from the front along Oakfield Road via an under-utilised parking area. Access to the rear is via locked gates in fences, or through the building itself. The building is a combination of the original Edwardian property and a series of post-war extensions. The original building is laid out over three storeys and a partial basement. It contains the reception, student cooking/dining facilities, lounge areas and locker room on the ground floor and student accommodation on the first and second floor. The annexe is laid out over one floor and the rest of the building’s extensions are laid out over two. All these extensions contain student accommodation apart from the extension to the north east of the building which is currently rented out privately. The privately rented extension and the annexe to its south have entrance levels approximately 0.5m below the rest of the building. The space where this drop occurs is a courtyard located between the annex and the original building. It is currently used for bike storage and is the only access link between these two parts of the building. The locker room to the rear of the courtyard is part of this extension but is laid out at the same level as the original building.

Site Location Map Street View

3. Planning History 3.1. 18 September 2014. 2014/08621/PA. Favourable pre-application advice given for

the change of use from student accommodation to student accommodation and hotel.

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3.2. 31 March 2004. 2004/00903/PA. Planning permission granted for a two storey bedroom extension.

3.3. 21 August 2003. 2003/03822/PA. Planning permission refused on design grounds

for the erection of two storey bedroom extension. 3.4. 14 July 2003. 2003/028766/PA. Planning permission granted for alterations and

entrance ramps to facilitate the movement of disabled persons around premises. 3.5. 30 October 1990. 1990/04107/PA. Planning permission granted for the erection of a

two storey extension to existing wardens flat. 3.6. 4 October 1973. 14068006. Planning permission granted for a bedroom block and

dining room extension.

3.7. 15 July 1965. 14068004. Planning permission granted for a hostel. 3.8. 29 June 1961. 14068003. Planning permission granted for the erection of a new

wing. 3.9. 15 August 1957. 14068002. Planning permission granted for the conversion of an

existing garage into a student hostel. 3.10. 18 August 1956. 14068001. Planning permission granted for a hostel. 3.11. 5 May 1954. 14068000. Planning permission granted for use as international centre

and hostel. 4. Consultation/PP Responses 4.1. Local residents, Ward Councillors and Resident Associations notified. Site and press

notice posted. 4 letters of objection received from local residents in Oakfield Road, Eastern Road and Selly Wick Road. Objections made are based on the following grounds:

• Inclusion of a lounge/bar is unsuitable in a residential area with Conservation status.

• Increase in vandalism and crime due to ‘bar’. • Having this as student accommodation in the area is already unfortunate, a

hotel would not at all be in keeping with the local ambience. • Inappropriate location for a hotel. • Increase in traffic generated by a hotel. • Parking provision is inadequate for a hotel. • Application failed to consider servicing, deliveries and waste collection and

their traffic movements. 4.2. Transportation – No objection subject to condition requiring secure and sheltered

cycle storage and that development is operated in accordance with details outlined in the design and access statement submitted.

4.3. West Midlands Fire Service – No response received.

4.4. Regulatory Services – No objection subject to conditions relating to extraction and odour control and plant and machinery noise.

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4.5. Environment Agency - No objection subject to a safeguarding condition relating to compliance with the submitted Flood Risk Assessment.

5. Policy Context 5.1. Birmingham UDP, Draft Birmingham Development Plan, NPPF, NPPG, Car Parking

Guidelines SPD, Places for All SPD, Selly Park Conservation Area. Article 4 Area. Flood Zones 2 and 3.

6. Planning Considerations 6.1. Planning permission is sought for the change of use of existing student

accommodation that has been located on the site since the early 1950’s to student accommodation and a hotel comprising of 21 en-suite bedrooms. The UDP, in paragraph 8.20, addresses applications for ‘new small hotels and guest houses’: “The provision of new facilities will normally be refused where proposals do not comply with the following criteria:

• The site is on a major traffic route in the City, and is served by public transport;

• The section of the major traffic route is already predominantly commercial in nature;

• The site is not on a major traffic route but is within a predominantly commercial area;

• The site is on the fringe of an established centre, in a frontage which already contains mixed commercial/residential uses and it can be demonstrated that the proposal would not adversely affect standards of residential amenity and the existing character of the area;

• The property is not attached to any residential property; • The existing properties are too large for residential occupation as single

family accommodation; and • There is sufficient site area to accommodate car parking and provide physical

separation from adjoining uses.”

6.2. The application does not accord with the first four bullet points of the policy, but does accord with the following three. I consider the principle of converting approximately fifty per cent of the existing accommodation into a hotel to be acceptable in principle. The property has been significantly extended from its original Victorian dwelling with a number of post war additions and has been in non-family residential use for many years. At present, the property is used to provide accommodation for international students and as such, I consider that the provision of a small hotel on the same site should, in turn, support the existing use by allowing parents or friends to stay conveniently next to the students they are visiting.

6.3. Whilst the property is located in a residential area, it is also located in the Article 4 area which restricts further changes of use from C3 residential to C4 house in multiple occupation residential. This indicates that a number of properties in the vicinity have already been converted from single family occupation and whilst the area appears as such, changes to the occupation of the area have already occurred. As these premises are already in use as student accommodation, the Article 4 policies do not apply in this instance and as there would not be a loss of a single family dwelling, I do not consider that an objection to the provision of a hotel on site could be warranted.

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6.4. The site is also situated within the Selly Park Conservation Area. The proposed alterations, aside from the four proposed roof lights, would be located within the post war additions to the original building and I consider that on this basis, the character or appearance of the conservation area would not be impacted upon. Paragraph 3.27 of the UDP states that “development should preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the area”. I consider that the proposal accords with this policy. The proposed roof-lights are considered acceptable, with three of the four proposed being seen from outside of the application site however, a safeguarding condition is recommended to secure conservation roof-lights. Four of the proposed car parking spaces would be located within the root protection area of trees protected under the conservation area legislation. My arboricultural officer considers that the method of construction required to deliver these spaces within the root protection areas would directly and adversely affect the trees to the detriment of their long term health. As such, a condition is recommended that removes consent for the four spaces in question and requires the submission of an amended parking layout. I consider that this is achievable within the space available on the forecourt frontage as parking already exists on site in front of the trees in question whilst still providing sufficient space for vehicle movements across and along the site frontage utilising the existing in and out access and egress points.

6.5. With regards to transportation issues, the application is supported by an operator’s

management statement which has been reviewed by Transportation. I note the objections received in relation to parking provision and increase in traffic however Transportation have stated “Beyond the site, parking on street is unrestricted and typically space is available within close walking distance. A number of regular buses run close to the site throughout the day, along both Bristol Road & Pershore Road. The proposed scheme results in 21 hotel rooms and 28 student beds. BCC Car Parking Guidelines SPD for hotel uses states 1 space for 2 beds and for student accommodation, 1 space per 5 beds, suggesting demand for up to 10 space for the hotel and 5 for the students.

6.6. The hotel parking provision is in line with guidance. In relation to the student

provision, while no permanent parking is offered, there is a plan in place, detailed within the supporting information, with 2 spaces used for start/end of terms move in/out. Each student has an allocated 30 minute slot for this purpose, which will be managed by the operator. There are no objections to this change. It is not expected traffic & parking demand generated further to this development will differ significantly to that generated currently. Should the need for overspill parking arise, unrestricted on street options are generally available within close proximity.” I concur with this view and consider that an objection to the proposal on transportation grounds could not be sustained given the significant provision of on-street parking available and hotel provision on site.

6.7. An amended parking layout is required due to the current layout requiring significant

works within the root protection areas of protected trees within the conservation area. As this amended layout would effectively leave these spaces as existing but would formally mark them out, I do not consider that this would affect the consultation response received from Transportation and would still provide the required hotel parking provision on the forecourt of the property. As such, I consider that this is an acceptable way forward in order to protect the trees and secure the parking provision whilst understanding that sufficient unrestricted on street parking is available.

6.8. I note objections have also been raised in relation to the inclusion of a bar within the

hotel and that this is not appropriate within a conservation area and would lead to

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anti-social behaviour. At present, Planning’s remit is to consider the use of part of the building as a hotel and the inclusion of a licensed bar does not fall within the remit of planning. A separate licensing application will be required and it is this that would allow the sale of alcohol for consumption within the premises rather than planning permission and as such, this is not a planning consideration. Noise and disturbance from the use however, is. On this issue, Regulatory Services have raised no objection subject to clarification regarding a fire door, which has been confirmed by the applicant as a fire door. I concur with this view as the bar would be located to the rear of the hotel premises and would be incorporated as part of the dining room and lounge within the small hotel. I consider therefore it unlikely that the premises would become a destination to people not already living/staying at the premises.

7. Conclusion 7.1. I consider that the proposed change of use to student accommodation and hotel

complies with UDP policy set out in paragraph 8.19 and detailed above. There are no traffic impacts identified that would generate an unacceptable highway impact and the issues raised regarding the provision of alcohol within the site are outside the remit of planning and fall within licensing legislation. Aside from this, Regulatory Services have raised no objections.

7.2. I note that the key principle in the NPPF is the presumption in favour of sustainable development and this is identified as having three stems of economic, social and environmental. As the proposal would see a conversion of part of an existing building to a hotel which would in turn provide economic and social benefits, whilst supporting the provision of local employment and does not have an environmental impact, I consider the proposal to be sustainable development and on this basis, should be approved.

8. Recommendation 8.1. That planning permission is granted subject to the conditions listed below. 1 Requires the scheme to be in accordance with the listed approved plans

2 Requires the prior submission of cycle storage details

3 Requires the prior submission of roof light details

4 Requires the implementation of the Flood Risk Assessment

5 Requires the prior submission of extraction and odour control details

6 Limits the noise levels for Plant and Machinery

7 Requires that the materials used match the main building

8 Requires the scheme to be in accordance design and access statement (parking

management statement)

9 Requires the parking area to be laid out prior to use

10 Protects retained trees from removal

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11 No consent granted for parking layout. Requires amended parking layout.

12 Limits the approval to 3 years (Full) Case Officer: Pam Brennan

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Photo(s)

Figure 1: Original Building with Post War Extensions Either Side

Figure 2: East Half of the Building - Proposed as Hotel – One of the Post War Extensions

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Location Plan

This map is reproduced from the Ordnance Survey Material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Birmingham City Council. Licence No.100021326, 2010