Agenda item

Application: 2022/0031/EIA

Location: Selby Station, Selby

Proposal: External and associated internal alterations to Selby rail station, demolition in a conservation of the part of the station building, Selby Business Centre, the Railway Sports and Social Club, James Williams House, boundary walls along Ousegate at the entrance to Cowie Drive, and lean-to at the railway goods shed. Reconfiguration of the bus station, highway alignments along Station Road, Ousegate, the Crescent/Park Street Junction. Public realm and landscaping improvements at the Wharf on Ousegate, Station Road and Selby Park. The creation of an underpass tunnel beneath Bawtry Road and creation of a new surface car park at Cowie Drive and new pedestrian and cycle access into the station from Cowie Drive. Inclusion of new bus stands, street furniture and EV bus charging points.

The Planning Project Officer presented the application which had been brought before the Planning Committee as it was accompanied by an Environmental Impact Statement. The application form also cited the Council as part applicant.

Members noted that the application was for the external and associated internal alterations to Selby rail station, demolition in a conservation of the part of the station building, Selby Business Centre, the Railway Sports and Social Club, James Williams House, boundary walls along Ousegate at the entrance to Cowie Drive, and lean-to at the railway goods shed. Reconfiguration of the bus station, highway alignments along Station Road, Ousegate, the Crescent/Park Street Junction. Public realm and landscaping improvements at the Wharf on Ousegate, Station Road and Selby Park. The creation of an underpass tunnel beneath Bawtry Road and creation of a new surface car park at Cowie Drive and new pedestrian and cycle access into the station from Cowie Drive. Inclusion of new bus stands, street furniture and EV bus charging points.

The Committee considered the Officer Update Note, including the updated recommendation; Members were now asked to DELEGATE the GRANTING of the permission to the Head of Planning following the expiration of consultation period, being the expiry of the press notice on 17th September 2022, and there being no further comments received raising new material planning considerations. The Update Note also detailed amendments to the wording of Condition 3, Condition 4 and Condition 20.

The Committee asked questions of the Officer about parking capacity and disruption to parking in the area throughout the works.

The Planning Project Officer confirmed the car parking spaces would increase from 87 to 213 and the installation programme would be determined by North Yorkshire County Council Highways Department to minimise disruption.

The progress of the installation of a lift at Selby Station was queried and the Planning Project Officer clarified that the lift was not part of this application but was scheduled to go ahead alongside this project as a separate application by Network Rail.

Members questioned the demolition of walls listed in section 1.5 of the report, in particular the boundary wall opposite Selby Station. The Planning Project Officer explained that the demolition was regrettable but necessary and that there had been no objections regarding the heritage of the wall, but it was recommended that it should be recorded prior to any demolition; this could be controlled through the condition.

The Committee asked about the removal and replacement of trees. The Planning Project Officer stated that the Landscaping Plan was yet to be finalised and focus would be on biodiversity and finding appropriate replacements for the trees that were removed. There would be a net increase in the number of trees with the species chosen being suitable to the development and compensatory to the species removed where appropriate.

The pedestrianisation of Canal Bridge was questioned by Members with concerns about the length of the detour vehicle drivers would need to take, the possibility of accidents and the measures taken to keep vehicles from using the bridge whilst ensuring it could be used for traffic in the case of flooding or emergency.

The Planning Project Officer was not aware of any recorded accidents and confirmed there had been no objections regarding the proposed closure of Canal Bridge to vehicles. The Canal and River Trust had maintained the bridge and had previously expressed concern about the damage caused to it by vehicles, and therefore had no objection to the road being pedestrianised. Road layout, road markings and other measures to ensure vehicles could not use the bridge unless necessary would be determined in the conditions from North Yorkshire County Council Highways Department.

Members also question the provision of a crossing across Ousegate toward the Toll Bridge, stating that this led to an area with no attached footpath and that this would encourage pedestrians to cross the bridge using the highway which was a safety concern. The Planning Project Officer stated that the North Yorkshire County Council Highways Department had not submitted any concerns about the crossing.

The Committee brought to the notice of the Planning Project Officer the existence of a mural inside the Railway Sports and Social Club building which the application proposed to demolish. Members expressed the value of the artwork to the heritage of Selby and questioned the possibility of its inclusion in the new development at Selby Station. Officers were unaware of the artwork and stated they would contact the applicant to try and accommodate the request of the Committee.

Lee Addy, leaseholder at Selby Business Park, was in attendance at the meeting and spoke in objection to the application.

The Chairman, on advice from the Solicitor to the Council, informed the Committee that issues regarding leases were not part of the consideration of this application and were private business between landowners and tenants.

The Lead Executive Member for Communities and Economic Development, Councillor David Buckle, was in attendance at the meeting and spoke in favour of the application.

Tania Weston, Transforming Cities Fund Programme Manager at North Yorkshire County Council was in attendance to represent the applicant, North Yorkshire County Council, and spoke in favour of the application.

Members debated the application further and expressed discomfort at the inclusion of Canal Bridge in the development but praised the application as a whole noting that Selby Station was well overdue an update and the project was a significant investment that would regenerate the station and Selby as a whole. Concern was given to the impact on small businesses displaced by the scheme and lack of quantitative evidence the development would attract visitors to the town, but overall support was shown.

The Planning Development Manager proposed a further Condition on the landscaping of the development to reassure the concerns of the Committee regarding the number and species of trees scheduled for planting. The Planning Development Manager also proposed an Informative that any items of historical interest that remain within the Selby Railway Sports and Social Club building be offered to local interest groups for preservation or made available within the scheme.

It was proposed and seconded to DELEGATE the GRANTING of the permission to the Head of Planning following the expiration of consultation period, being the expiry of the press notice on 17th September 2022, and there being no further comments received raising new material planning considerations. A vote was taken on the proposal and was carried.

RESOLVED:

That the application be DELEGATED to the Head of Planning to GRANT following the expiration of consultation period, being the expiry of the press notice on 17th September 2022, and there being no further comments received raising new material planning considerations subject to the conditions set out in paragraph 7 of the report, the Officer Update Note and the further Landscape Condition and Informative proposed in the meeting as follows:

LANDSCAPE CONDITION

           That no phase of the development shall commence (other than the demolition works allowed under condition 3) until there has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority a scheme of landscaping. The scheme shall:

•        include indications of all existing trees and hedgerows on the land;

•            identify those to be retained and set out measures for their protection throughout the course of development;

•           include details of the species, location, planting density and stock size on planting of all trees and shrub planting; and

•      include details of the measures for the management and maintenance of the approved landscaping

All planting, seeding, or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting and seeding seasons following the completion of that phase of the development or the substantial completion of the development, whichever is the sooner. Any trees which die, are removed, or become seriously damaged or diseased within the first five years shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species.

Reason:  In the interests of visual amenity in accordance with Policy ENV1 of the Local Plan and Core Strategy Policy SP19.

INFORMATIVE:

Your attention is drawn to the potential items of historical interest to the town of Selby that may remain within the Selby Railway Sports and Social Club building. Where possible and practical, these should be removed from the building prior to its demolition and offered to local interest groups for preservation or made available for public viewing within the scheme.