Issue - meetings

Demolish existing rear extensions and erect new two storey extension together with landscaping works, erect new bike and bin store and re-organise layout of car park

LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Elin Walker Jones

Link to relevant background documents

DECISION: Right to take act - to approve with conditions subject to receipt of further information and positive comments from the Drainage Unit 

1.         5 years

2.         In accordance with the plans.

3.         Archaeological condition

4.         Details of secondary glazing to be agreed beforehand

5.         Agree to reuse materials from the building to be demolished

6.         Aluminium rainwater goods

7.         Specifications of solar panels

8.         Details of any lights to be agreed

9.         Details of any signs to be agreed

10.       Details of the screen by the stairs to be submitted before its installation

11.       Details of how the footprint of the gym will be recorded must be submitted before its demolition

12.       Submit samples of the materials

13.       Use of lime with any pointing/rendering work

14.       Highways Condition

15.       Welsh Water Conditions

16.       Language Conditions

17.       Biodiversity conditions including agreeing mitigation measures and completing the improvements

18.      Agree on a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP)  before work commences – to include working hours

Demolition of rear extensions and erection of a new two-storey extension along with landscaping works, erect a bicycle and bin storage building, and rearrange car park layout.

Attention was drawn to the Late Observations Form (observations from the Land Drainage Unit).

a)           The Planning Officer highlighted that this was a full application with a proposal to demolish the two-storey rear section of the building and erect a new modern two-storey extension to enable teaching rooms to be brought up to modern standards. The new extension would be a mix of light grey / red brick and red aluminium cladding to include two large lecture halls, a general teaching room, toilets and seating areas, as well as corridors, stairs and external doors and a new lift. On the second floor of the extension, there will be space for the two lecture halls, as well as seating areas, toilets, equipment rooms and stores - all of these connecting to the main building. It was explained that internal restoration work within the main building was also part of the application, but the work did not require formal planning permission, but it had been assessed within the associated listed building application (C25/0706/11/CR). It was reiterated that a listed building assessment had been completed on the demolition work and the extensions' buildings.

It was reported that the building was very striking and significant, with an emphasis on its front elevation. There would be no change to the front elevation because the demolition work to the rear of the building would mean demolishing a significant extension from the 1930s; however, the demolition would mean that an extension could be erected that provided purposeful space to ensure long-term use of the building by Bangor University as part of their existing campus. It was noted that the landscaping work, re-arranging the parking provision and creating bicycle spaces also formed part of the application, with an intention to facilitate the connection by creating a new path to connect the University sites.

The site lies within the development boundary of the City of Bangor but outside the central area. It was highlighted that there were University sites near the site, as well as adjacent residential dwellings. The building was a grade II listed building.

Given the previous use of the site as a school and college, the relevant policy was Policy ISA 3 which noted that proposals were permitted for new facilities or extensions to existing buildings for academic or support purposes as long as there was consideration to the scale, location, design, amenity and transportation.

In terms of design matters, it was considered that the extension was designed around the existing features of the building which included use of the colour red around the windows; a modern contemporary design located to the rear of the main building as an ancillary extension. It was elaborated that the main building would continue to be the main focus, and with features such as the pitched roof on the extension suited the old  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7