FROME Town Council has objected to a planning application that could see the Grade II listed former St. John Ambulance building on Bath Street, become residential flats.
At the planning committee meeting on Thursday 2nd November, the town council discussed the application that proposes to turn 17 Bath Street, which is currently office space, into five flats.
Objections
In comments submitted to Somerset Council, town councillors objected to the application citing the internal layout of the flats being ‘convoluted and awkward’; a lack of fire escape/suitable fire escape windows in flat 5; the application not meeting Somerset Council’s parking standards; and a lack of bin and cycle storage for all the flats, restricting residents to accessing services only in walking distance or potentially leaving the bicycles and bins being stored incorrectly in corridors and on pavements outside.
An officer for Somerset Waste Management Services echoed these concerns, objecting to the application on grounds that there is not enough bin storage for five bins, recycling containers and potentially five bicycles.
“This is likely to result in cycle owners using the [bin storage] area as secure storage for the cycles and the bins being left out on the street 24/7 which is an obstruction of the highway, particularly important in a town centre and in front of a listed building as it can encourage littering and fly-tipping if left out,” says the officer.
The town council also said the proposed development would back onto the Old Bath Arms’ beer garden and is close to other restaurants and bars on Palmer Street, which may attract noise complaints from residents, putting pressure on these local businesses.
Lack of privacy
A lack of privacy and over-looking windows into surrounding flats and restaurants was another reason they objected to the application and they said that any alterations to the front of the building would need to be considered as this could detract from the ‘positive entrance’ to the town centre.
“While we are aware of the current need for flats close to the town centre, we feel that this proposal does not adequately meet that need,” reads Frome Town Council’s objecting comments, submitted to Somerset Council
Listed building
“This is a prominent Grade II listed building, with a positive frontage on Bath Street. As such, the impact of any alterations to the exterior should be carefully considered.
“While it is outside of the current town centre boundary, it would be considered a loss of commercial space and as such, an application for change of use and a viability appraisal should have been submitted with the application.”
The application will now be considered by Somerset Council.
To view the planning application search 2023/1879 /FUL – at https://publicaccess.mendip.gov.uk
