Chichester District Council
Agenda item

Agenda item

CC-21-01309-FUL - Pizza Hut Restaurant, Portfield Way, Chichester, PO19 7WT

Full planning permission for the change of use from Class E (was A3) to a Sui Generis use consisting of a coffee shop / restaurant selling food and drink for consumption on and off the premises. Installation of a drive-thru lane and associated engineering works, including alterations to car parking, bin store and servicing arrangements and associated changes to landscaping. Minor alterations to the building and elevations including recladding. Advertisement consent for replacement signage.

Decision:

Delegate to officers

Minutes:

Mrs Stevens presented the report to the Committee. She drew the Committee’s attention to the Agenda Update sheet which set out an amendment to the report recommendation and was now to ‘delegate to officers’. Mrs Stevens explained the reason the recommendation had been amended was to allow the publicity period to conclude and finalise the S106 agreement.

 

The Agenda Update sheet also included an amendment to the report and an amendment to the Decided Plans table.

 

Mrs Stevens informed the Committee the application was for a change of use of a vacant restaurant; formerly Pizza Hut. The proposal included the installation of a drive-thru lane and some alterations to the external appearance of the building. She highlighted the site location and explained how the site would was accessed.

 

A key issue that has required careful consideration is the impact on the highway network. Mrs Stevens confirmed a transport assessment had been submitted with relevant transport modelling and no objections had been raised by either West Sussex County Council or National Highways. In addition, she showed the Committee how the additional traffic flow could be accommodated at the site.

 

Mrs Stevens highlighted some of the proposed amendments and alterations to the Committee including the provision of cycle parking at the front of the building and a new access to the building. 

 

The Committee received representations from;

 

Mr Kevin Hydes – Applicant

 

Officers responded to Members’ comments and questions as follows;

 

With regards to TRICs data used for the transport modelling; Mrs Stevens agreed that some of the transport data used was taken from the Salford location; however, the transport assessment also took into account the current base position, alterations to the highway network as a result of the Shopwhyke Lakes development and baseline data used in the Costa Coffee assessment. She confirmed both National Highways and West Sussex County Council approved of the methodology used and had raised no objections. WSCC have requested a Travel Plan and are currently in the process of drafting a S106 agreement to help manage the way staff travel to work and encourage sustainable travel such as car sharing; a monitoring cost for WSCC is included within the agreement. In addition, Mr Whitty reminded the Committee that the Travel Plan cannot control the way that customers choose to access the site.

 

On the issue of a granting a temporary permission to allow time for the traffic impact to be measured; Mrs Stevens advised that it was not reasonable, given the size of the development and level of investment required, to grant a temporary permission. She explained that it would not be possible to differentiate the impact from this development and the Costa Coffee and McDonalds that were already on site. In addition, Mr Whitty explained in further detail the road access to the site and how the new drive-thru would operate and highlighted how the additional drive-thru may actually assist in reducing the traffic impact. Mr Whitty reminded the Committee that the building already had an existing A3 use and could be occupied and operated by Tim Hortons, albeit without the drive-thru or exterior alterations.

 

With regards to the possibility of widening the road at the entrance to the site; Mr Whitty agreed this may be a potential option but it would be a matter for Highways to consider whether it was possible.

 

With regards why the site was not Class E; Mrs Stevens explained the site would be offering a significant amount of hot food takeaway which was an A5 use and therefore required planning permission as a mixed sui generis use.

 

With regards to advertising signage; Mr Whitty confirmed that this was being considered via a separate application.

 

In a vote the Committee agreed to the report recommendation as amended in the Agenda Update to delegate to officers

 

Recommendation; delegate to officers.

 

* the Committee took a ten minute break.

 

Supporting documents:

 

Top of page