Planning

We continue to seek solutions for many longstanding problems around the town, including the former Masons Arms on Spital Hill, the derelict site on Bridgegate, flooding issues in the town and repeated fly posting. Updates on these are provided at open meetings and frequently appear in our news-sheets

Town Centre Improvements

The Society has worked with the District Council to bring forward measures to improve the town centre using a grant received from the government. These are now almost complete and include replacing seats, litter bins and other street furniture and introducing more planters, trees and other vegetation. Some of the money is being targeted at improving the appearance of prominent shop fronts and plans are being developed to improve the market area.

Planning Applications

The Society monitors applications and proposals affecting Retford and comments where appropriate. All planning applications can be seen on the Council’s website. ( search planning applications )

Recent comments to the Council are below.

25/01016/FUL Installation of a BT Street Hub Unit and Associated Advertisement Panels near Poundland, Carolgate.

Retford Civic Society is opposed to this development and asks that both planning permission and advertisement consent be refused. The proposed structure would seriously detract from the attractiveness of Carolgate. It would restrict the flow of pedestrians along the street, forcing them to walk around it and to take a route they would not otherwise choose. It would be a massive bulky eyesore in the streetscene, and as the display would be illuminated and changing, it would draw the eye of passers by, reducing their ability to appreciate the architecture of nearby buildings. The proposed public wi-fi and other suggested benefits, even if they happened which is not guaranteed, would be of very little benefit to the people of Retford and would not make up for the serious harm which would be caused to the amenity of the town centre.

Permission for this development has been refused but is now the subject of an appeal..

25/00583/LBA Retain Externally Illuminated Fascia Sign, Projecting Sign, Window Vinyl Posters, Roller Shutter and Replacement Front Door 31 Market Place

The appearance of the building and its contribution to the conservation area have been seriously harmed by the alterations which have taken place. The fascia sign is too large and prominent and does not reflect the form of the listed building. The shutters, with prominent rails at the side and box above, are particularly awful looking. Shutters are not necessary for security here as many other businesses manage without them. The risk of break-ins could easily be removed if the tempting display of bottles of spirits were removed to a less prominent position. If shutters are still considered necessary they should be inside, behind the shop window.

25/00584/ADV Retain Externally Illuminated Fascia Sign, Non Illuminated Projecting Sign and Window Vinyl Poster 31 Market Place

This application relates only to the signage. The whole shopfront was altered without permission in a manner which harms the appearance of the building and the conservation area. The worst element of the alteration is the shutters. However the fascia sign is too prominent and brightly coloured. In itself it harms the appearance of the building and the conservation area. Something more subdued would be appropriate. The fascia sign is also an integral part of the unauthorised shop front and approving it without securing improvements to the rest of the frontage would restrict the scope for improving the overall appearance of the building.

Application 24/00565/FUL 95 dwellings on land adjoining Grove Road.

The principle of residential development here is established in the Local Plan. However that assumed just 61 dwellings. The much higher density now proposed has made it impossible to achieve an acceptable quality of development.

Almost all the car parking spaces will be between the houses and the roads. Where there would normally be front gardens there would be almost continuous tarmac forecourts with cars parked on them. This would produce a most unattractive streetscene.

Legislation and local plan policy now require developments of this scale to produce a substantial increase in biodiversity but the application acknowledges that this cannot be provided within the site. Biodiversity improvements should normally be provided within development sites and there is no reason why this could not be achieved here. However that would mean a substantial reduction in the number of dwellings proposed.

For these reasons planning permission for what is now proposed should be refused and the developer should be pressed to produce a better scheme with fewer houses.

Application 23/01495/FUL Land between Bridgegate and Amcott Way. Erect Two Drive-Thru Restaurants with access from Amcott Way and erect 17 dwellings with access from Bridgegate.

Planning permission has been applied for to develop the vacant site off Bridgegate. This site needs developed. However, the Society considers that what is proposed now is not acceptable. A new access to serve two drive-thru restaurants would be built off Amcott Way between the roundabout and the Morrisons slip road and we feel this would add to the traffic congestion which is already a problem in the area. We also feel that what is proposed would harm the appearance of the conservation, would not provide all the affordable housing required by planning policy and would create poor living conditions for some residents.

Application 23/01462/OUT Erect 5 dwellings. The old coal yard, Bolham Lane

Housing on this site would tidy it up and get rid of commercial activities which are unsightly and generate undesirable lorry traffic. However the site is liable to flooding and development must not reduce flood water storage or expose occupants to risk. The illustrative layout suggests that only the actual houses would be above flood level with all their gardens underwater. Fewer houses may allow a better flood protection layout with houses and their curtilages all dry.

Application 23/01302/FUL Erection of 28 Dwellings at Canal Turn, Welham Road

When this application was first submitted the Society objected to the development because of its failure to provide affordable housing on the site. Revised plans now being considered do not address the Society’s concerns and consequently the Society is still of the view that planning permission should be refused. The Society’s previous reasoned objection still applies in full and has only been strengthened by subsequent events.
• The Bassetlaw Local Plan is now adopted and its policy requiring provision of affordable housing in new development now carries the full weight of the development plan. It is consistent with the current NPPF and proposed changes to the NPPF. What is proposed is inconsistent with that policy.
• The flaws in the appellant’s viability assessment referred to in the Society’s objection have not been addressed. This is a relatively straightforward site to develop and there is no reason why its development cannot support affordable housing provision. The need for such provision was known when the appellant bought the site and would have been reflected in the price paid.
• There is no reason why affordable housing provision cannot be made on-site. However, even if off-site provision were agreed, the suggested link with development between Amcott Way and Bridgegate is unacceptable. There is no planning permission for that development and objections to it on highways and conservation grounds. It is unlikely to proceed. In addition, the scale of affordable housing proposed there is well below what is required.

The Society is also concerned about the practicality of the narrow strip of land between the proposed housing and the canal boundary. This strip is too narrow to be of recreational value and it is unlikely to be cared for or maintained. Extending gardens to the canal boundary and eliminating the strip would enhance the development for residents and ensure that the land and boundary are all looked after.

Neighbourhood Plan

Together with the Retford Business Forum and a wide range of other representatives of the local community we have produced a Neighbourhood Plan for the town centre. This has now been formally ‘made’, or adopted by the District and become official planning policy .

Bassetlaw Local Plan

Bassetlaw District Council has recently adopted a new Local Plan. This follows examination of the draft by two planning inspectors who found it to be sound. The Society was concerned, among other things, about the extent of new housebuilding proposed, particularly at Ordsall, and made representations to the inspectors. However we must now concentrate on ensuring that the new Plan improves the quality of development which takes place.