A full planning application, for the change of use from offices into 111 apartments, for Block C County Hall, Taunton, will be heard at today’s Somerset Council Planning Committee meeting.
The application is being brought forward by Prime Plc, who bought the eight-storey property from the council earlier this year in April.
Prime’s intention is to refurbish the offices into accommodation for key workers, which will be operated by Hyve – a non-profit – if the application is successful.
The 111 units would be comprised of 13 one-bedroom units, six two-bedroom units, and 92 studios.
Recommendation
The recommendation is to grant approval subject to prior completion of a Section 106 agreement, as well as compliance with conditions set out in the committee report.
Additionally, it is recommended that authority is delegated to the head of planning, in consultation with the chair of the planning committee.
The approval is recommended given that keyworker accommodation located on a brownfield site is considered to be sustainable and complies with policy, as well as the benefits of the redevelopment outweighing any harm to surrounding areas, which is identified as less than substantial.
Image by JThomas CC-BY-SA-2.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:County_Hall,_Taunton_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3461793.jpg
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