Agenda item

Description of application - Demolition of the Porcupine public house and erection of a two storey building to provide a retail foodstore comprising 800sqm sales area with ancillary storage, office, servicing area and 35 car parking spaces.

Oral representations in objection to and in support of the application were received.  Oral representations from Bob Neill MP and Ward Member, Councillor Charles Rideout, in objection to the application were received at the meeting.  Councillor Rideout informed the Sub-Committee that Councillor John Hills from the adjoining Ward in the London Borough of Greenwich was present in the public gallery and that he objected to the application.

Bob Neil MP said the site of The Porcupine was steeped in history and there was huge support to retain the public house and the proposed demolition was of great concern to the residents of Mottingham as it was a central part of the village community.  He had held the position of Community Pubs Minister, and had debated the proposed demolition of The Porcupine public house in the Chamber of the House of Commons on 21 May 2013 and he referred to his letter of objection to the Council dated 31 January 2014 and commended the Chief Planner’s report.

In Bob Neill MP’s opinion The Porcupine’s present owner had deliberately run the public house down and sought to dispose of it for development against the community’s wishes and he felt that with the right management team in place, it could be a viable public house again.  He had serious concerns regarding community safety, pedestrians, parking, traffic and the loss of two statutorily protected mature trees and he thanked those residents of Mottingham who had initiated the campaign to retain The Porcupine and acknowledged the overwhelming strength of feeling and support in the community.

It was reported that further objections to the application had been received together with letters of support.  It was reported that the application had been amended by documents received on 18 February 2014 and 20 February 2014.  The Sub-Committee Members had also been provided with a copy of a submission from the applicant dated 19 February 2014.

Late additional transport information from applicant had been received which included amendments to the access arrangements and showed a pedestrian route through the car park.  Late representations had also been received from a transport consultant on behalf of Mottingham Residents’ Association.  The Highway Engineer has reviewed all of the relevant submitted information and did not consider that the proposed ground of refusal number 1 had been overcome.

It was reported that the applicant had met with the Crime Prevention Officer who had made the following comments:

“The company have now indicated that they would secure the site out of hours by gating it at the entrance with a 2 metre high gate, however looking at this practically I believe any gate would have to be set back to satisfy Highways. To make my position clear the furthest a gate could be set back from the front building line and still offer the security required for the site would be at a position indicated on the site plan between parking spaces 25 and 26 and cutting through space 31 opposite.”

It was also reported that the Highway Engineer had indicated that this would unacceptably affect the parking layout, and from a visual impact point of view there may also be issues with such an enclosure. It was therefore the  Officers’ view that refusal ground 3 has not been overcome.   There was no acceptable and deliverable off site planting scheme that was considered to adequately mitigate the loss of two protected trees on site.

Members having considered the report, objections and representations, RESOLVED that PERMISSION BE REFUSED as recommended, for the reasons set out in the report of the Chief Planner.