Planning Consent
Once the concept design for the Children First North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose had been approved the design team worked collaboratively to coordinate the architectural and the building services design, ensuring that both the mechanical and electrical fixtures and fittings were carefully integrated into the design and met the technical brief.
At the planning consent stage it is important that regular design team meetings are held with the client to ensure that the design takes account of any specific requirements such as energy performance, long-term maintenance and quality standards. During this stage of the Children First North Strathclyde Bairns Hoose build regular meetings also enabled feedback from children and young people through the Changemakers and partner organisations to continue to influence the design.
If changes are required to the outside of the building, the site layout or the building ‘class use’ a planning application will need to be made to the local authority.
In North Strathclyde, the team had informal discussions with the planners and the neighbours, before the application was lodged. This eased the planning process and helped address any concerns the neighbours had before they received notification from the local authority.
As well as advertising the application to those occupying or owning neighbouring properties the local authority will also consult with statutory consultees such as the council’s roads and transportation services and other bodies such as Scottish Water, Transport Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage and Historic Environment Scotland, depending upon the application.
The case officer will visit the site, consider all development plan policies relating to the application, the views of consultees and comments or objections submitted by neighbours and any other material considerations before a decision is made whether to grant planning consent or not.
Planning approval may include conditions to control the development, or request changes which are considered necessary to make the proposal acceptable, such as parking provision or noise restrictions.
Planning consent is valid for a period of three years from the date on a decision notice.
Although there was broad support for the North Strathclyde development, some objections were received at planning stage and concerns raised about the impact the development would have on the character and amenity of the residential area, on car parking, on setting a precedent for other similar developments and a concern over alternative uses, should the building be sold. These issues were addressed by the inclusion of a set of conditions within the planning consent which required:
- Off-street parking for 3 vehicles, with turning space to avoid reversing onto the road.
- Restricted hours of operation, days of use and frequency and timing of visitors.
- Full details of how the building was used previously by the Housing Association.
- Regular progress updates to the neighbours.
- The building class use to revert to residential, if it ceased to be run as a Bairns Hoose.