A building originally approved for soft play use could now become offices after new plans emerged. Applicant James Dillow has put forward plans for units on a site which has been centre to many concerns over parking.
Last year, developers aimed to turn the same building to the rear of cafe Public in Mountsorrel’s Loughborough Road into a 72-seater pizzeria, but that was withdrawn amid scores of objections from residents. This latest application, submitted to Charnwood Borough Council (CBC) would turn that building and part of the Claude and Co retail unit into offices.
Plans reveal six to eight non-retail staff from Claude and Co would move into the offices created from the soft play unit “for the development of their products”. This would allow for part of the Claude and Co retail unit, which is 92 sqm, to be separately let. Mr Dillow added this move could “provide space for up to 10 members of staff”.
READ MORE: New plan emerges for 58 ‘affordable’ homes in Leicestershire countryside
The site has not been without controversy though as last year’s pizzeria application drew objections from 40 neighbours who said the area was already “plagued” by customers parking “dangerously” in order to use the existing facilities. It was later withdrawn in the wake of the opposition.
Mr Dillow’s scheme has two objections lodged, with parking again seen as a problem. Resident Dr Lyn Williams claimed the recent proposals would exacerbate “unsafe parking seeking behaviours” already in place.
She said: “I object to this change of use from a material perspective as there are no plans for the additional parking needed over and above what is already in place to mitigate for the increase in numbers of staff travelling to and from the site on the premises if change of use is enacted. The 12 parking spaces cited by the applicant for the change of use are already spaces that are in place on the site and belong to the cafe and the shop units”.
Dr Williams added there was a shortfall in parking in the area already identified by the local highways authority (LHA). She said: “The shortfall in parking is causing a road safety problem locally resulting in an overspill of unsafe parking seeking behaviour and traffic problems in the local residential area of The Homestead, Loughborough Road, Crown Lane and Windmill Close.”
Residents speak of ‘nightmare’ parking from users of newly opened cafe in Mountsorrel
(Image: Laura Storrs)
Fellow objectors, Mr and Mrs Sydall, also claimed parking was problematic in the area. They said: “This site already creates significant problems during opening hours with dangerous and illegal parking on the roads in the vicinity of the cafe and retail business.
“This current application will create further traffic saturation simply because there is insufficient parking within the site already and adding to this by proposing office use clearly will result in greater vehicle numbers, bringing more congestion to the surrounding roads.”
Leicestershire County Council, acting as the LHA, believed Mr Dillow’s plan did not “fully assess the highway impact”. It said “further information was required” and called on the applicant to give clarification so it can “accurately assess the proposals”.
A decision on the plans is expected to be made by CBC by Thursday, January 30.
We are now bringing you the latest updates on WhatsApp first