Planners knock back plans for flat with "no conventional windows" in Bradford
Bradford Council has refused a retrospective planning application to convert the upper floors of a city centre Conservation Area building into nine flats.
A CITY centre flat with “no conventional windows” would provide an “oppressive” living standard – planners have decided.
Bradford Council has refused a retrospective planning application to convert the upper floors of a city centre Conservation Area building into nine flats.
Submitted by Seyab Hussain, the plans say the conversion of the upper floors of 37 Westgate was completed earlier this year.
It goes on to say the applicant had not understood planning rules when the conversion took place without permission being granted.
Planners have now refused the application, saying while the majority of the flats are fine, they have “serious concerns” about a flat in the building’s roof space.
The property, once known as Barry’s Buildings, is on the junction with Barry Street, and dates back to the 1890s.
The ground floor has been used as a restaurant, but is currently Natasha school uniform shop.
Although not listed, the building is in the Bradford City Centre Conservation Area.
Explaining why conversion took place without planning permission, the application says: “The works have been largely completed as the client understood that the works could be done under Permitted Development Rights, but not understanding that a Prior Notification Application was still required.
“Now that works have commenced Full Planning Approval is required.
“Each apartment will have good levels of natural light and ventilation as well as an outlook for occupant’s amenity.”
Planning officers only partly agreed with this statement. Refusing the application, officers said: “The majority of the flats benefit from adequate levels of natural light and outlook, providing acceptable living conditions for future occupiers.
“However, Apartment 8 raises significant concerns in respect of its living conditions. The flat is a two-person unit located wholly within the roof space and relies exclusively on rooflights as its sole source of natural light and outlook, with no conventional windows serving any part of the accommodation.
“Whilst rooflights can provide natural daylight, they offer only limited views of the sky and fail to provide any meaningful outlook or visual connection to the surrounding environment.
“The absence of conventional windows would result in an overly enclosed, oppressive and insular living environment that would be experienced throughout the entirety of the flat rather than being limited to a single bedroom or ancillary room.
“This is a particularly concerning given that the apartment is intended to accommodate up to two people and provides the largest area of accommodation within the development.”