By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
The developers of three tower blocks in Nottingham have made “significant changes” to the plans after councillors sent them back to the drawing board over concerns about design.
A 22-storey tower, housing 163 apartments, and two smaller blocks had been proposed on the site of a number of industrial units at the junction of Queen’s Road and London Road.
However concerned councillors stopped the plans in their tracks at a Nottingham City Council planning meeting in October.
They said inadequate architecture, decoration, design and the need for a better contribution to the city skyline were reasons to defer them.
Aspley Councillor Graham Chapman, a member of the planning committee, had said: “This is a gateway building, it is one of the gateways into the city from the east, and therefore it is even more imperative that is has some quality.
“I just think we have got to send this back to the drawing board.”
The larger tower would be home to 163 ‘buy-to-rent’ apartments, while a smaller nine-storey block would contain 75 apartments, and another 12-storey block would have enough room for 406 students.
The plans, submitted by planning and development consultancy Lichfields and designed by architecture and client advisory practice Consarc, had been recommended for approval.
But they were unanimously deferred following a vote by councillors.
The developers have now submitted revised proposals for the entire scheme, including alterations to one of the smaller blocks so improvements to the wider landscape come as part of the first phase of the development.
The second phase, which includes the 22-storey tower, will come back to the planning committee in 2023, pending a detailed review.
Planning documents say: “Following the October committee the applicant has made significant revisions to their proposal.
“Both the London Road tower and the Queens Road apartment building have been removed from the scheme so that the application now solely relates to the PBSA (purpose built student accommodation) building, which has been revised and would form phase 1 of the overall development.
“The removal of the two BTR buildings (phase 2) would allow phase 1 to move forward whilst a more detailed review of the design for these buildings, and the London Road tower in particular, is undertaken to address the concerns raised by committee.
“It is then the applicant’s intention to submit a new planning application for phase 2 in early 2023.
“As part of phase 1 it is still proposed to create a 6m setback from the kerb of
Queen’s Road to facilitate a widened footpath, but this would be provided with a temporary tarmac surface until phase 2 has been completed.
“However, trees are to be provided as part of phase 1 along the Queens Road frontage upon completion of the PBSA building.
“Pedestrian access to the PBSA building would be from the south western corner of the site from Queens Road.
“The site’s vehicular access would be maintained in its current location from Queens Road, providing access to a service road which wraps around the west and northern boundaries of the PBSA.
“Four disabled parking spaces are proposed to the rear of the PBSA.
“In addition to these works to the Queens Road frontage, part of the originally
proposed central courtyard is to be provided to the front of the PBSA building,
incorporating seating, planters and other soft landscaping.”
