Plans refused after row over thousands of pounds in developer contributions
John Borland - Credit: Archant
AN Ely businessman has had his plans to revamp a former petrol station rejected by East Cambridgeshire District Council because he refused to pay additional developer contributions totalling thousands of pounds.
John Borland submitted plans to convert the former Esso garage, in Cambridge Road, into a two-bedroom flat back in March last year, blaming the competition from supermarket chains for the decision to close the outlet.
According to the plans, the forecourt was to be dismantled and removed while the shop was to be redeveloped into a flat, with parking and access onto Cambridge Road.
Council planning officers were supportive of the scheme and prepared to approve it until the issue of developer contributions, known as Section 106, was raised.
The council said that Mr Borland should pay £4,347 in contributions towards the cost of the community facilities, emergency services and transport provision that would be used by occupiers of the flat.
You may also want to watch:
Mr Borland argued with the council however, that the extra money would leave the redevelopment no longer viable, telling officers: “The viability of the project is already marginal and any additional costs would tip the balance into loss.”
Negotiations took place between the two parties from April to November before the council set a deadline for an agreement to be signed. When no agreement was reached, the authority subsequently refused planning permission.
Most Read
- 1 Emergency services – including two air ambulances – rush to A10 crash
- 2 Biggest village in Cambridgeshire to get even bigger
- 3 New youth centre could be built in Littleport
- 4 Burglar who was spared by judge stole from woman three days later
- 5 Pedestrian dies crossing busy Cambridgeshire road
- 6 Former Top Gear star Rory Reid spotted filming with Lamborghini
- 7 East Cambridgeshire is ‘home to the noisiest neighbours in the country’
- 8 Three hare coursers - with three children and three dogs in car - fined for damaging crops
- 9 Care home still 'requires improvement'
- 10 High life ends for Bentley owning drug dealer
In his report, planning officer Scott Jackson said: “Despite working proactively with the applicant to secure the requisite financial contributions, the local planning authority has not been presented with a viability case to demonstrate how the deliverability of the scheme has been impacted upon by infrastructure contributions.
“The applicant has failed to put forward a valid and sound financial viability argument as to why no developer contributions are required in this instance.”
