Thanet councillors have rejected a planning officer recommendation to refuse a retrospective application for a replacement shopfront in Northdown Road, Cliftonville.
The timber shopfront at 274 Northdown Road, previously the base of Kent Scuba, was removed and replaced with a new aluminium shop front for MPH accountants, circa August 2019.
In a report to members on the council’s planning committee, refusal was recommended with the council’s conservation officer saying: “The traditional heritage shop front has been removed and replaced by an aluminium frontage which appears contemporary amongst the traditional environment that exists within the conservation area and throughout principle elevations of nearby properties.
“The new shopfront is of little character or quality and contributes to a diminished level the positive aesthetic given that it has lost all the defining traditional features following their removal.”
At the meeting the planning officer said the modern design and materials lacked “the finesse of the traditional shop front.”
However, the majority of councillors on the planning committee tonight (January 19) disagreed with officer.
Ward councillor Harry Scobie, speaking in favour of the application, said the site had been owned by John Michael of MPH Accountants since 1977 and he had moved his business to shop level after the exit of Kent Scuba and set about making improvements.
He highlighted improvements such as disabled access and said 100 letters of support had been submitted.
Cllr Scobie urged councillors to “use your common sense and approve the application.”
Members including Cllr sSteve Albon and Jill Bayford said Northdown Road already had an “eclectic mix” of shopfronts and businesses with Cllr Albon adding that using the description “finesse” for Northdown Road was “a little over the top.”
Cllr Paul Moore and Cllr David Hart were in favour of rejecting the application with Cllr Hart saying: “I think it looks appalling,” and branding it a “disgrace” in an attempt to “grab an extra square footage” of space.
In documents submitted for the site owner agent Tony Michael Consulting had expressed frustration at an application for pre-planning advice never being responded to – despite a fee being paid – and a subsequent threat of enforcement action quoting a planning reference that did not exist.
An amended recommendation to approve the planning application was put forward and approved.
