Project summary
- To obtain a change to a sui generis use comprising retail, multi-event space, photography studio and an office with associated external alterations including advertisement consent.
- To submit planning application for a flagship store which was a seamless representation of the e-commerce site and a place for the community to experience the brand.
- To create a vibrant location for creative and digital industries alongside encouraging cultural activities and connectivity with other parts of the city.
Solution
- The scheme created an international destination, attracting a wide range of visitors, not just a showroom or retail space but also a platform for the local creative and digital community.
- The main planning constraints were the site's out-of-centre location where the proposal included main town uses which are actively directed towards centres alongside the sensitive historic location within the World Heritage Site Buffer Zone
- The locational issue was addressed through the preparation of a Retail and Sequential Assessment which robustly demonstrated that there were no other sites suitable or available within a sequentially preferable location
Benefits
- We built and maintained a positive working relationship with the Council, proactively securing a favourable outcome within tight timescales for a project which was both high profile and bucked the trend.
- The site is now complete and operational.
