This meeting of the Regulatory Board was scheduled to consider three planning applications. The meeting also allowed time for apologies for non-attendance, declarations of interest, the signing of minutes from the previous meeting, and time for deputations and public questions.

Anglesey Lodge

The most significant item on the agenda was scheduled to be a decision on a planning application and a Listed Building Consent application for the redevelopment of Anglesey Lodge, on the corner of Anglesey Road and Stokes Bay Road.

Anglesey Lodge is a Grade II Listed Building that was heavily damaged by fire in 2020 and has since been subject to vandalism and deterioration. The applicant, Heathfield Care Homes Ltd, requested permission to demolish the most damaged parts of the building, retaining only its original eastern section. The application proposes the construction of a 42-bed care home around the retained eastern section, consisting of a northern wing to the west of the retained section, and a southern wing to the south.

The application has been opposed by The Gosport Society, who say that the application does not give enough consideration to the character of the original building, that its design results in an unfortunate pastiche, and that there is not enough on-site parking. The Joint Committee of the National Amenity Societies also raised concerns, arguing that the new building would be too big and subsume the setting of the original lodge, and that a contemporary design of high quality would have been preferable. They also argued that there was not enough information on how the remaining parts of the original building would be repaired. Historic England initially raised concerns with the application, but after amendments were made to the design they said they no longer objected, welcom[ing] amended proposals which have taken on board the observations noted in our previous advice.

The report pack describes the surviving eastern section of the building as the only section that is reasonably capable of being saved. The report states that the loss of parts of the original fabric will result in harm to the overall significance of the asset, but that this harm would be less than substantial, because the application proposes to reinstate the eastern part of the original Lodge to its traditional architectural form and character. The report also describes the southern wing as being subservient to the original Lodge in views from Anglesey Road, and argues that it is considered that both the new build elements of the northern and southern wings would relate appropriately to the retained element of the Lodge.

The report highlights concerns raised by Natural England about the impact of residential development on protected habitats in the Solent, especially the impact of increased nitrogen entering the water environment. The applicant proposed to mitigate this by paying a financial contribution to offset the nitrogen generated by the development. The report pack also highlights concerns raised by The Hampshire Ornithological Society, who argued that the development could negatively impact bird habitats. The council's ecologist is quoted as saying they are satisfied that the supporting documents adequately address these matters, and that the plans for a Construction Environmental Management Plan, noise limits during construction, and sensitive lighting strategy would be sufficient to mitigate the impact on the habitats.

Because the number of parking spaces proposed is less than would normally be expected for a building of this size, the report summarises the applicant's justification for this. The applicant argued that a similar care home they own and operate in Lee-on-the-Solent functions well with the same number of spaces. The report pack states that the council's Traffic and Transport Manager reviewed the application and is satisfied that the proposed level of parking provision at the site would be acceptable. To maintain visibility for cars leaving the site, the applicant proposed the introduction of parking restrictions on Anglesey Road. The report pack states that this would mean the loss of 12 on-street parking spaces, but argues that the existing spaces are used more frequently by leisure visitors to the area rather than local residents and so their loss would not cause problems.

18 Rydal Road

The Board was also scheduled to consider a planning application for a new house at 18 Rydal Road. The applicant, Mr Ron Squibb, requested permission to build a one-storey house with a room in its roof space, and parking for four cars.

The site of the proposed dwelling is a triangular plot of land to the side of an existing house at 18 Rydal Road. The application was opposed by a number of local residents, who raised a variety of concerns including lack of parking, highway safety, overlooking and loss of privacy, the appearance of the house, disruption caused by construction, and loss of wildlife habitat.

A planning application for a similar development at the same site was refused in 2008, and the subsequent appeal was dismissed. The report pack describes the Inspector's conclusion that the previous application would have been an incongruous element in the townscape. The new application seeks to address this by reducing the scale of the building.

Anglesey Lodge - Listed Building Consent

The Board was also scheduled to consider an application for Listed Building Consent for the works at Anglesey Lodge associated with planning application 24/00122/FULL.