Plymouth City Council's Planning Committee met on 26 June 2025, and approved applications for a front dormer, side garage, boundary fence and extension to rear dormer windows at 5 Springfield Avenue, and a change of use from office to flats at 41 Houndiscombe Road. The committee also noted recent planning application and appeal decisions.

Appeal Decisions

Stuart Wingfield, Head of Development Management, updated the committee on an appeal decision relating to hot food takeaways near schools on Mutley Plain. The Planning Inspectorate dismissed the appeal, upholding the council's original decision to refuse permission.

The committee noted the schedule of appeal decisions made by the Planning Inspectorate, as detailed in the Appeal Decisions document.

Planning Application Decisions Issued

The committee noted the report from the Service Director for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure, outlining planning application decisions issued between 24 April 2025 and 17 June 2025. The details of these decisions are available in the Determined Applications document.

41 Houndiscombe Road

The committee approved an application for prior approval for the change of use of a building at 41 Houndiscombe Road from an office (Class E¹) to three flats (Class C3²).

The planning officer, Sam Lewis, presented the report.

The application was considered under Class MA of Part 3 of Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015. This allows for the change of use of commercial buildings to residential, subject to certain conditions and prior approval from the local planning authority.

The council assessed several factors, including:

• Transport impacts: The Highway Authority raised no objections, noting the presence of a controlled parking zone and the site's proximity to the city centre, railway station, and bus routes. The flats will not be eligible for parking permits, and a condition was added requiring cycle storage.
• Contamination risks: No concerns were raised.
• Flooding risks: No concerns were raised.
• Noise impacts: The area is predominantly residential, so no concerns were raised about noise from commercial premises.
• Natural light: The plans show that adequate natural light would be provided for each flat.
• Nationally Described Space Standards: The proposed flats were assessed against the Nationally Described Space Standards 2015 and were considered to provide a good level of amenity relative to the number of bedrooms.

Councillor Patrick Nicholson, Leader of The Independents, abstained from the vote.

The committee agreed to grant the application conditionally.

5 Springfield Avenue

The committee approved an application for a front dormer, side garage, boundary fence, and extension to rear dormer windows at 5 Springfield Avenue.

Ethan Bell, Planning Officer, presented the report, noting that the application was brought before the committee because the applicant is an employee of Plymouth City Council.

The officer's report considered the visual impact of the development, and stated that:

Officers have considered the visual impact of the development against the guidance in the SPD and consider it acceptable.

The Highway Authority had objected to the garage due to concerns about vehicular access near the junction. However, the planning officer noted that a dropped kerb had already been approved, and the hardstanding provided sufficient off-street parking, therefore there were no grounds for refusal.

The application was approved conditionally.