Council
City of Westminster
Issues
The applicant sought to change the use of an established retail unit (A1) to a private dental practice. The City of Westminster is well known for their stringent A1 retention polices, particularly in the Central Activity Zones (CAZ).
Outcome
Plainview Planning successfully argued that the retention polices should exclude units that were not located on the ground floor. It was argued that the A1 unit had been vacant for a number of months due to its poor 2nd floor location and the inability to attract footfall business.
Planning approval was granted under delegated powers with Plainview Planning managing to avoid a number of pre-commencement conditions by seeking to discharge them during the application process.