Planning & Design Practice have secured planning permission for the change of use of the ground floor of a dwelling from residential (Use Class C3) to display or retail sale of goods (Class E(a)) including the installation of a new shop frontage in Normanton, an edge-of-centre location in Derby. This will create an intercontinental and specialised grocery store with a specific focus on South Asian cuisine, which demonstrates a large portion of the diverse demographic within the Normanton District Centre.
The location of the site is in an existing residential area with excellent transport links into Derby City Centre. This sustainable location means local residents will have greater access to groceries closer to their homes.
A previous application on the site was refused in December 2023 for an identical scheme. This was refused due to a lack of evidence of an adequate sequential approach to site selection. Therefore, for this application, a sequential test was completed, as required by policy CP13 of the Local Plan due to the site being considered for retail uses within an edge-of-centre district. The submitted sequential test studied a total of 8 estate agents’ websites and consisted of a site visit along Normanton Road District Centre to discover a site for let capable of accommodating under 150m2 of retail space with a street-facing elevation. This concluded that there was only one unit available to let in the district and it was too large for the proposed use. Therefore, the proposal was in line with the intentions of the policy.
The officer concluded that the proposal complies with the relevant policies of the Development Plan. The proposal is deemed acceptable in design, amenity, policy and highway terms. The site is sustainably located, there would be no increased noise or activity level and the design of the shopfront will have minimal intrusion on the terraced row of properties. The previous reason for refusal has been addressed, therefore, the change of use is acceptable in the edge-of-centre location.
Planning & Design Practice has a wealth of experience in securing planning permission for commercial projects, in particular those with the need for a sequential test. We look forward to seeing this project progress to provide a new grocery store in Derby.
Megan Askham, Planner – Planning & Design Practice Ltd.
