Demolition plan Travis Perkins site to be ripped down
BUILDERS’ merchant Travis Perkins will tear down its Cheltenham site for a “comprehensive” new redevelopment.
The retailer’s building, in Mead Road, will be demolished for two separate Travis Perkins complexes as part of a major revamp after Cheltenham Borough Council’s planning committee approved the plans.
The plan would see a smaller floor area created with associated external work to create delivery zones and external storage areas.
A customer and staff car park, with loading and delivery areas for heavy goods vehicles, will be constructed.
The retailer’s Tewkesbury Road branch will still remain open.
The authority’s planning committee voted through the proposal by a majority of 10.
According to a council document, councillors Martin Horwood and Stephen Cooke say there will be an “increased visual impact”, and an independent architect’s panel said the proposal “makes no attempt to enhance the visual qualities of the site”.
Some councillors expressed fears the new buildings will be taller than the current ones for storage to compensate for the loss of floorspace.
Councillor Rowena Hay (LD, Oakley) said in the meeting: “I am concerned by the height of the buildings. I accept it has been there, and it’s totally utilitarian and how it should be. I understand why the architects’ panel are saying what they’re saying, but it’s there to do the day job for them as a business.
“But what I am concerned about is the height of the buildings and the increase in the height. I do believe that that will cause a significant loss of public amenity in terms of the space. It’s definitely an improvement on what is there, but the height of the buildings give me concern.”
A council officer said: “An apartment which is adjacent to the site is just more than eight metres in height.
“The building on the proposal site which will be next to that is 8.5 metres in height, and then it steps up again on the larger building which is further away from that apartment building to a maximum height of nine metres.
“Given we have already got a building that is just more than 8 metres directly adjacent to the site, and thinking about the function and purpose of the building, that’s why officers have found that the nine metre height is an acceptable height.”
In Travis Perkins’ planning application, it said although it has traded successfully from the building since 1978, there was an increasing need for continued and costly maintenance.
The council document said the architects’ panel “had no objection to the principle of replacing the existing buildings with new commercial buildings on this site.
“Nevertheless, the panel could not support this application simply because it makes no attempt to enhance the visual qualities of the site.
“If the layout cannot be reconfigured then at least consider some landscape enhancements.”
A design and access statement submitted by an agent for Travis Perkins said: “By increasing the proportion of the external compound to building areas, materials storage and vehicle movements can be managed safely allowing the creation of a one way system within the site for customer traffic and creating separation between customer and operational vehicles.
“The size of the buildings and the proportion of building to external areas better reflects the operational requirements and will ensure the continued operation of the business.”