In what some may regard as a sharp rap over the knuckles, developers hoping to change shop premises at 28 Howe Street into a Sainsbury's Local have been told to think again.
Those behind the plan (Refs 11/02841/LBC; 11/02842/FUL; Breaking news, 15.9.11) must:
- retain the existing timber shopfront (including canopy);
- discreetly incorporate signage, suspended behind glazing;
- reposition air-conditioning units away from the edge of the building's rear and off the side elevation;
- restrict lettering to no more than 450mm in height;
- provide a statement describing the proposed operation of the bakery.
They have been given 2 weeks to submit revised plans. 'Failure to do so may deem the proposal to be unacceptable and the application may be recommended for refusal, unless the applicant wishes to withdraw the application'.
The Council response is most unlikely to have resulted from around 8 letters of objection it has received so far, and a petition attracting hundreds of locals' signatures. Most locals were unaware of the proposal when the Council wrote on 16 September. It offers some comfort to those worried about the architectural appearance and integrity of the listed building and its surrounds.
However, there is nothing in the response to address the effects of a new supermarket on Howe Street. Commercial and social consequences would certainly follow, especially if Sainsbury's recent application for a licence to sell alcohol were accepted.