HomeMy WebLinkAbout2660395 - Other Assessments - Proposed change of use
PLANNING STATEMENT
Proposed Change of use ,
Mullach Glas, Mullaghmonaghan , Co. Monaghan
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Contents
1. Introduction
2. Site Context
3. Planning Context
4. Planning History
5. Proposed Development
6. Planning Assessment
7. Conclusion
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1. Introduction
We wish to apply for Planning Permission on behalf of our client GlenPark Montessori & Nursery School for planning
permission for development comprising the change of use of part of the first floor of the existing building from office
accommodation to childcare use, to facilitate the extension of the existing crèche currently operating at ground floor
level, together with the following ancillary works:
1. Revised first-floor internal layout and associated internal alterations;
2. Construction of an external escape stair to the side elevation of the existing building;
3. All associated site development works;
at Mullach Glas, Mullaghmonaghan, Co. Monaghan.
2. Site Context
The subject site of 0.374 acres is located to the northwest of Monaghan hospital. It is within the development limit of
Monaghan town and is zoned as ‘existing residential’ in the Monaghan County development plan.
The site is comprised of an existing creche and office facility located on the of the mullachglass residential
development. The existing building is located below the level of the adjoining public road to the north and accessed
via the mullachglass estate road. The site comprises a two storey, hipped roof structure finished in render to the
ground floor and red brick to the first floor.
Figure 1_Aerial image of the proposed site (site outlined in red)
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3. Planning Context
The proposed site is within the development limit of Monaghan town which is identified as a Tier 1 Principal/Key
Town and has specific strategic objectives.
MTSO 1
To facilitate the development of Monaghan Town to maintain its position as the Principal/Key Town in the County at
the top of the settlement hierarchy and to ensure that its expansion takes place in an orderly and sustainable fashion
that will not detract from the vitality and viability of its town centre.
CFP 3
To facilitate and support, where a need is identified, and in cooperation with the Monaghan County Childcare
Committee, the provision of childcare facilities in appropriate locations, and where possible within towns and villages
and/or adjacent to existing community facilities to facilitate localised provision, accessibility and sustainable
development.
SHO 1
To facilitate the development of Monaghan Town in order to maintain its position as the Principal/Key Town in the
County at the top of the settlement hierarchy and to ensure that its population and development growth takes place
in an orderly and sustainable manner
SSO 6
To facilitate the provision of adequate services and facilities in the towns in the areas of education, medical/health,
transport, public administration, industrial and commercial centres, and to encourage the co-location of these
services.
SSO 8
To promote the towns as residential, employment, industrial, commercial, retail and service centres.
SSO 13
To promote the development of the towns and Tier 4 villages with an appropriate range of facilities and services
including social infrastructure, retail units, commercial offices and local enterprise in accordance with the provisions
of the Core Strategy, Chapter 2 of the Monaghan County Development Plan 2025-2031.
LAND USE ZONING CATEGORIES AND OBJECTIVES
LUZO 1
To implement the land use zoning categories and objectives in each of the settlement plan areas as set out in Table
9.1, Chapter 9 of the Monaghan County Development Plan 2025-31
LUO 2 - EXISTING RESIDENTIAL
To protect and enhance existing residential amenities, to facilitate residential development on small infill sites within
established residential areas, the comprehensive redevelopment of brownfield residential sites for sustainable
residential development, and to facilitate and encourage the completion of commenced and not yet completed
residential developments.
The principal permitted land use is residential. However other uses open for consideration include education, nursing
homes, creches, health centres, community facilities, and guesthouses provided that all such proposals are in
keeping with the established built character of the area and do not adversely impact upon the amenity of existing
residential properties. Infill residential development on small sites and the comprehensive redevelopment of large
residential plots for proposed residential development will be acceptable subject to the development proposal
having regard to the character of the surrounding residential developme
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4. Planning History
Planning App No Site: 1030027
• Applicant Name: Mullach Glas Developments Ltd
• Received Date: 08/10/2010
• Decision: Granted with Conditions
• Development Description: minor amendments to the approved scheme MT68/06 for Block One (childcare
facility with offices over), at Mullach Glas, Mullaghmonaghan, Monaghan. That planning approval was a
revision of an approval contained within MT19/04. The proposed alterations being applied for now, consist
of changes to the internal layout of the childcare facility at ground floor; minor relocation of the entrances to
both the childcare facility and the offices over; revisions in the elevation treatment – omission of precast
string course and brick soldier course details – and generally changes to fenestration and external doors
proportions and locations at ground and first floor. The existing footprint of the building which was
commenced under notice 08/048 will not be changed by these amendments. The ridge height of the
building will be 8.85m above ground level. The pedestrian ramp which would have taken pedestrian traffic to
the development through the crèche car park will now become a planter in the interest of child safety and to
avoid anti-social behavior in the vicinity of the childcare facility. In addition to the changes to the
crèche/office building, permission is sought to vary two conditions of planning as follows: 1) Conditions Nos.
1 and 3 of MT19/04, condition No. 9 of MT68/06, conditions Nos. 7 and 10 of MT76/06 require various
payments to the Town and County Councils to be paid in a manner as agreed with the Planning Authority.
This application asks that the method of payment is revised so that further payments will be based on
completed sales of finished units and that an allowance is agreed for monies already paid on the foot of
these conditions in arriving at the future schedule. 2) Condition No. 15 of MT19/04 says that: “None of the
residential units hereby permitted shall be occupied until the crèche facility has been completed”. This
application asks that this is varied so that the obligation to provide the childcare facility falls due on
occupation of the 75th unit.
Planning App No Site: 22258
• Received Date: 09/06/2022
• Decision: Granted with Conditions
• Development Description: permission for a material change of use from office accommodation to a
wellbeing community hub together with the following ancillary alterations: 1: elevational changes to the front
entrance at ground floor level to include relocated entrance doors, extended canopy and additional floor
area to accommodate a lift, 2: construction of an external escape stair to side of the existing building, 3: new
signage, and 4: all associated site works
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Proposed external
stairs
5. Proposed Development
The description contained within the statutory notices is set out below:
MONAGHAN COUNTY COUNCIL
GlenPark Montessori & Nursery School intends to apply to the above-named Planning Authority for planning
permission for development comprising the change of use of part of the first floor of the existing building from office
accommodation to childcare use, to facilitate the extension of the existing crèche currently operating at ground floor
level, together with the following ancillary works:
1. Revised first-floor internal layout and associated internal alterations;
2. Construction of an external escape stair to the side elevation of the existing building;
3. All associated site development works;
at Mullach Glas, Mullaghmonaghan, Co. Monaghan.
Figure 2_Front perspective
Statement of use
Floor Exsiting use Proposed use Area
Ground floor Creche As existing, unchanged 300 m²
First floor Office accomdation Childcare 96.56 m²
First floor remainder Office accomdation As existing, unchanged 208 m²
Total building 604m²
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6. Planning Assessment
The proposal has been designed having regard to the established character of the site and surrounding area.
There are elevational changes, they are modest, they sit on the side/rear away from the front building line, and the
finishes match existing. Limited views of the external stairs located to the southeastern elevation as they are set back
from the front building line. An existing access is being used.
The proposed use of the first-floor accommodation will form part of the existing crèche operation and will remain
within the established hours of operation of the facility. The development will therefore not introduce a new pattern
of activity outside the established operating period.
There is no proposal for new signage as part of the development. Existing signage associated with the established
crèche use will remain unchanged, and no additional illuminated or advertising signage is proposed.
Having regard to the established residential setting, the hours of operation, the contained nature of the first-floor use,
the ancillary function and appearance of the external stair, the separation from neighbouring dwellings and the absence
of new signage, it is considered that the proposal respects the established built character and will not adversely impact
upon the amenity of existing residential properties, in accordance with the LUO 2.
There is existing wastewater and water services to this property.
Figure 3_Site Layout
Parking Provision and Justification
The parking provision associated with the proposed development should be considered in the
context of the established planning history of the site and the previously permitted uses within the
building.
The existing building was originally permitted as a childcare facility at ground-floor level with office
accommodation above. The existing access and car parking area therefore serve an established
mixed-use building comprising both childcare and office accommodation.
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The current proposal does not involve any extension to the building or increase in its overall gross
floor area. It seeks only the change of use of approximately 96.56 sq.m. of existing first-floor office
accommodation to childcare use, with approximately 208 sq.m. of first-floor office accommodation
remaining unchanged. The existing ground-floor childcare accommodation of approximately 300
sq.m. also remains unchanged.
Accordingly, the parking implications of the proposal should be assessed having regard to the net
change in use within the existing building, rather than treating the proposed childcare
accommodation as additional floorspace introduced onto the site.
The first-floor accommodation proposed for conversion presently benefits from permission for office
use. Office accommodation is itself a parking-generating use and therefore carries an associated
parking demand. The proposed development will remove approximately 96.56 sq.m. of that
permitted office use and replace it with childcare accommodation. In assessing the adequacy of the
existing parking provision, appropriate allowance should therefore be made for the parking demand
associated with the office floorspace which is being displaced.
The proposal consequently represents a redistribution of uses within an existing permitted building,
rather than an increase in the overall scale of development on the site.
The existing building has a gross floor area of approximately 604 sq.m., comprising approximately
300 sq.m. of childcare accommodation at ground-floor level and approximately 304 sq.m. of
permitted office accommodation at first-floor level. Following the proposed change of use, the
overall gross floor area of the building will remain unchanged, with approximately 396.56 sq.m. in
childcare use and approximately 208 sq.m. remaining in office use.
The site currently provides sufficient car parking spaces together with an established vehicular
access arrangement. These facilities presently serve the existing childcare and office uses within the
building.
It is considered that the existing parking provision should therefore be assessed against the overall
parking demand associated with the building, taking account of both the reduction in permitted
office accommodation and the corresponding increase in childcare accommodation. It would not be
appropriate to assess the additional childcare floorspace in isolation without recognising that it
replaces an existing lawful and parking-generating office use.
The proposal also represents the efficient and sustainable use of an existing building within the
development limits of Monaghan Town. The additional childcare accommodation can be provided
without increasing the footprint of the building or requiring the development of additional lands for
a separate childcare facility.
The additional accommodation is intended to assist in meeting an identified requirement for
childcare provision arising from residential development in the wider area. The proposal therefore
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makes effective use of an established childcare facility in an accessible location within an existing
residential area.
This is consistent with CFP 3 of the Monaghan County Development Plan 2025–2031, which seeks
to facilitate and support childcare facilities where a need is identified and, where possible, within
towns and villages and/or adjacent to existing community facilities, thereby supporting accessibility
and sustainable development.
Having regard to:
• the established childcare and office uses within the building;
• the existing parking provision serving those uses;
• the absence of any increase in the overall gross floor area of the building;
• the replacement of previously permitted office accommodation with childcare
accommodation;
• the parking demand associated with the office use which is being displaced;
• the resultant net change in parking demand rather than the gross childcare floor area in
isolation; and
• the sustainable reuse of an existing childcare facility to meet an identified requirement,
it is considered that the existing parking provision is appropriate to serve the proposed
development and that the proposal will not result in an unacceptable impact on traffic movement,
road safety or the residential amenity of the surrounding area.
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7. Conclusion
The proposed development represents the sustainable and efficient reuse of existing accommodation within an
established childcare and office building.
The proposal does not involve any extension to the existing building or increase in its overall gross floor area. Rather,
it seeks the change of use of approximately 96.56 sq.m. of previously permitted first-floor office accommodation to
childcare use, with the remainder of the first-floor office accommodation continuing unchanged.
The principle of childcare use is consistent with the Existing Residential zoning applicable to the site, within which
crèches are identified as a use open for consideration, subject to the protection of residential amenity. The proposal
is also consistent with CFP 3 of the Monaghan County Development Plan 2025–2031, which seeks to facilitate and
support the provision of childcare facilities where a need is identified and, where possible, within towns and villages
and/or adjacent to existing community facilities.
The proposed external alterations are limited in scale and will not materially alter the established character or
appearance of the building. The existing access will remain in use and the development will continue to operate as
part of the established childcare facility. Having regard to the contained nature of the works, the location of the
proposed external stair and the established residential setting, it is considered that the proposal will not adversely
affect the residential amenity of adjoining properties.
In relation to parking, the proposal should be considered in the context of the established planning history and the
previously permitted mixed use of the building as a childcare facility with office accommodation above. The
proposed childcare accommodation replaces existing permitted office floorspace, which is itself a parking-generating
use. The appropriate consideration is therefore the net change in parking demand arising from the redistribution of
uses within the existing building, rather than assessing the additional childcare accommodation in isolation.
The overall gross floor area of the building will remain unchanged and the existing car park will continue to serve the
childcare and office uses on the site. Having regard to the reduction in permitted office accommodation, the
corresponding increase in childcare accommodation and the absence of any physical expansion of the premises, it is
considered that the existing parking provision remains appropriate to serve the development.
The proposal will also assist in meeting an identified requirement for additional childcare provision arising in the
wider area, including demand associated with residential development, while making efficient use of an existing
childcare facility within the development limits of Monaghan Town.
Having regard to the established use and planning history of the site, the compatible land-use zoning, the
sustainable reuse of existing accommodation, the limited nature of the external works and the net parking
implications of the proposed change of use, it is submitted that the development is consistent with the proper
planning and sustainable development of the area and with the relevant provisions of the Monaghan County
Development Plan 2025–2031.
Accordingly, we respectfully request that planning permission be granted for the proposed development.
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