From flowers to coffee – Walsingham Planning overcome the practical hurdles

Walsingham Planning achieved planning permission and Listed Building Consent for change of use of a former florist in High Street, Marlborough to a Costa Coffee. The building is grade II listed. The practice was involved from an early stage, advising on the chances of success before the unit was acquired, and then went on to deliver a successful outcome.

Using our experience from many similar cases, Walsingham Planning were able to persuade the Council that the change to a coffee shop would be a positive step for the town centre, attracting and retaining shoppers, workers and visitors to the benefit of other traders as well as the new Costa itself.

Given the historic layout of Marlborough town centre, the building is surrounded by properties and has only a small yard for outside space. These factors led to Walsingham Planning negotiating with the planners to achieve a scheme which balanced the requirements of Costa Coffee, particularly their servicing requirements such as condenser units, with the effect on the neighbouring properties and impact on the listed building.

There was only one possible location for the condenser units, so Walsingham Planning worked to achieve consent to locate them within the small yard area which had residential accommodation above. Council concerns were overcome and Consent was negotiated for the condenser units with a sound-proof enclosure.

At the rear of the property one wall had a large area of glazing which faced onto a residential property within a few metres of the site boundary. The Council were again, concerned about residential amenity, but Walsingham Planning were again, able to negotiate solutions that satisfied the Council in terms of both amenity and effect on the listed building. The scheme was fully welcomed and approved at Planning Committee.