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Vitality and Viability of the Pitshanger Local Centre is improved as Walsingham Planning win approval for another Early Learning Centre
Explore Learning Centres are operated on a membership basis, providing maths and English tuition for 5-14 year olds to supplement normal school lessons. The company originally commenced trading in concession units within Sainsbury’s supermarkets to enable parents to do their shopping whilst their children undertake a learning session, but have since moved into High Street locations.
As an education use (Use Class D1), change of use planning permission is often required and this was the case in Pitshanger where the planning policy was very restrictive and sought to prevent the loss of Class A1 units.
Evidence presented on the marketing of the retail unit, together with the support of local traders who recognised the benefit of an Explore Centre, led the Local Planning Authority, Ealing Borough Council, to grant consent.
The Practice subsequently dealt with the discharge of planning conditions to enable the Explore Centre to open, including drawing up a Travel Plan which was required in order to address concern over lack of car parking.
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Walsingham Planning have won planning permission for change of use of a former retail unit in the Pitshanger Local Centre in Ealing for an Explore Learning Education Centre.
Walsingham Planning pursued a change of use application supported by substantial supporting material, including surveys of other Explore Learning Centres, which demonstrate the propensity for parents dropping off their children at an Explore Centre to undertake shopping and use other services within the local area as part of the same trip.