Tile showroom planned for Colwyn and Reg Vardy site
15/06/06
A proposal for a tile warehouse and showroom on the site of the former Reg Vardy centre and derelict Colwyn building on Aberdeen’s Great Northern Road is to be discussed by councillors.
The plan from Porcelanosa, if approved, would see the demolition of the former car showroom and the listed Colwyn building near the junction of Great Northern Road, North Anderson Drive and Mugiemoss Road at the Haudagain roundabout
The application for detailed planning permission for a building containing a retail showroom, warehouse and ancillary office accommodation and car parking will come before the city council’s planning committee next Thursday, June 22. Officers are recommending approval, subject to conditions.
An application for listed building consent to demolish the category B listed Colwyn, which is currently on the area proposed for car parking, will also be discussed by the committee. Officers are recommending willingness to approve conditionally, subject to referral to Historic Scotland.
Porcelanosa is a fast expanding Spanish company that has become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high quality tile and bathroom and kitchen ceramic products and accessories.
The retail warehouse would consist mainly of bathroom displays and, based on stores elsewhere in the UK, at least 80% of customers would be from the building trade.
The proposed building would be of modern design, with flat roof, finished mainly with silver coloured panels with glass curtain walling facing Great Northern Road.
The building would ‘step down’ into the valley towards the railway line behind it, with the front of the building almost eight metres in height, and the back, towards the railway, almost 14 metres. Access would be from the city-bound side of the trunk road only, via existing access points.
The report on the application, by Head of Planning and Infrastructure Margaret Bochel, states the Local Plan zoning for the site had been determined as Industrial Use.
However, it is considered that “the site is not prime industrial land, and there has been no interest in developing the site for industrial or business purposes since the closure of the former car showroom in 2001.” The Colwyn has been unoccupied for many years.
Outline planning permission was approved in 2001 for three retail units on the site. A subsequent application to renew outline consent was approved in 2005, subject to a condition restricting the permission to one year, to ensure development took place within that timescale, The consent has just expired and no development has taken place.
Taking this into account, Dr Bochel states: “It is considered that the industrial zoning of the site is out of date and that a much more flexible approach is required to ensure the satisfactory redevelopment of this prominent site on a gateway route into the city.” This is reflected by the mixed use zoning proposed by the finalised local plan.
Historic Scotland had not expressed objections to demolition. However, the body states the City Council should ensure they have investigated all the options and be satisfied that the are no practical ways of keeping the building and finding an owner willing to restore it.
The report states: “The Senior Conservation Planner has carried out such an evaluation of the options available to retain this building and has concluded that its retention in the longer term is probably not feasible or economically viable.
“The building has been in a very poor state of repair for some time and it is extremely unlikely that any owner will ever be prepared to make the significant investment to bring it back into a useable condition.”
A transport assessment has been submitted by the applicant and assessed by the Trunk Roads Authority (Transport Scotland) who have no objections.
It is recommended that the condition advised by the authority – to ensure the combined floor area of the development does not exceed 2,441 sq m (as submitted) and requiring the submission and implementation of a Travel Plan – should be attached to any approval.
The Council’s roads section has no objections to the proposal, commenting that the amount of traffic generated would be substantially less than the retail application previously approved for the site. Most traffic would be off peak on a Saturday or Sunday.
Two letters of representation have bee received. The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland indicate their opposition, in principle, to the demolition of listed buildings, but recognise the Colwyn has been left without a viable future and do not oppose demolition.
Aberdeen Civic Society objects on the grounds that the development should not be allowed until the feasibility of improvements to the North Anderson Drive roundabout have been explored as the land occupied by the development may be required for junction improvement in the future. It also objects on the grounds of inadequate access arrangements and an increase in the existing high levels of traffic congestion.
In conclusion, Dr Bochel states: “The proposed development represents a real opportunity to secure a long term environmental improvement of a derelict site, and to enhance the visual amenity of the main gateway route in to the city from the airport.
“Furthermore, the proposal would create new employment and economic activity in one of the more deprived areas of the city.”
