Nelson shop owner seeks permission for unauthorised shutters

Jan 01, 2024

A set of buildings in a Pendle town's conservation area, which were last year blamed for litter, rats and pedestrian safety problems, should not be fitted with ‘poorly designed’ canopies and shutters, councillors are being told.

Planning permission is being sought to keep some shutters and canopies fitted without authority at the Springbank Buildings, 226 to 248 Every Street, Nelson.

The applicant is businessman Amjad Khan, who has a grocery business there called Ambas Foods.

Other businesses there include a gym and workshop.

In his application, Mr Khan states he wants to keep a profiled metal roof to the canopies and steel shutters. He includes a planning statement, some photos and says there are seven parking spaces there. He also mentions enforcement action with Pendle Council last year and pre-application emails.

Pendle planning officers say councillors should refuse permission for the canopies and shutters.

A council planning report for the Nelson Area Committee states: "The design and materials are not in keeping with the character of the location. The shutters do not have the pin-hole effect and do not match the existing sliding doors. There are no public benefits to the proposal, which clutters the frontage of the site. It would result in poor design, contrary to conservation area development guidance."

The report adds: "The premises form part of the commercial and business block within the conservation area. The materials for the corrugated canopy coverings would not be acceptable, as they are not natural materials in heritage colours. The development destroys the uniform visual aspect of the

streetscene."

The canopy on the south of the building has been there since at least 2009, the report states. The new application seeks to retain the roof sheeting and a canopy on the north-east between the store and an office. There is an existing steel roller-shutter door on the south side. There are two additional roller-shutter doors proposed to the south-east. One would be alongside a sliding fold-door.

Some signs were included on the first version of the plan, the report adds. However, it was removed because an advertising consent planning application would be needed.

A design statement with Mr Khan's application states the building is an old mill. It is not listed but is in the official Whitefield conservation area.

It states: "The building is a two and three storey building with a slate roof and a later two-storey side extension with a flat roof. The Every Street and Hargreaves Street elevations are in stone and retain the original features including arched windows and entrance doorway with ornate stone surrounds.

"Some window frames have been replaced with UPVC frames and security sheeting has been fitted to all the ground floor windows. The Every Street side extension has large door openings with sliding folding doors to service the ground floor workshop and UPVC windows to the first floor.

"The building has a number of different uses including a workshop, gymnasium and retail. There have been numerous alterations over a number of years. These included the front steel structure which supported a canopy over the entrance together with a smaller canopy over the shop entrance.

"The proposals are to retain the works recently carried out.

"It was not possible to carry out further repairs to the sliding door or obtain a like replacement. It is proposed to have the steel shutter sprayed black to match the existing shutters. The new entrance door shutter is also a black steel shutter and will afford extra security.

"A profiled aluminium roof has also been provided over the existing steel framework to allow goods to be delivered in poor weather. This replaced a former roof supported by the steel framework.

"The former canopy over the store entrance has been removed and a larger canopy fitted. This will allow disabled customers to be able to load-up their shopping under cover in poor weather. There will be no further alterations to the external fabric of the building."

Last year, Mr Khan became involved with a Pendle Council row about the site. He hit back at some councillors’ suggestions that there had been complaints about traffic, litter and rat problems.

He said the allegations were unfair and strongly denied his shop was at fault. If there were problems, his business was not the cause.

Also last year, Mr Khan applied for a land development certificate to use the premises for retail use. But this was not granted by the council.

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