Jesmond Picture House to be razed
Oct 21 2008 by Paul James, The Journal
A HISTORIC North cinema is set to be bulldozed to make way for new offices, despite concerns over a lack of parking spaces in its Newcastle suburb.
Plans to create new offices at the Jesmond Picture House were approved earlier this year by the city council, subject to the developers making a deal with the nearby British Legion Club to use its car park.
But that deal has fallen through and members of Newcastle’s planning committee are now being asked to reconsider the conditions they first attached when they granted permission.
MK (The Jesmond) Ltd are hoping to plough on with their plans for the 1922 site in Lyndhurst Avenue with alternative travel arrangements for staff in the new offices, with West Jesmond Metro station just yards away.
In a report to Friday’s meeting, Harvey Emms, the council’s director of strategic housing, planning and transportation, says the applicant will draw up a travel plan to encourage staff to leave their cars at home and use the Metro or bus or walk or cycle to work.
Mr Emms is advising the committee to approve the plans and accept the £145,000 being offered by the developers for improvements to roads in the area.
In his report to councillors, he said: “While terms had been agreed in principle with the British Legion Club in Jesmond, the local branch has to seek confirmation from the head office in London that it would be acceptable to sub-lease the car park to the applicant.
“This has not proved possible to resolve in the short term as there appears to be no wish to grant such a lease at a national level.
“The applicant has therefore been unable to progress the completion of the section 106 agreement and the issuing of the planning permission.
“Given the lack of progress on securing the use of the British Legion car park, the applicant has requested the committee reconsider its requirements that the applicant secure temporary off-street car parking as part of the planning permission but rather secure the payment of £145,000 for the council to use towards parking and highway management in the surrounding area as well as a robust travel plan.”
The new four-storey building would have a shop and a restaurant on the ground floor and office accommodation above.
Mr Emms said the plans include no dedicated car parking provision because of the constrained nature of the site, and its location next to a Metro station and in close reach of the city centre and other bus routes.
He added: “The requirement to provide car parking at the British Legion Club was always seen as a temporary arrangement of up to five years.
“After that date the development would revert to having no off-street parking.
“For this reason it is considered impracticable to maintain that the absence of short-term parking would justify refusal of the application.
“It is, in fact, arguable that it would be beneficial to commence occupation of the development with no dedicated car parking rather than have this introduced at a later date.
“This would then ensure travel practices by occupants of the building are established from the outset.
“Users would then be more likely to accept from first use of the building that only limited on-street parking would be available in the area and that public transport, walking and cycling would be more convenient and easier forms of transport to reach the site.”
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