Issue - meetings

Granted planning permission subject to the conditions and informatives, as set out in the main committee report.

PROPOSAL

Change of use of basement and ground floor from vacant bank to Adult Gaming Centre (AGC) with alteration to front elevation at ground floor level.

RECOMMENDATION

That the Committee resolve to GRANT planning permission subject to the conditions and informatives detailed in the committee report.

Parag Dhanan (Career Grade Planning Officer) introduced the report, advising members that the application site was a commercial property located on the north side of Walm Lane at the junction of High Road. The property fell within the primary shopping frontage of the Willesden Green Town Centre and, whilst not containing any Listed Buildings, was located within the Willesden Conservation Area.  Members were also reminded that the site had been subject to a previous application (Ref 24/2877) for which permission had been granted on 17 February 2025 which related to a change of use for the basement and ground floor from vacant bank to bingo hall with alteration to front elevation at ground floor level.

Attention was also drawn to the supplementary report circulated in advance of the meeting, which outlined an additional representation received from the Brent East MP (Dawn Butler) objecting to the proposed development.  Members were advised the comments raised reflected those already received and addressed within the main Committee report with the recommendation therefore remaining to grant planning permission subject to the conditions and informatives outlined within the main report.

The Chair thanked Parag Dhanan for introducing the report and advised that as there were no representatives who had registered to speak in relation to the application he would move straight on deal with questions and points of clarity from the Committee, with the following being noted:

·            Further clarification was sought in relation to application of the Local Plan Policy BE5: Protecting retail in town centres and the criteria on active frontages that proposals for adult gaming centres were required to meet.  In terms of the existing town centre, members were advised that there were two pawnbrokers and two adult gaming centres but no payday loan shops in Willesden Green Town Centre.  The total existing length of the town centre frontage consisting of those premises had been assessed as 38m with the total frontage length being 1877m which meant that, as existing, 2.02% of the total frontage length was in adult gaming centre and pawnbrokers/payday loan shop use.

In terms of the application site (1 Walm Lane) that had a frontage length of approx. 9.75m with members advised that if consented for adult gaming centre (AGC) use, the total frontage length in AGC and pawnbrokers/payday loan shop use (including the premises already outlined) would be 47.75m which would result in 2.54% of the total frontage length being in AGC and pawnbrokers/payday loan shop use. The proposals would therefore sit within the threshold criteria of no more than 3% of the town centre frontage consisting of AGC or pawnbrokers/payday loan shops, in line with Local Plan policy BE5.  Whilst criteria (d) under Policy PE5 required that there was a minimum of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4