Marian Hall buildto drop play area

Consultants Turley Associates have asked planners permission to change the conditions of an approved application by Apex Housing Association to build 24 social housing units and a play area on the site. The value of the investment is put at £2,630,493 and it has a scheduled completion date of September 2013.

Permission was granted so long as the “dwellings hereby approved shall not be occupied until the open space and children’s play area are constructed in accordance with the stamped approved drawings.” But now the developers want to change that.

The Director of Turley Associates Conor Hughes wrote to the planners on June 3, saying they want the condition to be varied so that “the dwellings hereby approved shall not be occupied until the open space is laid out and landscaped in accordance with the stamped approved drawings.” But no play area.

The justification for this is that: “The scale of development proposed does not warrant the construction of a children’s playground at this time and the cost of the works will have to be ultimately borne by the residents.

“There are active play facilities within 400 metres of the development maintained and operated by the council which fulfil the same purpose.”