Developer appeals refusal of plan to convert office block

AN appeal has been lodged against the refusal of planning permission to convert an office block in Henley into flats.

The Hub Management Company wants to change the use of the Hub in Station Road from offices to 25 flats, comprising 22 two-bedroom and three one-bedroom flats.

South Oxfordshire District Council, the planning authority, refused the application in December due to the loss of existing office space within a town centre location.

It said no evidence was submitted to demonstrate that the site was unviable as an employment site and the conversion to residential would significantly improve the amenity of neighbouring properties.

Officers also said that the Juliet balconies proposed to be added to the rear elevation, facing north-east, would create an unacceptable relationship to the neighbouring properties in Station Road and in Hewgate Court. Neighbours also criticised the developer’s plans when it added three Juliet balconies and three other balconies on the second floor.

The appeal will be heard at Abbey House in Abingdon on September 30.

Meanwhile, a canoe hire business has had to apply for retrospective planning permission after constructing a storage shed on the riverfront.

Matthew Couling, who runs Henley Canoe Hire, has applied to South Oxfordshire District Council for permission for a timber storage shed in Mill Meadows.

The 14ft by 8ft shed sits on land owned by Henley Town Council close to the River & Rowing Museum and is used to store equipment such as life jackets and paddles.

In January of last year, the business asked the town council if it could install the storage facility alongside a 4m by 6m pontoon.

It agreed, subject to conditions, including agreement on the design, colour, fixings and location of the shed.

But then the shed was installed without planning permission.

Mr Couling, in his design and access statement to the district council, said that the structure was needed to support the operational needs of the business and “reduce on-site clutter, contributing to safer and more organised public areas”. He added that it had been constructed from timber to match an existing approved structure on site.

Mr Couling said: “The appearance, materials and scale are consistent with the existing shed, ensuring visual cohesion and minimal impact on the surrounding landscape.

“The structure is discreetly located and maintains a low visual profile, sympathetic to the recreational and natural setting of Mill Meadows.”

He said the shed did not obstruct any public right-of-way or service route.

Henley Canoe Hire has been trading seasonally since 2016, with its licence renewed annually.

In January 2024, the council’s recreation and amenities committee agreed to extend this from one to three years.

The application is set to be discussed by the town council at a planning committee on Tuesday.

The district council is due to make the final decision by Thursday, October 16.