City councils unanimously approved plans for a motor show in Portslade yesterday (Monday, November 8), despite concerns about misleading drawings.
The Adur District Council’s Planning Committee approved a motion from Tate Bros Limited to build a new 1,765 square foot auto showroom across from 269-287 Old Shoreham Road in Southwick.
A service center and exhibition space for 130 vehicles, 103 parking spaces for employees and customers and the redesign of a public path are planned.
The showroom would be built on the Eastbrook Allotments site, which was “empty and overgrown”.
Part of the site would be used to allow the Mayberry Garden Center to expand. The garden center plans were specified – and approved – in a separate building application from the same company.
The committee was told that the approved dealership and garden center expansion together would require a capital investment of more than £ 7 million.
The program is expected to create around 60 full-time jobs and raise over £ 400,000 to the local economy.
The more than 3,500 square meters of commercial space is expected to contribute more than £ 130,000 to business fees.
Council officials requested further landscaping or planting to “soften” the building and its “boxy appearance” – something the applicant has agreed to.
Officials also raised concerns that a computer-generated conceptual drawing attached to the application was inconsistent with the technical plans.
They said, “The officers were particularly interested in understanding why there was this discrepancy between the heights and the beautiful computer-generated image.
“This committee has had other situations where this has happened, and I’m rightly pretty upset that we get a picture that looks kind of great and then you realize that it doesn’t align with other views.
“I think it should be withdrawn because it is clearly not an accurate representation.”
Mock-ups of the site show branding for both Vauxhall and DS Automobiles (formerly part of Citroën), but these were created for guidance purposes before a user was found.
Conservative Alderman Stephen Chipp, who represents the Southwick Borough, asked if the picture was shown to the public during the consultation period.
The Tate Bros Limited planning agent said it did – but that the designs had “evolved” since then.
That was “frustrating”, said Chipp and added: “These artistic impressions absolutely irritate me, especially when it is shown to the audience and then the design does not go through.
“I have to say, as a member of the planning committee, it frustrates me that we get an artistic impression and then get a design that actually corresponds very little to what was given to us.”
Council officials said the two-story building was “inherently functional” with a small area on the first floor for staff and a tool store.
The showroom building was designed to suit the environment and housed a service area for large vans and motorhomes as well as a lifting platform.
The building was to be glazed on three sides, with offices taking up the fourth corner. A central service desk would enable workshop access to the rear.
And a “living green roof” and solar panels would be installed to reduce the environmental impact.
Other members of the planning committee also expressed concerns that the actual design differed from the artist’s impression.
A Tate Bros agent said “the results of the public engagement process have been very positive and supportive”.
Labor councilor Jeremy Gardner, who represents the St. Mary Ward, said he was “often very careful about building on green spaces.”
He said, “This is actually a sensationally ugly green space and it certainly has no communal use, so it’s definitely a step forward to build a useful building on it.
“I’d say car dealerships are seldom pretty – and this one really stands in that tradition of not being pretty – so I (planners) absolutely support promoting a better looking building.”
He added that the agreement on more planting “should make it a more attractive place”.
The request was approved but, due to the concerns of the planning committee, officials were asked to make improvements to the building’s design.
Conservative Councilor Carol Albury, who represents Manor Ward and chairs the Planning Committee, said, “We want a very strong representation that the expansion should go ahead.”
