Permission to convert former Winslow bank into flats could be overturned

Winslow resident Jeff Crisp launched a crowdfunding campaign to challenge the planning approval, after Bucks Council rubber-stamped an application to turn the former bank building on Winslow’s Market Square into six apartments.

Jeff raised £2,500 to cover the legal costs of taking the decision to Judicial Review.

Now Bucks Council has said it will consent to the quashing of the decision notice and will be applying to the High Court for a consent order – after being served with a claim for Judicial Review.

Jeff and his fellow campaigners had pointed out that there is no car parking provision for potential residents of the planned six-apartment complex, comprising 10 bedrooms.

But while he welcomed Bucks Council’s decision to agree to the quashing of its own planning decision, Jeff warned: “This is only a stay of execution.

“This type of ‘prior approval’ development is great for converting unused office space into residential units but has two potential major pitfalls – they come without any requirement for parking spaces and they take precedence over any Local Plan or Conservation Area protection.”

This or any other future ‘prior approval’ development in the Market Square would override Winslow’s existing Neighbourhood Plan, he warned.

Jeff is now urging Winslow Town Council to apply for an Article 4 Direction for Market Square, to prevent the lost of retail and commercial space in the town centre in future.

He said: “Any potential conversion to residential has a huge impact on the viability of the Market Square.

"My understanding is that the only way to control this is something called an Article 4 Direction, where a planning authority can protect a ‘heritage asset’ so that any developments would require a full planning application.”

Following a “lively and productive” meeting between Jeff and some of the town councillors on Wednesday, August 9, the idea is set to be discussed by the town council’s Planning Committee next Tuesday, August 16.

Jeff said: “The thing that we do recognise is that this Judicial Review, all it does is take us back to square one.

“We don’t know what the situation is, we don’t know whether the property has actually been sold or not, or whether it has been sold subject to getting the right permissions, and we are aware that it’s possible that they could make a new application.

“However, we really pushed hard on getting the town council to support an application for an Article 4 Direction on the whole of the Market Square, so that nobody else can convert ground floors into residential and that we actually maintain all the shops and hospitality venues that are available now, in perpetuity.”

Jeff is collecting signatures from businesses in and around the square in favour of the town council applying for an Article 4 Direction.

He said: “I’ve met four of them so far and everybody is really, really keen for this to happen. They actually see maintaining the retail and commercial space as being pretty critical.

“We know we’ve already got a problem that many of the shops are only open part time. There’s really not enough variety open on a regular basis to attract people to Winslow and we really need to do as much as we can to encourage that.”

Mayor of Winslow Colin Bishopp said: “We’re taking Jeff Crisp’s concerns on board and we will discuss what we should do about them.”

Peter Strachan, cabinet member for planning and regeneration at Bucks Council, said: “I can reassure that we are not applying to quash our decision – however, we have been served with a claim for Judicial Review of our decision to grant 22/00895/PAPCR (for prior approval of the exercise of permitted development rights for conversion of 19 Market Square to six units of residential accommodation) from a third party, and have reviewed the evidence submitted in support of that claim.

“This evidence has revealed that the decision was based on incorrect information provided as part of the application, as the two upper floors had not been in commercial use prior to the application date but were in fact already residential flats.

"In these circumstances, the building as a whole would not meet the criteria for the permitted development rights referred to in the application.

"Therefore, the council will consent to the quashing of the decision notice, as requested by the claimant. A Consent Order is, therefore, being prepared, for approval by a High Court Judge.”