Council rejects planning application for changes to local butchers shop in Penn

As a recent meeting the planning committee of Chiltern District Council voted to reject a planning application to alter Gleeson’s butchers shop in Hazlemere Road.

The vote to reject the planning application went against the advice of the Council’s planning officers.

The planning application, reference CH/2015/1712/FA, would have involved the reconfiguration of internal layout of retail and residential space, a two storey side extension, single storey front extension, single storey rear extension and first floor rear infill extension.

Planning officers had said that there was no planning reason to refuse the scheme however if permitted Mr Gleeson says it will close him down. Gleeson’s is the only remaining butchers in Penn and Tylers Green.

With over 450 objections and a petition the planning application provoked the biggest ever planning protest in Penn village.

In rejecting the planning application Chiltern District Council said the application was contrary to one of the council’s core strategies which states that the council should work with local communities to ensure that local facilities like Gleeson’s remain open.

They also said the application contravened one of the key policies in the National Planning Policy Framework which states that planning decisions should ‘guard against the unnecessary loss of valued facilities and services, particularly where this would reduce the community’s ability to meet its day to day needs‘ and that ‘established shops be retained for the benefit of the community.‘

If approved, the Council also said the extension to the property at 34 Hazlemere Road, Penn would amount of over development of the site and lead to parking problems.

However despite Tuesday’s decision the applicants who made the planning application can lodge an appeal against the council’s decision to refuse the planning application.