Residents feel a five-storey apartment building in the heart of the Arboretum will block out sunlight and their views.
Nottingham City Council says the site has been vacant for some years and is located on the corner of Raleigh Street and Stoneleigh Street.
The site formerly held a pub which was demolished several years ago.
Planning permission was refused in February 2018 for a new five-storey building containing 18 apartments, car park, and landscaping.
Reasons for refusal were the adverse impact on the street scene and the historic character of the conservation area.
Concerns were also raised about the “unacceptable impact” it would have on the living conditions of residents of the existing Portland Square flats.
Planning permission was then refused in April 2018 for a new four-storey building containing 16 apartments.
The reason for refusal this time was the adverse impact on the living conditions of residents of the existing Portland Square flats.
In July 2019 a Planning Inspector dismissed appeals relating to both of these refused applications.
Following negotiations and revisions by the applicants, the Planning Inspector “alluded to some areas in which the appeal schemes would be acceptable.”
This included addressing the impact the development would have on the living conditions of residents of the existing Portland Square flats and certain design elements and their impact on the Gamble Street / Alfreton Road Conservation Area. The current application seeks to address those issues.
The application by Zenith Planning and Design on behalf of Asiana LLP was passed by councillors at a planning meeting on Wednesday, December 22.
Planning permission is for the building of a five-storey apartment building containing fourteen apartments. Eight off-street car parking spaces and cycle storage are also proposed.
The council consulted with 215 neighbouring properties in adjacent flats and houses.
Fourteen objected to the proposal and said the new proposals fail to address the previous reasons for refusal. They said the proposal would lead to a loss of light and view for existing flats in Portland Square.
Nottingham Civic Society supports the proposal with the building now in keeping with the traditional former textile factories and warehouses which give character to the conservation area.
The council stated in its report: “A recent Housing Market Assessment has been carried out in Nottingham and has confirmed the need for more housing types, of all tenures, in almost all wards in Nottingham.
“The site is in a sustainable location, accessible to public transport and local amenities on Alfreton Road. The proposal would provide 9 one-bed units and five two-bed units ranging in size.”
