CN Planning was approached for assistance with an application which had been met with resistance from the Local Planning Authority on retail grounds. The policy required out-of-centre retail proposals to undergo the Sequential Test to evidence there were no other suitable and available premises within centres. The electrical business was modelled on a premises size between a high street store and retail park national chain outlets, of which few alternatives met this criterion. Furthermore, the existing customer base in one area of the City assisted in further limiting the scope of those alternatives, and it was demonstrated that the premises – previously used for motor sales – was the preferable site.
Coventry City Council ref. FUL/2016/2449