New Portslade car showroom given the thumbs up

Adur District Council’s planning committee supported the application from Tate Bros Limited to build a new 1,765 square metre car showroom, opposite 269 – 287 Old Shoreham Road.

A service centre would also be incorporated, with display space for 130 vehicles; 103 staff and customer parking spaces; and diversion and improvements to a public right of way.

The showroom would be built on the Eastbrook Allotments site which is ‘vacant and overgrown’.

Part of the site would be used to expand  the Mayberry Garden Centre which was approved as part of a separate planning application by the same company (reference: AWDM/1154/21).

Access will be via the A259, with new vehicular access off Old Shoreham Road to serve both the car showroom and Mayberry Garden Centre.

Together, the approved car showroom and garden centre expansion could see more than £7 million in capital investment; more than 3,500 square metres of commercial space; the creation of 60 full-time jobs; more than £400,000 for the local economy; and a business rates contribution of more than £130,000.

Council officers have sought further landscaping or planting to soften the building and ‘box-like appearance’ – something the applicant has agreed to.

Officers also expressed concerns that a computer generated concept drawing included in the application did not match up with planned elevations.

They said: “Officers were particularly keen to understand why there was this discrepancy between the elevations and the nice computer generated image.

“This committee has had other situations where that’s happened and I’ve got, rightly so, rather annoyed that we get an image that sort of looks great, and then you realise it doesn’t correspond with other elevations.

“I think it should be withdrawn because it’s clearly not an accurate representation.”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 drawn up for consultation purposes, before an occupier was found.

Stephen Chipp (Con, Southwick) asked if the image was shown to the public during the consultation stage.

The planning agent for Tate Bros Limited says this was the case but that the designs had ‘evolved since’.

Mr Chipp said this was ‘frustrating’.

“These artistic impressions absolutely bug me, particularly if that’s what the public was shown and then afterwards the design doesn’t have it going through,” he said.

“I have to say it does frustrate me, as a member of the planning committee, that we get an artistic impression, and then we get a design that actually resembles very little what was given to us.”

Council officers said the building is ‘functional by its nature’.

Standing at two-storeys high – with a small amount of first floor space for staff and a tools store – the showroom building has been designed to fit in with the surrounds whilst accommodating a service area for large vans and motor-homes, and a vehicle lift.

Glazing will be installed on three sides of the building with the fourth corner occupied by offices. A central service desk will provide workshop access to the rear.

A ‘living green roof’ and solar panels will be installed to mitigate environmental impact.

Other planning committee members also expressed concerns that the actual design differed from the artist impression.

An agent for Tate Bros Limited said that ‘the results of the public engagement process were very positive and supportive’.

Jeremy Gardner (Lab, St Mary’s) said he is ‘often very cautious about building on green space’.

“But this is actually a sensationally ugly bit of green space,” he said, “and certainly has no community use, so putting a useful building on it is definitely a step forward.

“I would say car showrooms are rarely pretty – and this one really is in that tradition of not being pretty – so I absolutely support [planning officers] in encouraging a better looking building.”

He added that the agreement for more planting would ‘make it a more attractive spot’.

The application was approved but – as a result of the planning committee’s concerns – officers have been tasked with securing improvements to building design.

Committee chair Carol Albury (Con, Manor) said: “I think we would like very strong representation that the enhancement should be carried through.”

More information can be found at the Adur planning portal using reference: AWDM/1032/21.